Do you wish you had curly hair? Here’s a tutorial to show you how to style your hair so that it looks naturally curly.

But don’t you already have curly hair?

Yes, I know this seems like a strange tutorial for me to do as I already have wavy/curly hair BUT the grass is always greener, so if you’re wondering what you’d look like with curly hair, I hope this might help you.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to get some comments from people with naturally curly hair that this is a terrible idea and why am I doing this tutorial but this is for everyone out there who really want to have curly hair.

Or if you’re like me, and want to style your curly hair perfectly so that it looks “natural” then you can follow the same steps.

You see this tutorial was really me getting ready for a night out at the Australian Hair Fashion Awards (AHFAs) and I wanted to avoid washing out any of my pink hair colour.

How to get hair that looks naturally curly – Get ready with me for the AHFAs

Click here if you can’t see the video above

Styling tools

For this tutorial you really do need specific hair styling tools.

I’ve two different curling wands though you could do it with just one wand. The curling wands I used are:

• Muk Curl Stick with the 9-19mm barrel
• H2D X3 Curling wand – 19mm barrel

Most standard curling wands are around 20-30mm so the smaller the wand, the tighter your curls will be. Also note that your hair will drop and soften over time so it’s best to style your hair a little tighter than you want so it looks good all night.

Hair Products

If you have straight hair you’ll definitely need to prep your hair to make sure that your curls last the distance. I recommend using a volumising mousse to add some grip and texture to your hair and then just to roughly blowdry your hair before you begin. This helps to activate the mousse into your hair and add a little bit more texture so that the curls will last. I recommend:

• Extra Care Keratin Styling Mousse
• Living Proof Thickening Mousse

Heat protectants

As always when using high heat tools, I recommend using a heat protectant spray. If you’re starting with wet hair and using a mousse, check if that is also a heat protectant or I recommend:

• Batiste Heat & Shine spray
• Joico Thermal Spray

Finishing products

For extra volume I love hair powders and this time I used the Marc Anthony Dream Big Volume Volumizing Super Powder.

Check out my tips for using styling powders here.

To smooth down the surface frizz, I love O&M Frizzy Logic which you can find here in Australia and here in the USA.

Styling tips:

• Change directions

The key to naturally looking curls is to alternate which way you’re curling your hair around the wand. Normally in curling tutorials, you only curl your hair away from the face. When styling tight curls they can tend to clump together and they won’t look as natural. Natural hair is a little bit more messy and they curls should sit apart from each other.

• Switch up the size of your curls

I’ve used two curling wands to help give the look of more natural curls. It’s really normal to have a mix of different curl sizes in any naturally curly hair and so by mixing up tight curls with a few layers of wider curls it gives a more natural finish.

• Let it cool

To make sure that your curls really set in, let them cool before you touch them. I use this time to get my make-up done and then finish the hair just before going out.

• Pump up the volume

I’ve used a hair powder to add some texture and volume as I’m messing up the curls. The thing I love about a hair powder is its a little bit matte and it really works to add volume right at the roots as well. It definitely gives the curls much more of a lift and natural look and stops it looking too exact and perfect which they can be from a curling wand.

• Know when to stop

When you’re shaking out those curls, it’s really difficult to know if you’ve gone far enough or you haven’t quite got there yet. You run the risk when you play with the hairstyle too much that you’ll undo a lot of your curls. So be gentle and remember to take a step back and examine how they are looking at all angles.

• Have fun with your new curls

The best thing about me wearing this style is everybody though it was my natural hair! It’s a little bit but it’s my hair but only on a very good day. I needed it to be a good hair day because I was headed to a ballroom full of hairdressers!

Australian Hair Fashion Awards

The AHFAs are part of The Journal Magazine and they really celebrate the true artistry of the hairdressing industry in Australia. I’m always so inspired by the work created and by the camaraderie of hairdressers in the room.

I was asked to be a judge for the product categories at the AHFAs and was looking forward to finding out the winners at the award ceremony in Sydney. It’s always an incredible night with special guest performances.

Hairdressers work so hard and it’s great to see them come together and party hard like this too. It really helps celebrate the industry and remember the creativity and the true artistry behind what they do.

Congratulations to Craig Smith of Fruition Hair for being crowned Australian Hairdresser of the Year. And in the product categories:

• The best new professional hair care product is Wella Invigo Recharged blonde shampoo and conditioner.
• The best new professional styling product is Joico Blonde Life Brilliant Glow Oil.
• The most innovative hair tool is the Dyson Supersonic Pro Dryer.

You can check out all of the winners here on The Journal.

Congratulations to all of the finalists and the winners, you truly are inspiring and make the Australian hair industry what it is today. Thank you to The Journal Mag for hosting me as a guest and as one of the judges and I already can’t wait for next year.