Get Magazine Worthy Curls at Home

Throughout the ages, curly hair has been associated with femininity, sexiness, romance and softness. Gorgeous curls are and have always been every girl's dream. We see cascading waves and flirty ringlets on everyone from Giselle Bundchen to Boticelli's Venus. It's no surprise then, that most of us find ourselves wondering if hair like that is possible to attain at home, or if we'll need to fork over a week's wages to the best salon in town in order to look like we belong on the cover of Elle.

Well, ladies, getting perfect curls at home is not only possible, but it's also very easy! In a matter of minutes you too can have curls worthy of a Victoria's Secret runway show. There are several great ways to acheive the perfect at home curls, but the two quickest and easiest are using a curling iron and/or curlers.

If you choose to go the curling iron route, do make sure that you have the proper styling tool. When it comes to hair tools with heating elements, you do get what you pay for. Although you may get acceptable curls with a cheaper curling iron, the more expensive, ceramic ones are the ideal ones to use. Ceramic hair tools are far less damaging and at the same time can heat up to higher temperatures ensuring a better formed and longer lasting curl or wave.

When using a curling iron you also want to make sure that you have the correct barrel size to get the curl you want. If you prefer smaller, ringlet type curls you will want to use a curling iron with a smaller barrel size. Larger curls and waves can be achieved with a larger barrel size such as the 1 1/2" irons.

Once you have the curling iron that you want to use make sure that your hair is completely dry. Using a curling iron on damp hair will cause your curls to fall flat. Prior to drying your hair you may want to wash and condition it with any one of the numbers of curl enhancing shampoos and conditioners available on the market. These products will add a little extra oomph to your curl definition if you already have slightly wavy or textured hair. Avoid using heavy conditioners since those will weigh your hair, and curls, down.

Once you have blown your hair dry, divide it into small sections. You can keep the sections divided by using small hair clips or rubber bands. Start curling the segments of your hair at the bottom of your scalp and work your way up. You will want to wrap you hair around the barrel of the curling iron until the iron is approximately 1/2 to 2 inches away from your scalp in order to avoid burning the delicate skin of your scalp. Hold the curling iron in place for a count of 20 and release. You should see a perfect tendril immediately! Just continue to repeat this until you have worked your way up to the crown of your head and all of the sections of your hair have been worked on.

After you are done curling your hair, brush your fingers through it to achieve the desired effect. Avoid using a comb or brush as those will cause your newly formed curls to separate and frizz. When your curls are tousled just how you like them, use a light holding spray to give them hold and protect them from frizz and humidity. With those few steps you have gone from flat to fabulous and are ready to turn heads!

If you have more time and prefer to use curlers, the best way to achieve supermodel worthy curls is to set your hair when it is slightly damp. Once again, you will want to divide your hair into sections and work your way from the bottom of your head on up. Use smaller rollers for tighter curls, and larger rollers for looser ones.

After you have rolled all of the sections of your hair up, let your hair dry naturally. Blow drying will cause frizz, however, if you must use a blow dryer make sure it is at the lowest setting in order to avoid too much damage to your curls. When your hair is completely dry, remove the rollers and use your fingers to comb through your hair in order to give the curls a more natural look. You may want to apply a small amount of silicone based frizz neutralizer, such as Frizz Ease, to your hair to keep fly-aways at bay, then lightly mist your hair with a holding spray. Voila! Perfect curls at home!

If you are going for a less polished curly look, try using hair products designed to give you the "messy", just got out of bed look. After curling your hair and running your hands through it, spray it with a sea salt spray such as KMS's Hair Play Sea Salt Spray or Aquage's Sea Salt Texturizing Spray. Adding a product like this to your curls will make it look like you have spent a day at the beach...healthy, natural and oh so sexy.

Achieving perfect curls at home is amazingly easy. With a few minutes and products, anyone can have curls that wouldn't look out of place on the red carpet. Being feminine and looking fabulous doesn't have to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. With the time and money you'll save by creating your own fabulous curls at home, you'll have the perfect excuse to go out and get a hot little outfit to go with your new do!