Perfect Spiral Hair Curling Secrets!

So, this is basically my go-to hair style for any sort of formal event! I've always curled my hair this way, and it always lasts at least 2 days even with my thick and long hair. Hopefully these tips/steps will work for you and your hair, too!

First of all, this is all about creating a versatile curl that you can do almost anything with. Yay! Here are my "expert" tips that you should try out and let me know how well it works! :)

1.) If you have fairly thick hair like me or just want to cut down on heat damage, shower and wash your hair the day before you'll curl it. This does two things: it allows your hair to be free from blow-dryer damage, and it also allows hair to retain the curls you'll give it the next day because it will be 101% dry and ready to go! (I like doing this because if I want to curl my hair for school, I can shower the night before and not have to wake up super early!)

2.) Use a hot curling iron! The one I use is the Conair Instant Heat, and my mom has had it forever and it still works great! It's good to have a curling iron that heats up quick, but not too quick. For a style that holds, you don't always want to sacrifice heating up time for heat quality, if that makes any sense. Also, use an iron that doesn't have a super big or super tiny diameter; the one I use for sprials is about 1" and it works great for my hair length. Click here to find the right barrel size for your hair!

3.) Only do 2-3.5 in. sections at a time (depending on your hair thickness...you can go larger for thinner hair and smaller for thicker hair). I usually let it sit for about 30 sec-1 min for each section before I move onto the next. Again, most of this depends on your own hair, so experiment with different section widths and times to see what works the best!

4.) For this style of curling, I never use the clamper-thingy on the iron. I use my available hand to wrap the section of hair around the barrel and hold it there until time's up. (I had to use the clamp to hold down the ends in the picture below, but usually I would be holding the piece sticking out) Oh, and be careful not to burn yourself! :)

5.) To hairspray or not to hairspray? I personally have found that it isn't really necessary for me to spray my hair at all, and it certainly has kept my hair much more "flowy" rather than stiff, but if your hair doesn't retain its curl very easily, you can spray it lightly all over once you're done.

6.) At this point, everything is all up to you! I usually run my fingers through my hair a few times just to loosen up the curls and let it all sort of come together. It also makes it seem a little less forced!

This is what my hair looked like after I finished curling it!

See the difference after I ran my fingers through it?                                         All done! :)

7.) Alright, last tip! Feel free to customize and add to your hairstyle! What I love most about this type of curls is that you can put it up in a pony, pin part of it back, or even add a headband (mine's from Peru! Be creative!

wow, I just realized how stupid this face looks..lol :P

And that's it! I hope you enjoy trying this out and making your hair bouncy and happy! :)

Happy Curling!

Carly

Summer! :)

Toady was my last day of officially being a freshman! Thank goodness!! I'm so glad to end the year with great friends, grades, and teachers! This summer will be full of babysitting, running for cross country, and hopefully much more blogging! I've decided to start fresh and really get into a regular routine of posting at least every other day! Hopefully I'll have some more readers trickling in, too! Today I'm bringing to you what's inspiring me to have a bunch of fun this verano! Stay happy, carly :)

happy clothes+happy prices=consignment stores!

I love this store called My Best Friend's Closet-it's an affordable and stylish way to shop for gently used clothing (eco-friendly!). Anyways, here are some of my steals for today...there was a model search at the store today and one of the girls competing was wearing this stuff-I absolutely had to have it! Cute white ruffle shirt to go with a tan asymmetrical skirt and a vintage-y looking map-print bag!! These pieces totally just made my day! :)

Pic Collage!

Just discovered this really fun new app for making collages! Super fun, user friendly, not overly complicated, and it saves everything you create in a way that makes sharing via email or Facebook only a touch away! Here are some collages I've made so far...check it out! :)

Curl Your Hair with a Sock! No heat!

Last night I decided to try out a new non heat method for curling hair-with a sock! I followed instructions from this amazing video: click here!
It was super easy and the results are great! Plus, no heat damage or product build-up! Let me know how it turns out for you!
XO,
Carly :)

Clyfford Still: A man of Inspiration

Today I went downtown with my dad and brother to visit a new museum that just opened up a few months ago. It was really interesting to see all of Still's abstract art in one place without "the distraction of other artists' work" to put it in his own words. His precise use of color with the combination of significant blank canvas space truly made our visit to the Clyfford Still Museum very memorable. Enjoy the pictures!

Cardigans, Dress shirts, Preppy...oh my!

I've had a recent liking for the cute simplicity of layering button-ups under things like sweaters, jean jackets, and of course cardigans! Well, I loved cardigans to begin with so I guess it wasn't too hard for me to fall for looks from J Crew or Boden! Anyways, hope you keep on rooting for Mondo- 2 wins in a row!!

Think spring,
Carly