The blog has been quiet lately, not for lack of projects to post, but for lack of time to post them. Why? Kids are keeping me busier than ever. And I thought I was busy before they had their own busy schedules to keep up with. Ha! Hilarious. In our latest adventure in pageants & modeling, I’ve happened upon something one of my daughters has been wishing upon he lucky star for: a way to actually curl her hair so that it stays.
I tried everything for my daughter’s ultra-fine, super sleek hair. We could get it styled with hot tools, but A) I don’t like damaging her precious locks, and B) sometimes she just wants fun, bouncy curls. Finally I sprung for a set of Curlformers and it has been the answer we were looking for. They really do make gorgeous curls that actually stay without heat!
They aren’t for everyone and every occasion. For big pageants, we often still opt for other styles to get a more polished look. For smaller pageants and photo shoots, we love using these. They may be a bit much for every day use, but for occasions, we are in love.
Can you/do you have to sleep in them?
Although my daughter doesn’t mind sleeping in them, many do. I think the discomfort is worth it to her for curls, but there is a dryer attachment for those who aren’t comfortable sleeping in curlers. I’ve also found that if you use small sections, which you’ll get the best results form anyway, you don’t need to dry overnight like in sponge curlers since the entire length of the hair dries at the same time. If you have an event in the afternoon or evening, a few hours may be plenty. If it’s not, try the dryer attachment (not a true “no-heat” option, but it is low-heat).
Pay attention to the colors
The sets come with 2 different colors for a reason. Each color creates a different direction of curl. Use one color on one side of your head and the other on the other side for a more polished look. We part and then curl one section at a time with the rest of the hair clipped out of the way with the curls curling away from her face. If you mix the colors, you will get mixed directions of curls which creates a less polished look.
Be patient with the learning curve
It took me several tries before I really got the hang of using these. Here’s what I found:
- Use very small sections, smaller than with other curlers. We use about a 1″ x 1″ section of hair for each curler. That means using a lot of curlers. I usually use 37-38 out of our set of 40 for my one little girl’s head.
- Find the right angle to pull the hair through. I’ve found that the more flat the wand is with her head, the easier it is to pull through. If it pulls, stop and try again.
- You need to use wet hair. With fine hair, that means it dries out before I’m finished. I start with dry hair and a small spray bottle filled with water. I comb each strand, mist it with water, then come again to make it smooth before putting it into the Curlformer.
- Don’t yank them out, Squeeze the rubber bit near the root to open it up, then slide it down and off of her hair.
- You may sometimes get a crease where the top of the Curlformer sat. We’ve found that having it sit 1-2″ away from her head instead of as close as possible really helps cut down on these. If they are really bad, you may want to touch up those areas with a curling iron.
- Separate the curls to create more volume and a more natural look. We separate each curled section into about 3. It’s tedious, but worth it.
- Still use hairspray to make it stay after removing the Curlformers. For us, the brand does matter. We use either L’Oreal Elnet Satin or Freeze It, although sometimes you have to see what works for you.
Here are links to purchase Curlformers on Amazon.com. They are an investment, but for us it’s been well wroth it. In fact, we now have 2 sets! These kits include the want so if you already have a spray bottle & hairspray on hand, it’s all you need.
Definitely take a look at this tutorial before you dive in if you’re visual (like me!)
Have you tried Curlformers? What did you think?