TUTORIAL | Flat Iron Curls

with a new haircut comes the fun of figuring out new ways to style! my favorite way to curl my shorter locks is with my flat iron. it's super easy once you get the hang of it and can create a more relaxed look than curling with a traditional curling iron.
here's a step-by-step of how i do it:
1. start by prepping your hair with some hairspray (or other heat spray, if you use it). my hair is freshly washed and blow-dried upside down using Aquage Uplifting Foam. i like to just do a light spray of hairspray all around to give my hair a little extra hold while i'm curling.

2. section off your hair. i prefer to do 4 sections. the first is from the nape of my neck to the tops of my ears.

3. start with a section about 1.5-2 inches wide. i've found that smaller sections work much better with this method. clamp the flat iron onto the top of the section, at the root of your hair. (you may want to practice this a couple times before your iron is turned on)

4. before moving the iron down your hair, twist 180º. (see the change in the direction of my hand).

5. slowly, start guiding the iron down your hair, pulling out and away from your scalp. continue down the section of hair. it takes me about 3-4 seconds to get through the section.

6. pulling the flat iron all the way through the ends of your hair, you should be left with a nice wave curl. if it's too curly, go back through with the flat iron pulling straight to soften it a bit. if it's not curled enough, repeat the curling method a bit slower.

7. continue around your head, until the entire section is curled. i do this bottom section in 4 sections. check your curls with a hand mirror. if the back looks weird at all or you missed a piece, go back through.

8. continue the same method on the next section. i like to go from about my temples and leave the top half of my hair in a clip.

here's a view of what that second section looks like when it's finished:

9. continuing on, i keep the top section of my hair in a clip while finishing the bulk of my hair.

10. i do the final section, the top of my hair, a bit softer in the curl. i pull the flat iron through a little bit faster than i do on the lower portion of my hair to give it the softness i want.

post-curling, pre-finishing:

11. before doing any finishing, i like to rake my fingers through the curls once they're totally curled. at this time, i go back through and fix any curls that didn't curl quite right.

12. now for the finishing! i use TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo on my hair just about every time i style it. it just adds a little extra 'grit' that helps my finish it the way i like. i spray a little on both sides and near my crown.

13. work the dry shampoo into your scalp.

14. now for the fun part: teasing! (or ratting, back combing, bump-it-ing...whatever you like to call it!). my sister has a great tutorial for this. i rake through the mess with my fingers to smooth it out a bit.

15. i like to finish my ends with Bumble & bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish to add some texture to the ends of the curls.

and you're done! here's the finished product:

once you get the hang of curling using a flat iron, it's an easy way to style your hair and works great on next-day hair, too!
(for those that are curious, my color formula is Redken Shades EQ 5G and 6RB with a little balayage highlight)