Curl definition for Christmas

[diamoness]

What is your routine? How do you prepare your hair for these products? What leave ins, gels, conditioners do you use before applying curly pudding/custard...whatever. I'm 4b and i need HEAVY products. Fantasia IC gel dont do didley for me. I used a sustitute recipe for curly pudding that elongated and defined very well once.....my hair just ended up feeling dry, gooey/sticky and looking a HOT MESS the next day. I applied to freshly Co-washed hair....no other products. I'm thinking if i add some brown protein gel to the mix, that my hair wont be so sticky? Cuz i think its the curl activator in it that makes my hair so mushy......I NEVER liked curl activator on my hair......made my feel like a sticky grease monkey......any ideas? keep em coming.....cuz i got a few weeks to get it right before Christmas.

 

[glamazon386]

If you hair has no curl pattern in it (which I'm assuming it doesn't because you said you're a 4b) there's no product that you can put in your hair that will give you curls. You could texturize to loosen your pattern but that would be permanent. I don't think that's what you meant. I would recommend trying a twist out or a coil out to give your hair temporary curlies. You could twist with the Curly pudding or the Fantasia gel. But putting just pudding or fantasia gel on your hair alone isn't going to work. HTH...

 

[Ms Lala]

I agree w/bmoreflyygirl, I usually do a twist out when I want curl definition. You determine the size of the twists based on how you want the curls to come out. To make it last I put it in big twists at night with alittle moisturizer and take them out in the morning. And just be sure to touch the hair as little as possible, more manipulation=frizz.

 

[keluric]

At your length, a braidout would be really gorgeous. I suggest playing with both twistouts and braidouts and seeing which you prefer. Using Murray's cream beeswax with a little oil will make for a really defined twist- or braidout.

I didn't look at your fotki but are you sure you're a 4b with NO curl pattern?

 

[Qetesh]

I would say that if you have no real curl pattern it won’t come out with gels ext.
Think about your hair when you hair is still damp dripping like mine in the siggy if u cant see any curls at this point its going to be hard to get some to pop out with products.
I found that BTZ noodlehead and fantasia IC works well for me, I actually never knew I could do an air-dry and not end up with a huge poof after. Those will make you hair look more curly then what mine looks like in siggy or your out of shower look(notice my hair is not really that curly its kinda wavy but the texture is def not a "wavy" texture), and when it dries of course there will be shrinkage. Last time I put rollers on my ends and I think it helped tame it a little.
I seriously wanted that beautiful curly look I see some folks on this site with (I wont call them out) But when it comes down to it my hair is not really curly its more like a wavy s pattern in some areas and curls in others. I wanted a more even curl look but I cant get it because that’s not my hair.

 

[crlsweetie912]

Cosigning with Qetesh. People have raved about the Noodlehead. That and a twistout should do it!

 

[Cheleigh]

Co-signing with everyone else. I have curl definition, but I still do twistouts (actually, my hair's in twists now in prepartion for a twistout tonight) so that I can get uniform texture plus a bit more length (to combat shrinkage). I twist my hair damp/wet that already has Oyin Honey Hemp condish and Curls Milkshake on it with ORS lock&twist gel. Twisting on wet hair gives me better definition than dry twisting. Then I put my twists in a ponytail to stretch them until I'm ready to take down and do a twistout.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I use pantene hydrating curls and leave in conditioner. I have a 3C/4a mix.

 

[diamoness]

I am a 4b WITH a curl pattern. I happen to believe that all 4's have a natural curl pattern.....but many never see it due to heat /styling damage. I'm too lazy to do braid/twist outs...but thanks for the suggestions.

 

[glamazon386]

I am a 4b WITH a curl pattern. I happen to believe that all 4's have a natural curl pattern.....but many never see it due to heat /styling damage. I'm too lazy to do braid/twist outs...but thanks for the suggestions.

Then maybe you're a 4a instead of a 4b. Or a mixture of both. I thought 4bs didnt have a curl pattern? It grows in Z's or something... All of this is subjective though.

 

[cmw45]

I am a 4b WITH a curl pattern. I happen to believe that all 4's have a natural curl pattern.....but many never see it due to heat /styling damage. I'm too lazy to do braid/twist outs...but thanks for the suggestions.

Ummmm...sweetie...I really don't think you're a 4b. I mean, I looked at both of your photos and I would say your a loose 4a. I've noticed that a lot of 4a's with hair that tends to be a little more dry claim 4b, but I'm looking at your waves in the transitioning photo and one of your puffs and I really think at the most you may have a slight mixture of the two...which is pretty common. I would try noodlehead if you're trying to bring out your own coilies and I co-sign on the twist out if you want more definition.

BEMOREFYLGIRL I WANT YOUR PASSWORD! YOUR HAIR LOOKS TOO CUTE IN THE AVATAR!

 

[diamoness]

Ok....so forget i ever mentioned my hair type....cuz it means so many different things to so many different people. This is what i want to know:

When applying curl defining products.....
1. What is your routine?
2. How do you prepare your hair for these products?
3. What leave ins, gels, conditioners do you use before applying curly pudding/custard...whatever.

 

[diamoness]

Ummmm...sweetie...I really don't think you're a 4b. I mean, I looked at both of your photos and I would say your a loose 4a. I've noticed that a lot of 4a's with hair that tends to be a little more dry claim 4b, but I'm looking at your waves in the transitioning photo and one of your puffs and I really think at the most you may have a slight mixture of the two...which is pretty common. I would try noodlehead if you're trying to bring out your own coilies and I co-sign on the twist out if you want more definition.

BEMOREFYLGIRL I WANT YOUR PASSWORD! YOUR HAIR LOOKS TOO CUTE IN THE AVATAR!

The puffs in my album were styled after braid outs. None of my pictures show my true texture.

 

[keluric]

Ok.. well.. if you have any curl pattern, you're probably not a 4b but to answer your questions:

When I want to wear my hair curly, I wash it, detangle with conditioner in the shower and rinse with ice cold water so the cuticle with lay down.

After I saturate my hair with a leave-in spray, I usually use generous amounts of aloe vera gel and Suave Healthy Curls Scrunching Mousse and gently pull my curls in a downward motion. After I've applied everything, I band my hair with cut pantyhose in about eight large, loose sections and go to sleep with a scarf on my head.

The next day, I remove all my pantyhose-bands, apply a little oil and fingerstyle. There are pictures of this in my fotki under December 2006. Note that I forgot the step where I add oil so my hair looked a bit dry. The picture in there is a little blurry but my process actually defined my curls quite well.

Important: I don't comb at all after I rinse with the ice cold water.. that disturbs my curl pattern.

 

[diamoness]

Thanks keluric.....imma have to build some nerve for the ice cold water part.