I've FINALLY mastered...

[Kaela]

I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Airdrying Loose for a curly look!!!

I've been airdrying for years and years, but I've never really been able to do it unless my hair is in a few braids or something. The usual effect is my hair frizzes up into a cloud when its loose.

This is what is working for ME:
1. Wash/rinse as usual, condition well but make sure that its as detangled as possible while wet.
2. Work a dime size amount of light oil all over, primarily into the ends.
3. A quarter size amount (or more, depending how my conditioner worked) Joico K-Pak Smoothing Balm. This is my new favorite find. I LOVE this stuff. Its like a cross between a creamy leave in and a serum, in my opinion. Its so wonderful for detangling my hair, and I use it as a leave in everytime. (Thanx Tee!!)
4. A small amount of Salon Selectives Loosely Defined worked through the hair. OMG...I don't know who mentioned first on the board, but I never would have thought a cheapo product like this would work so well.
5. Air dry. This is actually the hardest part because I want to comb and play in it, but it has to stay untouched till totally dry. The less manipulation after washing, the better!!!

optional: a drop or two of serum smoothed over the outer layer.

Once its completely dry, I have a cute 3b/3c S-wavey curls hair. (my hair is texturized, its naturally 3c/4a waves).

The only bummer is I learned how to do this once the weather started to change. Why didn't I figure this out in the spring???

All the tips on this board have meant so much to me. Thank you all!!

 

[HairObsessed]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Girl I've been trying to achieve that look for a while but I'm relaxed (bone strait). Congrats on finally getting it right.

 

[Peachtree]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Thanks for sharing. When I'm fully natural, I'm gonna give it a try

 

[Allandra]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Way to go Kaela.

 

[KinksnCurlz]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Kaela, that sounds great. By any chance, would you be able to post a pic?

 

[soslychic]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Thanks kaela! That's actually EXACTLY what I've been obsessed with trying to achieve for the past couple of weeks or so. I am definetly gonna try some of your tips. A few questions:
Where can I find the Joico K Pak and Salon Selectives?
Are your curls very defined without gel or mousse? I've been trying to define my curls, but it's hard to do for me without these 2 products, but I hate that crunchy feeling I get when using them.
How long is your hair? I'm wondering if I need to let my hair grow a little more before trying to go curly because it ends up looking like a 'fro sometimes (but I'm getting closer!)

Are your curls looser or in little spring like curls? (I have both types on my head and I'm thinking about processing the springy ones for about 2 minutes more next touchup to match the rest which I like better)

Sorry so many questions. THANKS!!

 

[Kaela]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

CaramelHonee: don't have any pics right now, no digital camera, but that is something I want to work on

Soslychic: Joico K-pak smoothing balm I got from Trade Secret (i'm sure it'd be at any salon or supply that sold a lot of joico products). The Salon selectives, believe it or not, I got at Big Lots!! You could probably find it at a dollar store, or walmart type of store.
I did not need gel or mousse, but I think the key there is having it completely detangled while wet, and letting it airdry as untouched as possible, so the curls could form on their own. Of course, if I were to run a brush through them, they'd be gone!
They are probably right inbetween spring like and loose. If I pull into a ponytail they stand out all over. My hair is a little past shoulder length and it shrunk to just above shoulder length.

 

[soslychic]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

[ QUOTE ]
Kaela said:
CaramelHonee: don't have any pics right now, no digital camera, but that is something I want to work on

Soslychic: Joico K-pak smoothing balm I got from Trade Secret (i'm sure it'd be at any salon or supply that sold a lot of joico products). The Salon selectives, believe it or not, I got at Big Lots!! You could probably find it at a dollar store, or walmart type of store.
I did not need gel or mousse, but I think the key there is having it completely detangled while wet, and letting it airdry as untouched as possible, so the curls could form on their own. Of course, if I were to run a brush through them, they'd be gone!
They are probably right inbetween spring like and loose. If I pull into a ponytail they stand out all over. My hair is a little past shoulder length and it shrunk to just above shoulder length.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks so much Kaela! Was your hair pretty straight when wet and the curls just formed on their own. I have a tendency to want to fluff it when wet and it forms these little curls already, but maybe I should just leave it alone....

 

[Isis]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

Kaela,

Do you think your airdrying strategy will work for all hair types?

 

[Spagirl]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

[ QUOTE ]
Kaela said:
The Salon selectives, believe it or not, I got at Big Lots!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been looking all over the place for this stuff. I heard it was discontinued. If it is, Big Lot's is the only place that has it. If I'm not mistaken Big Lot usually carries a lot of the discontinued items. Thanks! I'm gonna give it a try and if it works I will stock up!

Congratulations on your success Kaela!

 

[Kaela]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

soslychic: when its wet, its still fairly wavy and only goes straight if I use a fine tooth comb through it. It curls up on its own if I leave it alone, and I really don't get that 'spring' till its all the way dry. If I mess with it when its wet and try to separate or form the curls it just sort of frizzes when dry....its hard to just leave it alone, honestly...

Isis: don't know if it would work for all hairtypes...I know some people can get this same look by airdrying with products like John Frieda or S-curl, but those made a huge mess of my hair. I think if your hair has the tendency to curl, and you can find the right balance of product to form the curl and give it light hold, without weighing it down, then you can do it. I always air dry, and I never had been able to do this (hence my little victory post

)

Spagirl: I'm trying to stock up while I can!!! I hate it when the good products are discontinued by the time you find them. Then they remarket them, they are not as good and cost twice as much

thanx again everyone

 

[soslychic]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

[ QUOTE ]
Kaela said:
soslychic: when its wet, its still fairly wavy and only goes straight if I use a fine tooth comb through it. It curls up on its own if I leave it alone, and I really don't get that 'spring' till its all the way dry. If I mess with it when its wet and try to separate or form the curls it just sort of frizzes when dry....its hard to just leave it alone, honestly...

Isis: don't know if it would work for all hairtypes...I know some people can get this same look by airdrying with products like John Frieda or S-curl, but those made a huge mess of my hair. I think if your hair has the tendency to curl, and you can find the right balance of product to form the curl and give it light hold, without weighing it down, then you can do it. I always air dry, and I never had been able to do this (hence my little victory post

)

Spagirl: I'm trying to stock up while I can!!! I hate it when the good products are discontinued by the time you find them. Then they remarket them, they are not as good and cost twice as much

thanx again everyone

[/ QUOTE ]

I heard somewhere than that salon selectives stuff is really greasy and weights down your hair. DId you experience that?

 

[Kaela]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

I usually have problems with products weighing my hair down, but I didn't find this to be greasy at all. I don't know how that goes for other products from this line....

 

[soslychic]

Re: I\'ve FINALLY mastered...

THanks Kaela.
Darn! I just called my Big Lots (the only one in Lexington) and they said that they don't have any salon selectives at all. Well......gotta look for an alternative.