BGLH has mostly been about showcasing beautiful styles.
But as I am learning, the execution of these styles is harder than it seems!
So I’d like to start posting tutorials.
I need your help to get this up and running… If you have a great style you would like to share, please email me at contro_versial@hotmail.com. YouTube videos are welcome, though I will ask questions to accompany the video.
Fortunately we have a tutorial to start out with today. The lovely Krystal (from http://thefeistyhouse.blogspot.com), is back with a tutorial for using curlformers. Thanks Krystal!
—
Hello, hello, HELLO!!!
I’ve been getting a lot of emails and such about Curlformers so I’m going to try to give a step-by-step breakdown of how I got started and how I get my results.
So when I first heard about Curlfomers, I didn’t know whether or not they would work on my hair. My natural-hair-partner-in-crime (hi Candyce!!!!) suggested I watch YouTube videos as proof that they work on kinky hair. (See video here)
Needless to say after watching her video, I was SOLD! But I still had no idea what size to buy, or how many I would need.
I visited the official Curlfomers website and figured my best bet would be the Long & Wide for people with relatively longer hair who want wider curls. Because I was unsure of how many I would need (I have a big head and thick hair) I decided the Starter Kit would be a great investment.
The Starter Kit is about $59 – $65 (depending on location, online vs. in-store). I’ve only ever seen Curlformers at Sally’s Beauty Supply, but you may be able to find them on Ebay or Amazon. Curlers included are 40 Long & Wide, 6 Short & Wide and a Curlformer Hook. I also purchased two extra packs of the Long & Wide @ $11.99 a pack (just to be on the safe side). I think it’s always best to err on the side of excess with things like rollers because you’ll look pretty bogus if you run out of them in the middle of styling your hair :D
The color of each roller corresponds to the direction of the curl. One curls clockwise, the other counter clockwise. Usually I just put them in randomly, but the last time I did a Curlformer set, I put all the pinks on one side and all the orange on another so that all the curls would be framed away from my face.
The Starter Kit also contains Short & Wide rollers, which I used at my edges and at the back of my hair. A Tip: It’s always better to buy longer Curlfomers than shorter ones. Even the shortest hair will curl up in a long Curlformer, but long hair will stick out the end of a short one!
Another Tip: If you do buy individual packs instead of the Starter Kit, please don’t forget to buy the Hook!!!! It’s sold separately!!!!
After rocking the Long & Wide for a minute, I bought some Long & Narrow and Short & Narrow ones too. They don’t come in a kit, but I bought a lot of them because they’re smaller curls than the Long & Wide, so you need more of them in order to get your whole head done.
Okay so on to “installation.” I do my Curlfomer sets on clean hair. I wash/cowash and detangle my hair and then let it dry some while wrapped in a T-shirt.
Once it’s only a little damp, I add my leave-in, seal with EVCO, and then section my hair in four “quadrants”.
I set one “quadrant” at a time. I start in the very back of my hair and take out a section to go into the roller. On the entire length of that section I put aloe vera gel, and then put whipped shea butter on the ends. I use whipped shea that I made myself, which is just melted shea butter, water, and lavender oil blended together and refridgerated until it gets that nice “cool whip” consistency.
Then I twist that section around at the root (not like a two-strand twist, more like a bantu knot), slide the hook over that little twist, and pull my hair through the roller. It’s really fast and easy once you get the hang of it. It takes an hour and a half at most for me to set up my entire head.
I hate sitting under the dryer, so I sleep in the Curlformers over night. It’s not the best sleep, but it’s certainly do-able! When I take the curls out the next morning, I get perfect, ribbon-looking curls.
Now I can’t be out in public looking “fresh out the pack,” so I spend time that first morning to moisturize each curl, seal it with some more EVCO, and then separate the curls in two or three (depending on my mood) to get a fuller look.
Here’s the finished product after separating the curls.
To maintain the style, I moisturize and seal every morning and evening. I sleep either in a satin bonnet or with my hair out on a satin pillowcase. I don’t like to tie it down with a scarf because then the curls become flat.
The style can last anywhere from a week to 10 days. I’m sure it could go longer than that if you didn’t mind the frizz and just pinned it up.
Whew…so there you have it. I already have my eyes set on buying another size: Long & Extra Wide. They’re supposed to give really cute waves! That would be a nice alternative to straightened hair in the summer–but alas, I am too poor to spend $12 on a pack of rollers :(
Hope this helped answer your burning questions!
—
Email BGLH at contro_versial@hotmail.com with your style tutorials!
