Prep, Style, Finish
- Prep: Leave-in conditioner, leave-in treatment, serums, primers
- Style: products (mousse, foams, creams, custards, gels, pomades, hairsprays), techniques
- Finish: hair oil, serum, hairspray, texture spray
Rule of thumb: the amount of product you apply is how much hair is on your hair (density), cup your hair (ok symbol) and that is how much you should apply but if you have shorter/longer hair you will need to adjust
If a product is thicker, start less and work up.
Damp styling: quicker dry time, more volume, less clumping
Brush product through to evenly distribute it throughout hair
When you wring your hair, you can see how much is in there. Don't drown it in product (becomes white). Apply evenly root to tip.
Keep spray bottle with water in hand
Section hair for the amount of volume you want. Mell sections hair in two, a bottom and top section.
Style 90 degrees off scalp (half base) and in vertical sections.
If hair is healthy with good elasticity then brushes are a good way to define curls
Ribbon technique: using tension while brushing by sandwiching hair between brush and hands. Should not hurt or pull. It will look straight but curls will bounce back, you can scrunch to encourage bounce back.
Gels give longevity but sometimes brushing it through makes it stringy and crispy. So apply it after brush styling, smoothing down /glazing (praying hands)
Make sure hair is evenly wet from root to tip. Rewet top section after doing bottom section.
If you like side parting, style top with v back method (dividing sections into V shapes). If section is very large, brick laying can be done (doing a V section and then a straight/horizontal section, and then V again, etc.) Smaller sections if hair is more coily, larger sections if hair is more wavy. And then finger coil or brush back bangs
If your towel is more damp then dry, it will absorb more water like a sponge. Squish out extra water with towel, be gentle.
Diffusing: When you scrunch diffuse you are disturbing the curl pattern, curls have not set yet, encouraging a lot of shrinkage (maybe too much), and drying out the ends faster than the roots so roots will be frizzy and wet. Instead hover diffuse. Once there is a cast, then you can scrunch with the blow dryer.
If hair is cold it is still damp. Once hair is fully dry, then add the finishing products like hair oil, serum, hairspray or texture spray. Then you can smooth out the gel cast and separate any clumps to add volume