It's wild to think there was a time where dead-straight hair was what we all aspired to.

Scroll through Instagram, and - if you look at hair as much as I do - you'll notice;

Curls are everywhere. 

Understandably, too. 

Because of one word:

VOLUME. 

Curls and waves give your hair volume, tenfold. 

It's that extra shush you need when your hair is fine or feeling flat.

And if there's one thing we've learned from Beyoncé:

It's that there are many different ways to curl your hair. 

Tight curls, tousled beachy waves, big voluminous blow-out, the list goes on. 

Here's the pitch:

If you're finding yourself in a hairstyle rut - change up your curling game.

You already know how changing up your hair can make you feel like a shiny new you.

Simply trying a new wave or curl can do just the trick. 

 

Our top 5 curly hairstyles to try: 

Before you try any of these styles, my best tip for curling your hair is:

Always use heat protector spray!

I can't stress enough how important it is to protect your hair from heat.

The same goes if you're styling your Sitting Pretty Halo extensions. 

The SP Halo is made from real human Remy hair so it should also be sprayed with a heat protectant before any heat styling.

Now, let's start your curling education.

1. How To Style Loose Waves 

Soft waves using the THICK Sitting Pretty Halo in col. Beige Blonde + Dark Blonde 613/10 for extra length and volume.

STYLING TIME: 10 - 15 minutes 

These soft, gentle waves are my personal go-to. 

Mainly, because I can get a little lazy with my hair, and with this hairstyle, you can curl faster as you don't have to worry so much about the curls dropping.

The rule of thumb is:

The bigger the curling barrel, the looser the curl. 

I find 38mm is a good width for these waves.

Although the barrel size also depends on the length of your hair. 

If you've got shorter hair, you may want a slightly smaller barrel so you can still wrap your hair around the barrel. 

STYLING TIPS:

• Alternate the direction of your curl to make the waves look more natural
• Curl thick pieces of hair at a time 
• Point the curler downwards as you wrap your hair around the barrel
• Wrap the hair around the barrel loosely
• Wait until the hair has cooled down, then comb out the curls with your fingers 
• Use a texture spray to get create piece-y waves 
• Hairspray is optional, but go with a light, flexible hairspray and spray from a distance

Read next: Everyday Hair Hacks Using Halo Extensions

 

2. How To Create Beach Waves

Beachy waves using the THICK Sitting Pretty Halo in col. Beige Blonde 613.

STYLING TIME: 10 - 20 minutes 

A word of advice for creating sea-salt inspired waves:

Throw any curling technique out the window.

Beachy hair is untamed and natural. 

Curls should be uneven.

Your hair should look more 'bed hair' and less 'I just spent 20 minutes curling my hair'.

STYLING TIPS:

• Curl hair in uneven sections. You might alternate from curling a thick section of hair to curling a smaller section of hair.
• Do a variety of curls - some strands with a tight curl and other strands with a looser a curl. This helps create a more authentic beach wave. 
• Leave the ends of your hair straight, or slightly straighten them at the end. For whatever reason, salty waves always seem to be straight at the ends.

You might also love: 3 Instant Tricks To Hide Short Hair Under Extensions

 

3. How To Create Soft Brushed Curls

Soft curls using the THICK Sitting Pretty Halo in col. Cream Blonde 20C.

STYLING TIME: 15 - 30 minutes 

These dreamy soft curls take a little longer to do but are perfect for an occasion where you get glam'd up. 

Curling your hair like this is a little more advanced.

Only because you need a tighter barrel and the curls all need to be the same thickness and going in the same direction.

 

 

If you have heated rollers, you could also use medium or large rollers to create these curls. 

But using a curling wand is quicker and will hold longer.

Use a smaller curling wand (around 25mm barrel).

STYLING TIPS:

• Divide your hair into a left and right section. When curling, you want to direct the curls away from your face so that when you look at the back of your hair, the curls from the left and right sections are facing towards each other
• Start your curls from the midsection of your hair so that curls graduate from soft to super curly at the ends of your hair
• When wrapping your hair around the barrel, wrap hair closely together.
• Remember the longer you keep the hair around the barrel, the tighter the curl will be. Play around with holding the curl for less or more time so that some curls are looser than others. 
• If the end result is a little too curly for your liking wait until the hair has cooled then very gently run your fingers through to separate the curls. Don't use a brush as this could ruin the curls. Alternatively, you can use a wide tooth comb.
• Finish with hairspray to keep the curls in place.

Read next: The Best Hair Products Of The Year, As Declared By Stylists

 

4. How To Style Tight Natural Curls

Natural curls using the THICK Sitting Pretty Halo in col. Dark Brown 2.

STYLING TIME: 20 - 30 minutes 

This is the kind of curl that makes it seem like curly hair is in your genes.

It requires a skinny curling barrel - around 16-19mm - and of course texture spray. 

The key to these natural looking curls is to curl super small sections of hair and alternate the direction of the curl each time.

STYLING TIPS:

• Curl the hair quite tight - your hair should channel Shirley Temple as you curl it.
• Once you've finished curling, spray texture spray and use your hands to lightly scrunch the product into the curls. This will had texture to the curls and mess up the curls a little.

Watch the video below to see exactly how it's done:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Halo Hair Extensions (@sittingprettyhalohair) on May 4, 2019 at 4:28am PDT

 

You might also love: How To Style A Messy Bun With Heatless Overnight Curls

5. How To Fake Blow-Out Waves

 Blow out waves using the THICK Sitting Pretty Halo in col. Ash Blonde 18.

STYLING TIME: 20 - 30 minutes 

Disclaimer:

Do NOT try waving your own hair using a blow-dryer and a round hairbrush, unless you have experience doing it. 

I tried it once and it resulted in my hair getting stuck in the brush so badly that I had to cut my hair out of the brush. (heh sigh*)

I'm still trying to grow that said piece of hair back to the same length as the rest. It's tragic. 

Now that I've scared you enough to not attempt a DIY blow-out, here's how to fake a salon blow-out with a curler...

The secret to a fake blow out is using a big curling wand with a clamp. 

Why? 

The way you curl your hair for these waves is by clamping the curler to your section of hair, then pulling the curler down your hair almost as if you're straightening it.

Once the curler is at the tip of your hair, roll the curler back up your hair so that the entire section of hair is wrapped around the curler once again.

This will create big soft curls at the end of your hair. 

Let cool, then brush out.

STYLING TIPS:

• These waves are best styled on freshly washed hair. Add a smoothing cream to your hair while wet and blow dry your hair straight first, so that your hair is already smooth and soft when you add the waves.
• To get the big waves, curl your hair in relatively thick sections (not too thick that the heat can't spread evenly) 
• Curl multiple strands of hair in the same direction. Then grab the curled sections of hair and twist them together around your finger to join the hair together. This will help you create waves even bigger than your curling wand allows. 

READ NEXT:

• 7 Reasons You'll Love Halo Hair Extensions
• Hair Tutorial: How To Do The Half Updo