124 * COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 2013

The Look Book

Whether you’re trying to tame them or create them, a

girl’s best friend on the style radar is a head of beautiful

curls. Here’s the lowdown on spring’s bounciest trend…

rom catwalk to red carpet, textured

hair is big news. Curls can be playful,

confident, cute and sexy. More than any

other hairstyle, they add character; at

their best, curls make friends before you

do. In fact, naturally curly girls seem to have the best

of all worlds, able to hop between boho, sexy or sleek

(thanks to straightening irons). Read on to discover

how to face your daily battle of wrestling your locks

into submission. And there’s also hope for those of

us desperate to get a kink in our hair. �

Words Kate turner

Styling Shelly Vella

Beauty direction

Ingeborg Van lotrIngen

Photographs

Peter Pedonomou

Cpower

FTop, Dagmar. Bracelets, Buba

FEBRUARY 2013 COSMOPOLITAN * 127

It’s difficult to believe that just a few years ago you’d have been hard-pushed to find many a-listers known for their statement spirals. Straight, glossy locks were in and curls were a novelty. but changes are afoot…

“there’s been a surge of stars in curls on the red carpet, such as Scarlett Johansson and ashley greene,” says mai ha, director of trevor Sorbie manchester. “In the salon, sales of tongs and wands are soaring.” hollywood-based hairdresser michael Shaun Corby agrees: “Curls are big again. It’s all about low maintenance in la, and a lot of my clients are working 50/50 hair: styling their hair half of the time and wearing it natural for the other half.”

a number of celebs have pledged to ease up on straightening too. thandie newton recently gave up on relaxing her hair, saying, “I don’t want my

children to judge their beautiful curls.” and oprah rocked natural hair on the cover of her O magazine for the first time in 12 years, saying it made her feel ‘free’. Solange Knowles, Sophie okonedo and Kelly rowland are also wearing big hair like it’s no big deal.

and it’s not just about the ’fro. taylor Swift is the new poster girl for fine-haired curly girls, getting as much press for her rapunzel-esque locks as her love life. mila Kunis, Whitney Port, Cat deeley and rosie huntington-Whiteley are all working their waves, and cool designers like mark Fast and meadham Kirchhoff made statement curls central to their spring-summer shows. “I’m obsessed with curls,” says michael. “Studies show that men prefer big, bouncy hair with movement; real ‘movie star’ hair. the way I see it is that girls straighten hair for their girlfriends, while boys love curls!”

IT’s a

CurL

Top TIps FoR AFRo HAiR

Scientists have only recently figured out why

curly hair grows as it does. Armand Dimachi, Redken scalp and hair

specialist, explains, “With curly hair, the bulb at the base of the follicle is hook-

shaped. When the hair grows out of the scalp it retains the curly shape.”

All the twists and turns of curly hair can cause the

cuticles to lift and weaken, making it feel rough. “It

takes longer for the oils in the hair to reach the ends, making this type of hair

more prone to dryness and frizz,” adds Armand. In

short, curly hair requires different care than

straight hair, so don’t scrimp on the curl-specific products – you’re special!

WhaT’s In a CurL?

Go WiTH THE 'Fro The web is buzzing with talk of a ‘natural hair movement’ – a rallying call

for Afro girls to step away from chemically straightened hair or weaves. On Instagram, #naturalhair has been trending as girls upload photos of their daily hair diaries. Three-time winner of Afro Hairdresser of the Year, Errol

Douglas, points out that, essentially, it’s about having options. “Relaxers still deliver an amazing finish on Afro hair, but it’s also important to let hair ‘rest’ between the incredible treatments that are available. Wearing a natural style is a great way to express your personality and has a certain authenticity to it. I think the trend is driven by a mix of being sensible and being confident.”

Natural oils are a key part of fighting frizz, so don’t wash

it too frequently – every four

or five days is sufficient.

Invest in good, sulphate-free shampoo and

conditioner that lock moisture in. We rate Aveda’s Be Curly range, from £16.50.

Between washes, try a water spray

mixed with leave-in

conditioner such as KeraCare

Leave-In Conditioner, £8.

An intensive conditioner once a week is a must.

Moroccanoil Intense

Hydrating Mask, £23.85 , helps stop frizz.

Earthy tones (plums, blue-

black, aubergine) look amazing. A post-colour

translucent treatment can

boost the result. �

revoLuTIon

5

The Look Book

126 * COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 2013

T-shirt, L’Agence. Jeans, Current/Elliott at Zee & Co. Hair bows, Claire’s. Necklace, I Know The Queen. Watch, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Bracelets, Flash Trash Girl at Myflashtrash.com

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FEBRUARY 2013 COSMOPOLITAN * 129128 * COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 2013

1 Apply mousse to damp hair, then thoroughly blow- dry. Create a middle parting for an on-trend look.

2 Take a section of hair from the front of your head about an inch thick.

3 Hold styling tongs (we like John Frieda Defined Curls Styling Tong, £30) parallel to your head as you wrap

hair around the barrel. Leave ends out for an edgier finish.

4 Hold until hair is completely heated through (about 10-15 seconds depending on your hair’s thickness).

5 Repeat all over the head. At the opposite side, be careful to wrap the hair in the other direction, so

your curls move ‘away’ from the face.

6 Take a large flat-bristle brush and spread a little wax over the surface with your hand – try Garnier

Fructis Surf Hair Wax, £3.05. Now gently brush through until you have gorgeous soft waves. �

The products everyone’s talking about…

Mixed Chicks Leave- In Conditioner, £15.95 With a cult following

in the US, this moisturising but non-greasy hair

hero is amazing on mixed-race hair.

Redken Curvaceous Full Swirl, £16.40

An amazing new cream-gel that

combines the best of both worlds: soft

frizz control with long-lasting hold.

Pureology Precious Oil Shamp’Oil,

£15.85 This hotly anticipated

sulphate-free shampoo gently foams and adds

shine as it rebuilds the hair’s lipid layer.

Wella Shockwaves Curls & Waves Mousse, £2.49

“Gives you the hold you need with that

all-important movement,” says

style director Michael Douglas.

Ojon Hair Restorative Hair Treatment Plus, £32.50 This is like hair rehab, transforming

unmanageable hair in minutes.

Tangle Teezer Aqua Splash, £12.99 This new super-

gentle version allows for painless

detangling in the shower.

Do your fine-haired curls lack a little oomph? Shockwaves style director Michael Douglas tells

us how to give them the X factor:

START with a good cut to keep your curls looking full. If your hair is shoulder-length or longer, ask your hairdresser for a few well-positioned layers to stop it looking bottom-heavy. The layers should start at your chin and angle down, all around your head. SHAMPOO hair as little as possible. Spread a rich conditioner from roots to tips and leave on for five minutes, then rinse.SQUEEZE water out of your hair and detangle with a wide-tooth comb. APPLY leave-in conditioner, starting an inch from your scalp

down to the ends. Do not comb or brush your hair from here on!DEFINE your curls with a natural-hold mousse – it’s the best for definition. Work it into damp hair with your hands.TWIST the hair like a rope from root to tips, taking quite small sections, one at a time. Create at least 10 sections working all over the top of the head.DRY with a diffuser or leave to dry naturally. The rope sections will dry into brilliant coils and the rest of your hair should settle into natural waves and curls.

CURlY-HAiR HERoEs

Tigi Catwalk Curlesque Curls Rock Amplifier, £12.35 This

lightweight styling cream scores top

marks on countless hair blogs.

Add liFE

To limp CURls

hoW To

The Look Book

We won’t deny it: creating curls from straight hair takes a bit of time and elbow grease – but boy, is it worth it! Giles Robinson, senior stylist at John Frieda, talks us through what to do:

HoW To Go FRom straight to curly

T-shirt, Marc. Necklaces,

John & Pearl

130 * COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 2013

The Look Book

Classic Afro: coils that may appear more Z-shaped than curly. Can be fragile.

top tip: Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! A leave-in conditioner will add weight. Try Afro

Love Leave-In Cream Conditioner, £2.29.

Hair forms well-defined ringlet curls and looks springy, but is still easily straightened.top tip: Help define and boost curls with a

styling cream such as Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Curls Curl Cream, £5.10.

curLdiCTioNARY

The

No two curls are created equal. Understanding your curl pattern can help you choose the right care and

styling products.

WAvY

WAvY-CURLY CURLY

CURLY-COILY COILY

GEORGIA MAY JAGGER

ASHLEY GREENE SJP

THANDIE NEWTON SOLANGE KNOWLES

A loose, gentle wave that sits close to the head. Hair tends to be fine and easy to style.top tip: L’Oréal Professionnel Curl Contour

Enhancing Spray, £12.80 , will reinforce and gloss up a pretty wave.

A strong wave tends to form but appears more flat than bouncy. Is liable to frizz.

top tip: Use a moisturising conditioner such as Umberto Giannini Frizzi Make My Day

Smoothing Conditioner, £5.29.

Tightly-packed curls that can form kinks or corkscrews. Straightening is hard work!

top tip: A softening hair oil is a game changer. It’s hard to beat Moroccanoil

Original Treatment, £30.45 .

3 QuIcK upDos

FOR BAD (CURLY) HAIR DAYS

For our behind-the-scenes video diary, go to

cosmopolitan.co.uk/curlpower

tWisty BuN Pull hair into a side parting. Take 2in

sections of hair near the front, twist or plait towards the nape of the neck and fix with grips. Twist the rest of the hair into a low, loose bun, pinning as you go.

siDE plait Create a low side parting and pull hair

into a low ponytail on the opposite side. Loosely plait or fish-tail the hair, tying the ends with a band. Mess up

the braid a little for that undone look.

loW hEaDBaND Place a simple headband right up at

the hairline. Tease the hair at the crown and pull all the loose hair into

a low, scruffy pony or bun. ◆

HOLLY FULTON

MULBERRY

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