Using a Curling Wand

To me, using a curling wand is the easiest and quickest way to achieve loose “effortless” waves.

Like so.

  
So, here is what I like to do with my curling wand to ensure my curls last up to 3 days!  Seriously – I get compliments on third day curls, and I’m like, “I haven’t even brushed my hair today.”

After washing, blowdry hair until it’s all of the way dry.  Any wet or damp pieces won’t hold a curl.  Don’t worry about styling your hair while drying – just a rough dry will work.

So after that, I like to section off the top of my hair and secure that on top of my head.  I like to work with the bottom first.

 
Now, you can wear the glove, or you can burn your fingers.  Just like I tell my four year old daughter Allison, “You just do what your little heart wants”.  If you are an experienced “wander” you probably don’t need that glove, but if you’re a newbie, go ahead and put it on.  You’ll kinda feel like Madonna (feel free to use the wand as your microphone). 🙂

Obviously, you’re going to put the glove on the hand that is holding the hair, not the wand (lol). So for instance, I always start off the right side of my hair – so I hold the wand with my left hand, and wrap with my (gloved) right hand.

Ok, so the way you hold the wand will affect the curl. I recommend turning the wand upside down and holding your arm behind your head. Also, make sure that you are always wrapping AWAY from your face, this will give a more effortless and natural look to the curls. 
  
Hold the hair on the wand for as long as you like (no more than about 7 seconds) and release.  When I release, I hold the curl up in the palm gloved hand and let it cool before I let go of it.  This will help to hold the curl.  After I finish a section, I spray it.  You have to use hairspray, or else they won’t last (at least for me).
So, do one side of your hair at a time so that you don’t have to switch the glove.  Then move onto the other side.  When it comes to curling the top section, try to get as close to the root as you can while curling, as this will give you extra volume at the crown.

  
While curling the pieces around your face (and bangs), I would recommend not holding the iron on there for more than about five seconds.  Tight curls around the face aren’t usually a good idea and you want these pieces to blend with the rest of your hair, amirite?

So after I’m done curling and the curls have cooled down, I like to shake them out a bit.  I run my fingers through the curls until I get the look I want, and then I spray my hair like there’s no tomorrow. 🙂 literally the minute I pick up a can of hairspray, Allison runs away (hairspray cloud probs).

I hope these tips helped if you are new to using curling wands or if you want to try one.

The pink wand I use is by Remington – it is the 1-1 1/2 inch size.  It costs about $25 and it works great!  You can find it here.

thanks for reading!