[curly girl]

Today's Blogtember post is to write about your favorite online stores. I'm not really an online shopper. I like to touch and try everything before I buy it. The only exception is books for my Kindle but even then I almost always download the free sample & read it before making a decision.

So instead, I wanted to share a little about how to deal with curly hair.

I was born with more hair than any of the nurses had ever seen in their careers. To take my newborn picture, my hair proved to be so unruly that they had to lay me down & use Vaseline to make it look like they had put a bow in it. The result is an awkward looking Alfalfa hairdo.

When I was growing up I had Shirley Temple curls. While many children lose their curls as they age, I didn't. Despite my best efforts throughout high school, my curls stubbornly persisted.

Now as an adult, I absolutely adore my hair. I've accepted that my hair will always be a little different than the girls on TV. I'm actually proud of my curls now. And I do still have that curl in the middle of my forehead. I just tend to have straightened, side swept bangs that conveniently camouflage it.

That being said, I wanted to share a few of my must-haves for keeping the hair happy. I'll be the first to admit, curls are NOT easy. Sure styling them takes only a few minutes but caring for them is a whole different ballgame. You never really know what they're going to do until they're dry either, which makes leaving the house a bit of a gamble. This is probably the truest thing I've seen in a long time:

Via.

On to what I finally came to share with you today: how to keep the beast happy & looking good.

curly girl by courtkneedear featuring a blow dryer

1. So this one bears a little explaining. My hair looks best if I shower in the morning. I work out in the evenings because it helps me leave the day behind and prepare for a peaceful evening. I also have a deep-seated fear of getting in my bed all sweaty and gross. That all adds up to two showers a day. Curls need a lot of moisture since they tend to dry out and frizz easily, especially when you take more than one shower a day. When I shower before bed, I don't do anything to my hair while in the shower. As soon as I get out of the shower though I run a wide-toothed combed through my hair and put some Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Lite Leave-In Moisturizer on the ends only. I love this stuff so much. My hair is soft, shiny, and manageable the next day. When I don't, I notice a huge difference in my hair. It doesn't have the bounce and volume as it does when I do use the product.

2. A t-shirt is a MUST have for curly hair. Do not dry your hair with a towel. It just leads to more frizz. Instead, gently squeeze out the water with an old t-shirt.

3. L'Oreal recently came out with their EverCurl collection and I love it. I actually use two of their products: Hydracharge Cleansing Conditioner and Sculpt & Hold Cream-Gel. Cleansing conditioners are a wonderful blessing to curly hair. Instead of washing with shampoo and then using conditioner, simply massage the cleansing conditioner into your hair, let it sit for several minutes, and then rinse. This is one of my favorites on the market too. It's not only affordable & lightweight, but it's also sulfate-free which is so much better for curls. I know the bottle says to use 7 pumps but you really only need 1. The gel is a great choice too since it blends conditioning cream and gel, making it strong but not crunchy.

4. Diffusers are a lifesaver when winter rolls around. Who wants to walk out into the cold with wet hair? Plus it adds lots of volume to hair that gets a little lifeless when the humidity rolls out of town. Simply run a wide-tooth comb through your hair (don't use a brush--it causes frizz), give it a quick toss,  and scrunch your product into the ends. Then, keeping your head upside down, use the diffuser with your hair dryer set on warm. Gently gather a section of hair in your hand and place it in the diffuser. Bring the diffuser with the hair in it closer to your skull. Stop when it's maybe an inch away. Then leave it! Don't move it around a lot; the principle that keeping your hands off to prevent frizz applies to diffusing as well. Leave it there for around 30 seconds, then repeat the process all over your head. Whatever you do, DO NOT DRY your hair all the way. Stop when it's about 80% dry. Otherwise your hair will be frizzy. Slowly stand back up. Don't worry--it will calm down. Try not to touch it too much but instead just let it calm down on its own.

I hope that was helpful! Like the cartoon said, it's all about trying not to anger the beast. Once you figure it out, I promise you'll fall in love with your curls.

How do you style and care for your hair??