Looking back over our catalog of past beauty tutorials, we can’t deny that we’ve neglected to feature naturally curly hair over the years. As a curly-haired girl myself, I can tell you that it doesn’t always photograph well. I’ve always felt a bit limited in terms of possible hairstyles. Bangs are tricky for me because I tend to straighten them into a heat-damaged mess. I was checking in to get a massage at my very favorite spa in town, Viva Day Spa, when I spotted nail technician Julia Simpson and her amazing head of curls. Not only did she have bangs, but she was wearing them curly and they looked INCREDIBLE. Lucky for us, she agreed to stop the office and show us how she styles them. Read on to see why if there’s anything more rock-n-roll than wearing your hair natural, it’s doing it with bangs.
photographed by jessica attie
Okay, so we LOVE your curls. And your bangs are so rock and roll. Were you nervous about cutting bangs when you have such textured hair?
I was so nervous. I’ve always loved the bangs look but never thought it would work with my hair. Now I’m so in love with them!
Have you always worn your hair curly? Did you ever experimented with straightening?
I straightened my hair for years and it was so much work. Now when I straighten my hair I feel like a completely different person. My curls are now a huge part of who I am.
How long does it take you to style your bangs in the morning?
It takes me about 10 minutes to style my hair. Here’s how I do it:
Step One: Wet the Bangs
I start by wetting my bangs either with a spray bottle or from a fresh wash.
Step Two: Apply a Great Hair Lotion
I use one pump of Sandalwood Ranch hair lotion and generously apply it to my bangs before styling with my fingers.
Step Three: Work the Lotion into Large Bang Sections
I apply the hair lotion to four or five large sections of my bangs using my fingers.
Step Four: Divide the Large Sections into Smaller Ones
Next, I’ll begin dividing the four large sections into smaller ones, using my fingers to define each section.
Step Five: Alternating Twist
Then I take each of my small sections and twist around my finger — I like to alternate directions from one strand to the next.
Step Six: Dry and Separate
Finally, once each twisted section has dried a bit I split each in half and allow them to dry completely.
We love this look! Any final tips for rocking curly bangs?
When cutting bangs for curly hair you want to make sure that you don’t cut them too short — which is easy to do when the hair is wet and combed out straight. You have to remember that the hair will “shrink” significantly once dried!
