Vintage Waves - Tutorial

Ever since The Great Gatsby came out I've been obsessed with vintage hairstyles. However, up until recently I couldn't even curl my own hair, so I purchased my Remington Pearl Pro Curl and got practicing. A lot of burnt fingers and dodgy hair-dos later and I've finally mastered it. The brilliant thing with perfecting the skill of curling your hair is that once you've got the knack of it, there's so many styles you can create. So now that I have curling down to a fine art, I can achieve those Gatsby-esque vintage waves, and show you guys the technique. Not only will this tutorial help you accomplish the skill of curling, but take you a step further to achieving another easy yet glamorous style. 

What You'll Need:

A curling wand / iron

A hair bush (preferably a paddle brush, but others will do) 

A large hair clip

A hair band

Heat Protection Spray

1. Part your hair where you'd like it to sit.  

 2. Tie one side of your hair up in a hairband so it doesn't get in the way. Take a strand from the other side, and pin up the rest. 

3. With your curling wand in hand, reach behind you and point the wand downwards. Pull the strand of hair you want to curl out to the side, so that it's in front of the wand, and starting wrapping the hair around. It doesn't matter if the hair twists in your fingers as you wrap. Just hold on tightly. *TIP* Always use heat protection spray, and if your hair struggles to maintain a curl, spray dry shampoo onto each strand before curling. This gives it a bit of texture and rigidity. Then spray with hairspray afterwards as an extra measure. 

4. How long you hold your hair on the wand for depends on how thick your strands are. With a strand of this size, I count 25 seconds before releasing. This is why it's good to start with the hair underneath, so you can perfect your technique as you work your way up. 

5. Slowly release, and you should be left with a gentle curl. Spray with hairspray if needed. 

6. Repeat, working your way up that one side, making sure the strands are equal in size. 

7. Remember to wrap the ends as tight and close as you can to the wand without burning your fingers, otherwise you'll have flicks at the ends of your curls. 

8. When you've completed one side, move on to the next. Remember to swap the wand into the other hand. Using both hands for this may be tricky at first, but after a bit of practice, you'll soon master it. It's much easier than having the wand in front or to the side of you. 

9. When you've completed both sides, give one last spritz with hairspray and let it set. 

10. With a paddle brush, slowly brush out the curls, softening them into waves. So that you don't brush them out completely, wrap the curl around the brush and slowly glide it through. Brushing in the same direction as the curl means that the shape stays, but drops into a wave. 

11. TA DA! I like to give it one last coating of hairspray (since you have brushed out most of the last lot), and if you like your hair a bit on the scruffy side, a gentle backcombing of the waves not only gives it an edgier style, but also helps the waves keep their shape for longer.