Growing up in the noughties having curly hair wasn't always fun. Y2K beauty looks all seemed to revolve around sleek, straight styles, and my type 3 hair just didn't cooperate—much to my teenage dismay. Thankfully, gone are the days when curly hair was seen as 'unprofessional' or 'undone'. Times have changed; now I'm in my (very) late twenties and want to embrace my curls.
In the past, the most adventurous thing I've done with my hair so far is deciding between a side or a middle parting. I'm going to five weddings this year (argh) so what better opportunity to experiment with my hair while showcasing my natural texture? Normally, if you do see curls at a wedding, they're perfect Hollywood waves, carefully crafted by a curling iron. I don't have the time or patience for that, especially when I have my own natural ringlets, so here are five easy, curly styles (plus my regular curly hair routine) I'll be sporting in my wedding guest era this season.
Recommended Styling Products for Curly Wedding Guest Hair
All Soft Mega Curls Collection
Hydrating and moisturizing treatment range that nourishes and provides increased manageability for extremely dry curly and coily hair.
A Curl Can Dream Moisturizing Cream for Curly and Coily Hair
Silicone-free moisturizing leave-in hair cream to give moisture and definition to curly and coily hair without flaking or crunch.
Curl Manifesto Gelee Curl Contour Gel-Cream
A curl-enhancing, defining gel-cream for curly, coily, and very curly hair.
Kaze Wave Curl Mousse
A lightweight mousse that defines curls
Styling Gelée All Purpose Styling Gel
An all-purpose styling gel that adds volume and smoothes frizz.
25 Miracle Nourishing Oil
A hair oil treatment for frizzy or curly hair.
Curly Hair Routine for Free-flowing Ringlets
This is my everyday hair and while most people wouldn't necessarily go with their 'normal' hair for a wedding look, curly hair doesn't require much embellishment (if I do say so myself)—why not sport it on a special occasion? Just take extra care with styling and product selection to ensure curls would be perfectly coifed all day.
This look was created through my standard wash-day routine, which is four simple steps:
-
Wash using a curl-enhancing shampoo and conditioner; I like the Redken All Soft Mega Curls range.
-
Use a curl cream for hydration and definition. I apply mine on wet (not damp) hair to try and retain as much moisture as possible. Matrix A Curl Can Dream Moisturizing Cream is a great sulfate-free option.
-
Apply gel for additional hold—I want this style to last as long as I can. It's important to me that there's no crunch, I like a soft look, so I use Kérastase's Gelee Curl Contour Gel-Cream, which is slightly more lightweight than other gels I've tried.
-
Dry with a diffuser.
Curly Hairstyle 1: Pineapple curls
A lot of curlies opt for pineapple curls when they're sleeping, as arranging your curls on top of your head helps reduce tangling during the night. I've always thought pineapple curls are really playful and fun, so I thought they'd complement my printed wedding guest dress nicely. Plus, this outfit is for a destination wedding, so I'm anticipating hot weather. Because of this, I'm looking forward to having my hair out of my face and staying cool.
It's super easy to create the pineapple updo: start by gathering your hair in a very, very high ponytail, and after that, all you need to do is let your curls fall to either side. I used a silk scrunchie for this look and suggest you do the same. Silk doesn't just give a luxurious, elegant touch (perfect for weddings!). It also stops any creases from forming in your hair, so when you let it down again, it should be dent-free, making re-styling a breeze.
Curly Hairstyle 2: Half-up, Half-down
So, I was going for the Grecian goddess aesthetic, but admittedly, the half-up, half-down ‘do I ended up with looks a bit more ‘80's inspired. It goes with my dress, though, so it's all good.
I washed and styled my hair. I decided to use mousse instead of cream or gel for styling as I wanted extra volume for this look—if you're doing ‘80s, you may as well do it properly. The Shu Uemura Art of Hair Kaze Wave Curl Mousse is a great option as it defines curls while controlling frizz.
After my hair dried, I used a claw clip to fasten half of it. Be warned; not all claw clips are created equally. If you have a lot of thick, textured hair, then opt for a bigger one.
Curly Hairstyle 3: Pinned back
Not to be confused with half-up, half-down, the pinned-back look is one of my favorite hairstyles for smarter affairs. It's so easy to do yet still looks sophisticated. Again, I washed, styled, and dried my hair as normal (no frills!). From experience, I've found that freshly washed hair looks best and is often easier to coax. When my hair was dry, I then set to work on pinning it back.
To recreate this:
-
Part your hair down the middle.
-
Grab a section of hair at the top head and secure it back using a small clip. Any clip will work: I used small claw clips, but you could also go for a snap clip or a barrette.
-
Once one side is secured, repeat this on the other side of your head.
-
The final look almost resembles half pigtails.
Tip: Sometimes, I mix this look up by only pinning one side back. To create this, I part my hair down the side and then pin back the same side as the parting—this allows the hair that's not clipped to sweep over, giving retro, ‘50's-esque vibes.
Curly Hairstyle 4: Low ponytail
I love a low ponytail. It's incredibly low-maintenance (see what I did there?) but can still be dressed up. For added elegance, I used a silk scrunchie when securing my hair. The scrunchy also went with my dress which was a nice bonus. I purposely left some face-framing tendrils out at the front; I've seen some influencers do this on Instagram and wanted to copy it.
It was important to me that the strands hanging in the front were super-defined, so I used the Biolage Professional Styling Gelée All Purpose Styling Gel to smooth any frizz. Luckily, there's no crunchiness or residue with this product.
Curly Hairstyle 5: Accessories
Never underestimate how much accessories can enhance a hairstyle! A good hairband or cute clips can really elevate a look, and honestly, they're such a simple way to change up your normal ringlets.
This look was created with my normal hair-wash routine. The only addition was the Mizani 25 Miracle Nourishing Oil. As I'm wearing gold, I think it's only right that my hair shines as much as possible, and this Mizani oil is amazing for that. Plus, it has over 25 benefits and is great for taming frizz, so it was a win-win for me.
Shop Hair.com for the products you need to style your dream wedding guest curls and more products from the salon-trusted hair care brand. To see these products in action, tune into HDC TV where we host regular livestreams with industry pros.
