Hair Styling; waves, how to do it?

You don't necessarily have to do anything to it in terms of equipment -- depends on the look you're going for.

I have hair that tends to be wavy but it straightens out if it's dry. I got a haircut that maximizes the wave and then I use this uh stuff (I can go upstairs and read the label if you want, I know it's from Redken) that I put in after I've towel-dried my hair. It disappears when my hair is dry -- it doesn't look like I have anything in it -- but makes my hair really wavy.

Here we go -- it's called "ringlet 07 curl perfector."



I also use "totally twisted" Herbal Essences shampoo and some Redken shampoo that's more anti-frizz than pro-curl (I alternate).

I only started paying attention to this stuff in the past year or so, definitely makes a difference when I do it right.

I have any easy method. First wash your hair as usual. Towel dry. Put a teaspoon of olive oil in the palm of your hand and rub it through your hair and scalp. Put a good squirt of styling mousse in your hand and rub that through your hair. Now - take a couple of big plastic hair clips and clip your hair up. It's best to let it dry naturally, but if you're in a hurry you can use a blow drier. I have a lot of hair, so I sometimes use three clips. Remove clips and you will have plenty of waves and curl. This method only works on naturally curly hair, people with straight hair need more extreme measures. You have to use the mousse, no other styling gels work as well.

I use this size or larger:

Since my hair is long, I will on occasion have a french braid put in. I love the look when I take the braid out because it leaves my hair wavy, but not curly. My hair is very straight btw.

I never tried the stuff Soz mentions, but I would check it out.

Good point, I use the clip too after I put in the, uh, stuff. (Mousse? Maybe.)

I use BioSilk products, love'em, but they are a tad expensive. I'm also a fan of more creamy products rater than curling sprays - like leave-in conditioners for wavy hair. In Europe, L'Oreal had a product called bungee jump curl. It was fantastic- perfect texture for non-greasy, healthy luscious looking waves. I never found it in the states though, or anything that comes even close.

What I want to learn is finger waves. Like so:



I tried it once or twice, following directions online, but i sure didn't end up looking like Mae West... More like a wet chicken. Oh well, i'll try again.

I never realized before how much you look like Mae West!! I thought that was a photo of you for a minute, seriously.

Aw, thanks. I think it's the whole 20s, 30s thing. I should have been young then, that's my era. Oh well. I sure would like her hair... not happening. How do they make it not look like a wet cement? i think my hair is much longer now, so that makes it harder to attept finger waves, but it must be doable.

I always wondered how the stars of previous eras achieved such shiny hair. Marilyn Monroe was obviously a blonde via bottle, but her hair always looked so glossy. Was it shellack?

egg whites, oil, beer, lemon, yogurt, avocado.... alll good products for shiny hair. but MM surely used hairspray already, apparently it was available since 1927, when aerosol cans were introduced.

I found perhaps the best guide on finger waves, i'll put it here for later use and for other adventurous spirits out there:
http://www.nocturne.com/swing/hair/fingerwaves/fingerwaves3.html

To make your hair shiny I use a product called Senscience Simply Shine Lustre. It smells really good, but once you spray it on, you don't comb or brush your hair.

hey, i got two finger waves going already...this just may work

Interesting, the site said that the curls look better with a round face. Hmm...

i'm all about curls these days... it does work, straight hair seems to emphasize the roundness of my face, curles make it softer...or something.

I can see the resemblance to Mae West as well. Mae's hairdo would look
great on you, dag. I think you probably need these clips to hold the
waves in place.

just venturing towards a new hair style - reading and hopefully, taking in!

All I have to do is let it dry naturally. Problem is, it waves in the wrong places around my face, so I blow dry that part with a round brush.

I'd wear it wavy all the time, except it bothers me not being able to brush it thoroughly. (The waves then turn frizzy.)

For finger waves, my mother used clamps that looked like this:





When I set my hair with rollers, the result would be waves, not tight ones, though.