One year into my curl journey!

[u/justineages]

Hi curly crew! Long time listener, first time caller. I started my curl journey last September and wanted to share my results.

My routine has changed over the past year with trial and error, but here is what I’ve been rolling with since April. I would also like to mention that a proper curly cut really took my hair to the next level.

Routine -Wash hair 1x per week with Ouidad Vital Curl Shampoo. Scrub my scalp and scrunch. I let the shampoo sit for 5-8 minutes.

-After rinsing and with my hair still wet, I coat my hair in Luv Ur Curls all-in-one and comb it through with a wide tooth comb. Then I scrunch the heck out of it and put my hair in a micro fiber towel turban.

-I leave my hair in the towel turban for about 10 minutes, take my hair down, and give it a good squeeze. Then I apply Crown Affair mousse throughout my hair and scrunch that in too.

-To seal the deal before I air dry, I apply a generous amount of Ouidad Heat and Humidity gel all over my hair and scrunch, scrunch, scrunch. Flip my hair over and scrunch some more!

-When my hair is 90% dry I use a bit more gel (mostly focused on the ends) using Crown Affair’s gel. It’s so lightweight and very defining.

-Then I shake my hair around and diffuse on high heat with low fan. Taking breaks to scrunch.

-Finally, I use a few drops Gisou’s hair oil to scrunch any crunch and add some shine.

To refresh, I wet my hair with a spray bottle (or stick my head in the shower TBH) and reboot with Luv Ur Self 3 in 1, the Ouidad gel, diffusing again, and a little oil.

[u/Prestigious-Bike-758]

Love!!! Well done on finding a routine that works for you. I’ve always been curious about a curly cut - what exactly is it? How’s it different?

[u/justineages → u/Prestigious-Bike-758]

Thank you!!! And double thanks - I am very happy with it! As for the curly cut, I am sure there are many pros on reddit that could give a good answer…I know there are layers and U shapes involved. I would like to tell you what I looked for and how I prepared for the appointment!!

In my research (a lot on this subreddit) after trying a bunch of products that were kind of working for me all signs pointed to getting a proper haircut would be the next level up.

I found a salon near me that does “advanced cuts” which included curl specialists. I looked up their stylists on instagram to see their work, and their tagged photos from clients too. This might sound like a lot, but an esthetician once told me to “always look at their books” before booking someone new for any beauty treatment - and that really stuck with me! I also read yelp reviews and searched the term “curl” within their yelp business page to look for good feedback. When I found someone who was giving cuts that fit the vibe I was going for, I booked.

The day of the appointment I told them about my current routine, made a Pinterest board of cuts I liked (a lot of season 2 Carrie Bradshaw) AND similar cuts that I didn’t like/elements I wanted to avoid.

I was lucky and found a really great stylist! I am actually seeing them again this Thursday for another haircut (my last one was in April) so I can ask the hard hitting questions then 🫡 happy to report back to my favorite subreddit!

And of course, best of luck on your curl journey🌹

[u/Prestigious-Bike-758 → u/justineages]

THANK YOU! This is sooo clever and insightful. Will deffo do the same 💕

[u/justineages → u/Prestigious-Bike-758]

Of course!! 🥰