Summer brings slower days, fun vacays, and warmer weather so our hair has to match its’ vibe. Define artists Kaily Castaneda & Shelby Snyder give us hot tips this month on how to style natural curls, create beach waves for straight hair, and create summer-ready hair in seconds! 

Curls Au Naturale

Curly girls – this section is for you! Our Ouidad curl specialist, Mizani natural texture trained stylist (and curly girl herself) Kaily drops all the goodies here for taming those summer curls. 

“The best way to ensure less frizz is to always use a form of a leave-in conditioner.  But LESS IS MORE! Say it again, LESS IS MORE!  Don’t think that because it’s leave in conditioner you need a ton. The key is to always make sure there is enough water present in the hair before applying any product. Two of my favorite are the Davines Primer & the Oi All in One milk. Both are fantastic but if you tend to have finer hair strands and not a ton of hair density, the primer is perfect. Those with more coarse or grey hair and more density would love the Oi all in one milk.  If your hair dries up immediately after you get out the shower, it’s best to apply products in the shower while sopping wet. if it takes you 3-5 business days to dry, make sure to remove a little moisture before applying product, so eventually your hair will be dry by day 6 🙂 

In need of something quick after a beach/pool day? Using a leave in conditioner + Davines sea salt spray is a perfect combo for a scrunch & go. It’s also perfect for a night time routine, simply apply this combo, air dry 50-75% of the way and braid or twist your hair! Shake that out after leaving the style in for 6-12 hours and jazz it up with Oribe Apres beach spray, adding shine and helping expand the hair.” 

Some days styling your hair just isn’t in the cards, so Kaily share some easy accessories (available at Define Hair & Skin!) to make it look effortless and chic. “Some of my favorite ways to style my hair in the summer is a claw clip.  Claw clips are amazing as they have many different sizes based on hair density and a cute half up half down style keeps the hair out of my face and looks super cute! I also always have a silk scrunchy on hand! If you are used to traditional hair ties like the thin black ones, it’s time to change it up. Using those hair ties can cause a lot of stress and tension that can cause hair breakage and loss when tied too tight. Scrunchies also have different sizes for your hair density, so grab a few at your next appointment! Lastly on beach days braiding and twits are also my favorite, but most importantly please wear a hat to protect your hair and scalp and that gorgeous face.”  

Shelby’s Step by Step Curls 

Not blessed with natural curls? Not to worry! Define artist & extension specialist Shelby Snyder has us covered.  Some times on beach days we want a little more pop for the evening or sometimes we just want to rock the effortless, wavy beach hair look.  Shelby takes us through a step-by-step tutorial on how to create those waves using a few products and tools. 

Shelby shares “Prepping your hair before styling is a very important part if not the most important! If you’re blow drying first you need to also prep and use a wet heat protectant. (I love Oribe’s Invisible Defense spray). Once you’re finished the blow out you’ll need to apply a dry heat protectant (Oribe’s Dry Heat Protectant is my personal go to) and then you are ready for adding those curls. 

  1. Sectioning your hair will make styling your hair much easier! I like to have 3-5 sections, top of the head (think from your temple to temple in a U shape), the sides by your ears, then take long slices in the back. 
  2. Now we’re ready to curl! I like to take about a 1-inch section of hair for each curl. IMPORTANT for your curls around your face: Always place the hair over and around the iron so your curls are going away from your face. Slowly work the iron down the hair strain, leaving roughly 1/2 inch of hair out of the bottom of the strand to achieve the beach curl look.
  3. Once around the face is done, you can alternate the direction of the curl to have more movement throughout or curl it all in the away from the face direction on each side of the head.
  4. Let the hair cool! I know we all want to immediately start touching our beautiful curls, but if you do while they’re still warm, they will fall much faster. 
  5. Use a finishing spray like Oribe’s Apres Beach spray or their Dry Texture Spray to set curls and give it a little texture, creating that “I just left the beach” look.”

Shelby’s Pro Tip!

Curl your hair how you normally do, then take a straightener/flat iron and straighten the bottom inch or 2 of your ends if you’re having a hard time with the curling iron.  You can also use your flat iron to create beauty waves as well if the curling iron isn’t working for you. 

So before you pack your pool bag & beach blankets, swing by Define for your summer curl supplies to create perfect summer looks.  If summer is easy breezy, your hair should be to! Mention this blog post to receive 10% any hair accessory, Oribe or Davines product!