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Original poster

Curly Girl method for a beginner

108 replies

Neilsfavouritechilli · 06/08/2019 09:35

Hi, I have half wavy, half curly hair and have been reading up on the curly girl method. To be honest, there's so much advice and so many steps that I'm finding it a touch overwhelming. Would someone be kind enough to help me put together a basic (and cheap) plan. Should I no poo or low poo? Are there any particular (again cheap) products I can use - ideally ones I can get from boots/superdrug. I have a microfibre towel which is a start. I plan to pop to town in my lunch break so I can get started tonight. Will my hair look shit for a while? Thank you x

OP posts:
womanaf · 06/08/2019 21:58

I assure you there’s nothing high maintenance going on here. Co wash in shower, add product, plop over breakfast, air dry/diffuse dry depending on whether I need dry hair or not.

Sexnotgender · 06/08/2019 21:59

I apply my products like Mell- m.youtube.com/watch?v=RrIVP122a5c

Only thing I do differently is scrunch with microfibre towel after applying gel.

I have smooth microfibre towels that I got from an outdoor shop. You can use a cotton T-shirt though.

PickAChew · 06/08/2019 22:01

Yeah, CNtu is great. Not so much if your hair is fine but my coarse, wavy hair loves it. I dabble in other things but usually end up back at cantu shampoo, conditioner and curl custard.

Sexnotgender · 06/08/2019 22:07

Thank you @Daddylonglegs1965. I don’t finger curl or twist, I really don’t need to. Have added a link above to a video that shows how to apply products.

Daddylonglegs1965 · 06/08/2019 22:10

Thanks that’s helpful I have fine hair but quite a lot of it. I doubt my hair would go quite as curly as yours but I would love it if it did.

Troels · 06/08/2019 22:11

What the hell is plopping?
I'm a curly too, very similar to sexnotgender, but longer. I started out doing the no poo about 20years ago. Started by cutting down to weekly then stopped altogether.
I co wash sometimes
then use conditioner,
rinse,
put a dab of conditoner on my hands and pull it through the ends. Comb,
Use fantasia frizz buster and use the prayer hands thing once I have pulled it all through,

Then I scrunch up the ends in handfuls and leave it to air dry, sometimes I'll pull a few bits into the right direction. If it's all feeing very dried out I will use a mix of 50/50 Coconut oil and pure shea butter (I blend it with a bit of olive oil) I'll use a big blob, pull it through the ends and leave it overnight. I do it in the day too when on holiday in hot climates.
Sexnotgender · 06/08/2019 22:14

Plopping is just wrapping your hair in a T-shirt after you’ve added leave in and/or products. I don’t do it as it makes my curls weird.

Troels · 06/08/2019 22:24

his was when I died my hair a bit too red, it's longer now.
Can't remember how to post a picture LOL

Curly Girl method for a beginner
WhoLettheCatOut · 06/08/2019 22:30

I really do think it's about your own hair. I mostly just co wash, the top to toe I use max once a month when I'm feeling particularly sweaty or lazy. My hair is better for avoiding lo poo. I realised my hair had settled when I started using some conditioner as leave in as before CGM my hair wouldn't tolerate it whereas now seems to thrive on it. I am very cheap and simple with a basic mousse, Tesco conditioner and every so often hair food. My hair is slightly better than before CGM condition wise but my curls are much better. I wouldn't get too hung up on all the rules and just play around for a bit to see what works

DeRigueurMortis · 06/08/2019 22:49

I have wavy hair that's curly in parts.

It's also quite long with long layers.

I've tried the CG method and it just doesn't work for me.

My hair just isn't curly enough or rather it is when cut shorter with more layers but it's also quite thick (not the individual strands, rather lots of hair) and the curls still just get weighed down unless I go to a length (or rather "short") I'm not happy with.

So I can get a CG look but over the day it just flattens into a mess unless I put enough product in it so it's almost crispy Blush.

In my case it's a trade off between cutting it shorter with more/shorter layers to get the curls or leaving it longer to let the weight of my hair making it easier to style (not poker straight but not overly wavy in a disheveled way which is its natural state).

I've come to the conclusion that it's easier to leave it longer.

Takes me less than 10 mins to dry with my dyson, then I pass my Daphni heated brush through it for about 5 mins. Stays styled all day.

CG method took me best part of an hour and ended up with crispy hair that looked flat by early afternoon unless I had a specific cut that flattered the curls but did nothing for my face shape...

I'm no knocking CG - I just think it's not great for us with "wavy" girls.

twosoups1972 · 06/08/2019 23:04

Cantu shampoo isn’t for everyone, it is very drying and my dd had to stop using it. My (CG) hairdresser told me the range is aimed more at Afro hair.

goldpendant · 06/08/2019 23:16

@DeRigueurMortis your hair sounds like mine - I posted a similar post earlier. I've got a daphne brush but wrote it off as it didn't live up to my expectations--- does it work better after a Blowdry to just smooth everything?

DeRigueurMortis · 06/08/2019 23:44

@goldpendant

In a nutshell yes.

The Daphni needs to be used on dry hair.

I dry my hair (pretty roughly, not really trying to style too much) with a paddle brush to get the strands heading in the right direction iyswim.

Once dry I go back with the Daphni to style it.

I tend to start underneath (I don't section my hair, I just invert the brush).

Then I do the upper part of my hair. I have a couple of overly wavy sections and find I need to create a bit of tension by holding the ends as I brush.

Finally I do the styling. Given I have a bit of wave in my hair I find it easy to brush then pull under (or over) at the ends to create a bit of curl/bounce. Just imagine you're using a round brush with a hairdryer in terms of technique.

I find it easy now but I did find it's far less effective if your hair isn't fully dry (but do use heat protectant).

It's also easier than straightening and less damaging, but you won't ever get that poker straight look from a brush that you can with irons (nor the curls if you're good with them).

What I think it's brilliant at is taming hair like mine - I don't want poker straight but I want it consistently "bouncy" if you get my drift and for me at least it's great.

goldpendant · 06/08/2019 23:50

Great thanks I might dig it out and try again!

PickAChew · 07/08/2019 00:09

Dereigeur my hair dries hard and crispy, with my bucketful of custard, but then I scrunch it and it's softer than it's ever been (and as curly as it ever got with an 80s perm!)

womanaf · 07/08/2019 00:23

I’ve just watched the Mell videos PP posted - my hair is going to be even more fabulous now.

Original poster
Neilsfavouritechilli · 07/08/2019 08:15

I'm so glad I started this thread. Thank you all for your help and tips. I cant wait to give this a go.

OP posts:
ItsWitchingTime · 07/08/2019 15:20

I got lost down a rabbit hole on YouTube videos which put me off for a while, I don't have much money and was under the impression I needed to spend on fancy products, scalp massages and a hairdryer.

In the end I just looked into the ingredients and got myself some Johnston top to toe in the baby event and a bottle of conditioner from wilko, I've got a microfiber towel from the sports shop (primark have some in at the moment, and the scrunchie bobbles too)

I wash my hair once a week but because of the heat I wash with top to toe too, and either plop it or let it air dry, so far its working a treat. I'm yet to try styling products.

Don't forget to sleep with your hair in a pineapple to protect your curls.

Oh also, I've been filling the curly girl on facebook (can't fully remember the name but the lady is a red head) she has tips etc and her own products - way too out of my price range though so I've not brought anything but she does have a complete set up with shampoo, conditioner, protein etc

Shitonthebloodything · 07/08/2019 17:02

I've been doing:

Shampoo with Johnson's baby
Condition with Tesco extracts/Garnier hair food/Tesco keronics (green one)
Use tangle teaser -this takes ages because it gets so so knotty
Rinse
Work through a decent amount of one of the above conditioners into soaking wet hair with head upside down then add loads of shockwaves number 5 mousse
Put a shower cap on for a bit
Diffuse dry, mostly upside down .

Original poster
Neilsfavouritechilli · 07/08/2019 18:30

I have my products, all curly girl approved and my microfibre towel is in the wash. Got myself a nice conditioner, a leave in conditioner, an intensive mask and some mousse. Am trying it first thing tomorrow so hair has time to air dry. Let's see what happens.

OP posts:
Original poster
Neilsfavouritechilli · 07/08/2019 18:31

Does anyone know about the pineapple thing for sleeping?

OP posts:
Adollop · 07/08/2019 18:36

Itswitchingtime what is a pineapple???

I've tried cg before but my hair looked awful and my curls no better.

I might try again, but find it expensive and time consuming trying out different products to see what suits my hair.

Original poster
Neilsfavouritechilli · 07/08/2019 18:41

@adollop I have no idea whether it'll work for me but there are loads of budget products available from the likes of wilko, b&m etc. I found a really good link today. Let me see if I can add it......

OP posts:
OP posts:
Adollop · 07/08/2019 19:11

Thanks Neils.