PSA: Don’t Skip This Step When Curling Your Hair

Quick: What's the difference between a limp curl that's falling down and a bouncy, defined one that lasts all day?

Ah, friends, it's all in the prep—more specifically the products you use to prep your hair before even picking up an iron. Don't worry: We'll walk you through exactly what to do.

While your hair is still damp from the shower, work a generous amount of mousse through from roots to ends. How much mousse? Approximately the size of an orange if you have short or fine strands and two oranges' worth if you have longer, thicker hair. It may seem like a lot, but mousse's airy texture absorbs quickly and won't leave you with stringy, flat hair (like you can get from overdoing a cream or oil).  

After you've dried your hair completely, apply a light misting of a heat protectant spray all over. This will give the surface of your strands a bit more hold and—more importantly—guard them from damage while styling.

Once you've curled your hair, hit it with a blast of texturizing spray. Hairspray can be a touch too heavy and actually weigh down curls, while texturizing sprays absorb excess oils to give you a longer-lasting hold (and that tousled, Victoria's Secret finish). 

Your curling arsenal awaits: Garnier mousse ($8); Living Proof heat protectant ($27); IGK texturizing spray ($29)