I remember the first time I ever tried to blow dry my hair by myself; I was thirteen and getting ready for my first big co-ed semi-formal dance. In an effort to assert my independence, I locked myself in my mother's bathroom with an assortment of beauty supplies, makeup, hair styling tools, and a giant stack of teen beauty magazines, all of which I knew not what to do with, but assumed I could figure out quickly. Convinced my mom was clueless on all that was considered "cool", I refused to accept any help, demanding no one even knock on the door until I felt I was ready to make what I anticipated to be a stunning reveal.
After failing to apply the correct shade of face powder, getting purple eye shadow dust in my eyebrows, and staining washcloth upon washcloth with glittery, bubblegum pink lip gloss, I decided to switch gears to my hair, blow-drying my wet mane. My goal was to emulate the edgy, classy curly style Beyoncé had in Destiny Child's Survivor music video, so I immediately grabbed the diffuser nozzle and went straight to work, not even stopping to use any protective, frizz reducing products beforehand.
Though I had only seen my mother blow out her hair using a diffuser only couple times before, I figured between the brief tutorials plus the teen mags, I could easily master the art of diffusing on the first try. Well, I could not have been more wrong. As I stood surrounded in piles of my broken hair fragments and makeup mess, I saw the reflection of the painted up, frizzed out, the muppet monster I had created... and proceeded to cry. It was at this point that my mom realized this experiment in allowing me to spread my wings and fly was over and ignoring all the previous stubborn teen angst and venom I had unfairly spewed at her, she humbly intervened without hesitation, transforming my disaster into an elegant delight.
I really wanted to show off my natural curls and was disappointed that I had allowed things to go so horribly awry, it was the only option I had left. I may not have had the dramatic, diva-tastic Beyoncé reveal I originally wanted, but thanks to my mom, I didn't end up leaving the house looking a complete hot mess. This experience taught me 1. There is no such thing as a "do it yourself" crash course in personal styling and 2. Mom's are awesome.
Proper hair styling is an art that requires much practice, patience, effort, and experience, all of which I lacked at thirteen. If I really wanted to style my hair without mommy's help, the more mature thing would have been to pipe up during my last salon visit, asking professional stylists more questions and getting productive tips from the people who understand hair best, instead of assuming that passively observing would be enough to learn, attacking my hair with haste. Being a know it all teen, I didn't understand that I couldn't just crank up the blow dryer and hope for the best because there is actually was a method to the madness.
Fortunately, part of what makes Miss Jessie's brand unique is, in addition to an extensive line of products specializing in all levels of curly hair, we have our own hair salon with curl expert stylists that are willing to teach all women proper approach to preserve perfect curls, even after they leave the salon. Because they know exactly what is needed to cater to curly hair care, and gave me the low down on the most effective strategies for properly diffusing hair. So for all, you women out there who have also had an unfortunate tango with their diffuser, fret not- Miss Jessie's stylists have your back!
- For all textures of curls, coat hair with a layer of products that defend against extreme heat and supports curl sculpting and definition. For wavy or transitioning hair, we suggest Miss Jessie's Transitioner's Magic or MultiCultural Curls, and for tighter curls try using the Miss Jessie's Coily Custard or Curly Pudding.
- When ready to diffuse, wavy textures to transitioners should flip head downward, directing hair forward and over the face, cupping the hair in the nozzle in an upward motion, as this will create more fuller curls and more volume. Those with tighter curls should direct the diffuser from a downward angle, cupping hair in the nozzle in an upwards motion, as this will provide more control to curls while drying and create more curl definition.
- When hair is almost dry, take a moment to scrunch curls by hand, applying a styler that will add a small amount of additional, more secure hold, such as Miss Jessie's Quick Curls, Jelly Soft Curls, or Pillow Soft Curls. Continue to sculpt and mold curl's shape, until your curls have reached your desired bounce and fullness. If after scrunching your curls haven’t reached ideal bounce appeal, gently hit hair with the diffuser once more briefly, and style accordingly. If the hair is getting too wild for your taste, put the diffuser away and control curls via hand sculpting. Don’t overdo it with the products because too much can weigh curls down, but do play with hair, scrunching and twisting until you get the look you want.
