How To: Flat Iron Curls

Out of the 900 plus posts that I have published on Beauty Banter, the one that garners the most interest is that of Nicole Richie's Hippy-Chic Curls.

So, I've decided to post the full tutorial with step-by-step instructions and photos. Thanks to Jen Atkin of the Andy Lecompte Salon for demonstrating exclusively to BB on how to create flat iron curls at home.

Celebrity Inspiration: Nicole Richie, Alexa Chung, Lauren Conrad, Gwyneth Paltrow



Step 1: Air dry hair. If hair is curly, blow dry straight first.

Step 2: Section hair in 1 inch vertical panels from left of head to right.


Step 3: Using a 1 inch flat iron (Jen suggests the Chi Flat Iron), take the first panel of hair and starting 2 inches from scalp, put hair INTO the flat iron.


Step 4: Holding the flat iron vertically from the floor, twist down and in a backwards motion - for the left side of head, twist down, back and left. For the right side of head, twist down, back and right. *Always twist away from the ear*


Step 5: Release hair from flat iron and twist hair in backwards motion around finger, pulling while hot to stretch and elongate the curl


TIP: for the back of head, split it down the middle from crown to nape - left side curl in left backward motion, right side curl in backward right motion. Think Farrah Fawcett's feathered hair - back and away!




Step 6: For a light hold, finish by spraying hair with Frederic Fekkai Sheer Hair Spray

TIP: To lengthen the curls even more, once you've completed the curl, use the flat iron over the ends of hair to create the straighter ends. The vertical "boho" curls give the appearance of longer hair.

Here's how it looks from the back:

So, invest in a flat iron -- you can take hair from straight, to hippy-chic curly and back to straight again in no time.