There was a girl, who had a little curl

Recently I have been trying my hand at pin curling. Beside the fact that pin curling is one of the best ways to create a retro-style hair-do there are also several other benefits to this hair-styling technique:  

♥ You can let hair dry naturally - so no heat damage from hairdryers, 

curling tongs or straighteners  

♥ You can prepare your hair before heading to bed, when you have time, 

and wake up with just ten minutes of 'fluffing' time needed for a gorgeous 'do  

♥ If done well, a pin curl set can last for a couple of days - 

making the time spend curling even more worth while

The pictures above are from my second ever pin curl set, which was a couple of weeks ago. As you can see the final result looked quite nice, if not perfect. The sets I have done since then just seem to be getting better and better, and I can do them quicker, so it is worth practicing.

You'll need:

• Hairgrips
• Hairspray
• A metal and plastic barrel brush
• A slumber net or silk head scarf

Method:

Start with damp hair, and take small sections and wrap them around a couple of fingers in whichever way you want your pin curl to go. I tend to curl mine towards the face either side, and downwards at the back (due to my slightly graduated bob, this seem to look best for me). You then place two hair grips in an 'x' formation over the curl, securing it to the head. Every tutorial I've read or watched has recommended using flat hairpins, not those with the wavy edge you normally use, but I have had real trouble finding any of these anywhere in more than a pack of ten, and you'll need quite a few. I have ended up just having to lump the wavy hair grips, which means I don't get a perfect curl as they can crimp the hair where they grip. At the front of the hair - your fringe if you have one - try placing some elevated curls (instead of pinning flat, pin it vertically) to give your fringe some height. When you have placed all your hair in your setting pattern spritz with some hair spray and pop on a slumber net or silk headscarf for sleeping in.

Yes, it is not the most comfortable night's sleep you'll ever have, but pain equals beauty and all that. In the morning you unpin your curls, run your fingers through and spray with more hairspray. Then use your metal and plastic barrel brush to brush your curls in the direction you'd like them to go, you can be quite rough with the curls and they will bounce back - part of the joy of pin curls! When you are happy with your look you may want to run a little serum over the hair if it looks dry and finish with...you guessed it, hairspray. Before pin curling you can also experiment using different products, such as gel and mousse to see what effect this has on your finished result. At the minute I have been using a curl enhancing mousse, before pin curling - which seems to give my finished look a bit more bounce.

On the second day of wearing your pin curls, brush again and try pinning sections back or incorporating a head scarf and you'll be able to make use of all your hard work for another day.

One of the tutorials I found really useful for pin curling was by an American lady called Aja aka VividMakeup on YouTube - so check out her videos for a range of techniques to get different 40s and 50s looks.

Have you ever pin curled before? Have any tips? If you haven't - is this a style you might try?