How To Curl Your Hair With All Different Tools

An as Indian and Italian half breed, it took me the majority of my high school career to tame my half curly half frizzy hair. Now, because of this, I am incredibly picky about the products and tools I use to curl my hair. I'm down to test everything, but I'll never use a crummy formula twice.

I started off straightening my hair with a literal clothing iron circa 2001, then graduated to a ceramic straightener and never looked back. By the time I got to university, I discovered that it actually took less time to curl my hair with a straightening iron than it did to straighten it with one. The only part of my hair style that has evolved since then is the color. My friends have dubbed me the curl queen because I can get my 'do from sopping wet to perfectly coiffed in under 20 minutes!

While my everyday go-to hair tool would be my beloved straightening iron, there are two other curling tools that I just can't live without: the basic wand and the MiraCurl. The straightener, wand, and MiraCurl all work equally well, but you'll end up with a different type of curl depending on the tool you pick.

Let me show you what I mean!

1. The Flat Iron Curl

For this look, you'll need a ceramic straightener that has rounded edges and is about one inch thick. First, choose your desired part and then divide your strands into two large sections, as if you were putting your hair into pigtails. Always start from the back and work your way forwards so that you don’t miss any pieces. In terms of section size, remember that the smaller the strands, the curlier your hair will be.

To create loose waves like the ones above, point your straightener downward and clamp the hair. Twist it twice and then slowly drag the straightener down to the ends — kind of like if you were curling a ribbon on a present. For super curly strands, keep the straightener tight on your hair the whole way through and pull the hair outwards away from your face. For more of a beach wave look, lightly clamp the hair and pull the straightener downwards.

Once you’ve curled all of your hair, use your hands as a comb to separate each individual curl. This will give it that boho beach flare!

2. The Wand Waves

I reserve my wand use for the weekends. I love the fact that these curls have way more body to them and that they look a bit untamed! To achieve this look, I section my hair the same way I would as if I was using my straightener — in two sections, pigtail style. Then, working my hair from the back to the front, I wrap the hair around the wand and hold it for about 10 seconds. Keep in mind that the longer you leave your hair on the wand, the curlier your stands will be! The wand I have is oval shaped, not completely circular, so it also gives the curls a bit of a zigzag shape. Once you've completed passing the wand over all of your hair, use your fingers to brush out the curls again. The messier, the better!

I find that because my hair isn't being smoothed down by the plates of a straightener that they tend to get a bit frizzy with this method, so right before I head out I rub a bit of Moroccan Oil between my hands and then tousle my hair to tame any flyaways.

3. The MiraCurl Curls

Whoever said curling their hair wasn't fun has obviously never tried using the Babyliss MiraCurl. This is a new addition to my curling collection and I am beyond obsessed with it!

The MiraCurl does all of the work for you — all you have to do is place your half inch section of hair in the unit and clamp down. From here, the machine slowly pulls your hair into the nano titanium chamber where it heats up and spins around your stands, beeping to let you know to move on to the next section. I usually run the machine over the same piece of hair twice to eliminate stubborn frizz.

The MiraCurl has three different temperature gages, a steam setting, three curl direction options, and a safety guard that stops the machine and reverses the motor if too much hair is in the chamber. I love the big, bouncy curls it gives!

All three of these curling tools are super simple to use and require little to no effort when it comes to maintenance throughout the day. So, take your pick — curly, curlier, or curliest?

Images: Krystal D'Souza