Hello Beauties! I'm back and sorry it's been so long since my last post. A lot has been going on, some good, some not as good, and some great! Anywho, what better way to start 2016 than with a new natural hair post? As many of you know, I am a strong advocate for natural hair and like many others on the same natural hair journey as I am, it's always a challenge to find new products and techniques to give you the perfect style and perfect maintenance regimen for your specific hair texture.
The challenge that I have faced the most is that I love wearing my hair curly and in its natural state, but it's hard for me to maintain the style days after the initial styling. This time around I decided to take the plunge and buy
Curlformers. For a while now, I've seen different images online of people with the colorful, flat, spiral apparatuses in their hair to give them well-managed curls. I always wanted to try it but never made the commitment to look for them and do it. Well now I can't say that anymore. (Side Note: Remember this is a no-judgment zone. Please don't judge my chipped nail polish. IJS)
I purchased my Curlformers from Sally's Beauty Supply. I purchased 2
Extra-Long & Wide packs and the corresponding
styling hook. I was shocked to see how expensive they were! Each pack had 6 Curlformers and were $12.99 each (with the Sally's Beauty Supply frequent shopper promotional price), and the hook was $3.99 (again with the promotional price). The Curlformers come in different sizes and widths, and you can even get a variety pack for over $60 (no thanks). Some of the shorter Curlformer packs contain a few more formers in each pack (the other 2 sizes that were at Sally's had 8 in each pack but they were for styles that I didn't want). They were also all the same price. I probably could have gotten away with the Long &Wide pack but the Sally's location that I went to didn't have those available.
I had no idea how to use the Curlformers and how to apply them before purchasing them. Fortunately, the packs included very easy directions and they were very easy to apply once I got the hang of it. I'm sure that there are YouTube videos that show exactly how to use them in case you'd like a step-by-step tutorial, but again, the directions included in the pack are surprisingly easy to understand.
When using the Curlformers, I brushed my hair completely, and applied my favorite -
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie! I LOVE IT! Although I had a couple tresses that I had difficulty getting the Curlformers to curl the way they were supposed to, they were still easy to use. To use, funnel the styling hook through the Curlformer with the opening close to the root of your hair. Then pull your hair through the opening of the styling hook with the opening slit pointing upward. You then pull the hook down through the Curlformer while your hair is hooked, allowing your hair to go through the tube. And voila! Your hair is now wrapped inside the flat, spiral tube. I used the Curlformers before bed, slept on them overnight (which was NOT COMFORTABLE AT ALL!), and took them out before going to work the next day. To remove the Curformer, you simply squeeze the opening closest to your scalp, try your best to flatten the Curlformer, and pull downward. While doing this, I imagined it's probably the same type of handling one would do with a cow utter to get milk. Sorry, I know that was random.
I was extremely pleased with the end result! I loved the way that my big curls looked after using them. The only downside was that I was one Curlformer short of having my entire head covered with them. I had to use a perm rod roller for a small portion after I ran out of the Curlformers. No biggie. I'll try to divide my hair sections a little better next time to accommodate the shortage.
Overall, I really think the Curlformers were a great way to get a nice Shirley Temple spiral curl without using heat. Will I use these every week? No! Simply because I was really uncomfortable sleeping with them on. I thought because they are a softer material, they wouldn't be too bad, but I was wrong. They're still not as bad as magnetic rollers. Sleeping in those is the thing of nightmares! No pun intended.
The Pros:
- Easy to use
- Perfect curls
- No hair ripping out or pulling when removing the Curlformers which was surprising
The Cons:
- A bit pricey but it still beats going to the salon and having this done
- Uncomfortable to sleep in
I hope that this helps give you insight into using Curlformers. They are definitely worth trying and a good investment piece. If you have a style technique or tool that you use that you'd like to share, please comment.
