I have been called a hair guru by my friends. I think they are just being super nice, but I know there are many hair-dos I can achieve that are better than average (she says so modestly), but the one technique that has eluded my skills has been the dreaded pin curls! Those bastards that are used not just to create curls, but to shape and form styles that are envied by others. For years I have been defeated by them damn things and just gave up -- until the next time I got a feather in my ass telling me I'll be able to do it this time!! Unfortunately the pin curls would win again and laugh at me as I cried with a crappy hair do.
Something magical just happened. A sudden new understanding of the pin curl and my hair's own structure have come together for a successful front wave! Right around New Year's I cut my hair and gave myself a blind middy. I say blind, because I don't know how to cut a middy, I just went for it and chopped away. My hair use to be all one length, but now there are "layers" and my front is significantly shorter than the rest of my hair (though not short enough to be considered bangs or fringe). This past week and a half I have been practicing and setting my hair almost nightly to master these damned pin curls. With some tweeking and taking into account my hair's texture (cotton candy and pipe cleaners) I think I have finally got the hang of using pin curls to shape and style my do!
I still have a lot more practicing to do to get my hair to look cinematically glam, but hey... it's better than I have ever done!! I am quite happy with the front wave. FINALLY! Pin curl success!
I know that vintage styles can be intimidating -- even for vintage hair experts -- so for all you new girls -- just keep on trying!! Keep practicing! Learn your hair's texture! Tutorials are great, but take them as a loose guide. What may work for some won't work for others and this is based on texture, thickness, length, and cut. And for friends of vintage hair newbies... if their hair looks like shit, tell them!! No good will come from false praise.
Something magical just happened. A sudden new understanding of the pin curl and my hair's own structure have come together for a successful front wave! Right around New Year's I cut my hair and gave myself a blind middy. I say blind, because I don't know how to cut a middy, I just went for it and chopped away. My hair use to be all one length, but now there are "layers" and my front is significantly shorter than the rest of my hair (though not short enough to be considered bangs or fringe). This past week and a half I have been practicing and setting my hair almost nightly to master these damned pin curls. With some tweeking and taking into account my hair's texture (cotton candy and pipe cleaners) I think I have finally got the hang of using pin curls to shape and style my do!
I still have a lot more practicing to do to get my hair to look cinematically glam, but hey... it's better than I have ever done!! I am quite happy with the front wave. FINALLY! Pin curl success!
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| Looking like a butterface. Her hair looks nice, butterface! |
Your hair always looks great... I'm surprised you've had so much trouble with pincurls in the past! I'm glad you're posting again :)
ReplyDeleteYour hair looks great!
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxo
DeleteYour hair looks so gorgeous! It took me ages before I could do a pin curl properly, and even now they turn out crappy most of the time...but practice makes perfect!
ReplyDeleteYes! Practice does make perfect! I know I am still going to have failed sets, but I am just thrilled that they are starting to click finally! I just hope others keep sticking to whatever style they are gunning for. It will happen! :-D
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ReplyDeleteso true.your hair really will determine how it styles.My hair has wave but goes bone straight when i put product in it.and latley it feels stick straight and un bendable when I try to roll it.i have never done pin curls on myself yet cuz I will end up throwing stuff in a tantrum.maybe one day I wll try it.you hair looks great.xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I am all too familiar with those tantrums! Hahaha When you do try it, just keep to it. If you don't get it right away, come back to it another day and think to yourself, "Ok, what did not work last time?" and go from there. Like I said it took me years to get to this point! :)
DeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteI am a perfectionist, so when I want to master a hairdo I do everything within my reach to do it perfectly, which 99% of time works. That does take alot of practising though.
You, my dear, did a great job on the pincurls. A hairdo I haven't mastered (yet!). Practice is as usually the key, so I keep doing that!
Thanks for your feather in our ass! Gives me some hope that some day I'll be able to do pincurls aswell ;-)
Lindsay, I am not so much a perfectionist as I am a needs to get it right the first time kind of gal. I get so angry with myself when I can't do something right the very first time. However, I am now glad I kept coming back to pin curls. :) Yes! Keep trying! Your hair will look amazing with the front wave from a pin curl set!
DeleteYay for layers!! I've been playing with a vertical side wave. I works great for swooping my shorter cut into a late 50s style.
ReplyDeleteI'm always jealous of your perfect hair!
DeleteLovely style!!! I have never managed to do a perfect hair style with pin-curls... I feel like taking so much time is just a waste! For the moment, I use hair rollers to create 50's look like this one: http://lostin1950.blogspot.fr/2013/01/nice-hair-and-quilted-skirt.html
ReplyDeleteBut most of the time, I'm too lazy to curl my hair...
That's good you win!!!!
Laurence, Keep at it! Now that I have got the hang of it, it's easy breezy and takes no time at all. I just pin curl the hair around my face, but use perm rods to curl all my back hair. I set it over night and with a 5 min brush out in the morning, my style is ready to go!
DeleteOh! And your hair is AMAZING!!!
Deletehooray! i gave myself the middy cut this fall and got practiced up on pin curls too. like yours, mine was one length and i used rollers. im happy i did it and i love doing a front wave too! people notice and just have no idea how we do it.
ReplyDeletecongratulations!
Beth
Thanks so much Beth! I have to admit I have a bit of a strut now that I can do the front wave. I still use my perm rods to curl my downed hair, but for the frame, I am now pin curling and LOVING it! Hehehe I love that people don't know. I feel like its a secret hand shake now to those that can achieve it. :)
DeleteLooks great! I really like the shorter length, too. Now I have to practice :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie! Granted, it's not the most flattering photo of me as I woke up with a serious case of the uglies, but I was thrilled with a successful do!
DeleteBut yes! PRACTICE! All the troubles will be worth it at the moment it just clicks! And it will! It took me YEARS for it to finally click.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I thought I was the only one who just couldn't get the hang of pin curls. This has spurred me on to keep trying.
ReplyDelete