Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City is associated with many things—cosmopolitans, poor decisions and gorgeous curly hair among them. Her mane is part of her bohemian lifestyle and loud personality, and while we don’t always want to be the Carrie of the group, we definitely want our hair to be. We asked experts how to get the iconic Carrie Bradshaw curls, whether you’re starting from straight or curly hair.
Featured experts
- Cassie Siskovic is a celebrity hairstylist and the Moroccanoil Artistic Director
- Allison Bridges is the owner of Curl Evolution NY
For naturally curly hair
“If you have naturally curly hair, you’re in luck! A few tweaks to your wash day routine can make your curls pop,” says owner of Curl Evolution NY Allison Bridges. She recommends starting by applying a leave-in conditioner spray to soaking wet hair after it’s been washed and conditioned. Then “gently comb gel through in small sections from the roots to ends, making sure the gel thoroughly coats each curl. After the brush, run your fingers through the sections to create larger curl clumps.”
Your choice in product here should depend on your curl pattern, notes celebrity hairstylist and Moroccanoil Artistic Director Cassie Siskovic. “My favorite curl product that provides definition and a soft finish is the Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream ($36).”
Flip your head forward and scrunch your curls for added definition, Bridges instructs. “You want your curls to sound juicy when you scrunch. If you don’t hear the squish, then you don’t have enough gel and water in your style,” she notes.
To create more volume, Bridges recommends using a cup diffuser. “Hold it in place with curls in the cup, waiting two minutes for each section to dry before moving to the next section, as excessive movement can disrupt the curls,” she says. “When your hair is dry, massage your roots to soften and boost volume even more.”
Siskovic likes to then deconstruct the curls while applying Moroccanoil Treatment ($48). “This ensures as I’m breaking up curl groupings that they aren’t losing all of their definition and still have a high shine finish. From there, you can use the Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray ($32) to really maximize the volume and texture of your curls.”
For naturally straight hair
“If your hair is straight, this can be a fun way to add more bounce and body,” says Bridges. Start with washing and drying your hair. “For extra volume, rough dry it upside down using your hands,” she says.
“Once your hair is fully dry, comb through it to detangle. Spray hairspray evenly all over. Use a one-inch curling iron (keeping the iron closed) or a one-inch curling wand,” says Bridges. “Take one-inch sections, starting at the bottom, and wrap the hair around the outside of the iron or wand. Hold each section in place for 10 seconds. Before moving on to the next section, add more hairspray to set the curls,” she instructs. “Once your entire head is curled, shake out the curls and massage your roots to soften and add movement.”
