7 EASY DIY CURLY HAIR HAIRSTYLES

Got curly hair? Lacking hairstyle inspo? We’ve curated our six favourite hairstyles for curly hair which you can do at home. Armed with just a few of your favourite John Frieda products, you can enhance and make the most of your gorgeous curls.

Hairstyles for short curly hair

1. Bobs for short curly hair

Curly bobs are eternally chic - but you’re limited in the amount of hair you can play with. To add volume, simply make a side part (this will also add volume) and add some glittery bobby pins for an eye-catching look. If you’ve got straight bobbed hair, simply wash, condition and towel dry your hair, then use our Dream Curls Curl Reviver Mousse to enhance your natural curls and waves.

Follow our guide on how to curl your hair overnight and sleep in a silk bonnet to avoid undoing your curls. In the morning, lightly run your fingers through your curls to loosen them, and fix with hairspray.

Top tip - to give your curls more volume, flip your head over and apply hair mousse at your roots, moving the product out toward the ends of your lengths. Flip your hair back over onto the opposite side and run a wide tooth comb through, then blow-dry hair with a diffuser set on ‘Low’. Alternatively, if you're between washes and want to perk up your curls without washing or water, use our Dream Curls Oil-Infused Wave-Revitalising Spray to re-activate and hydrate your waves.

2. Short hair with loose corkscrew curls

If your locks are feeling a little lacklustre, braid your hair overnight to create loose, natural waves the morning after or use a heat styler if you’re short on time.

Regularly using heat stylers could be one of the reasons why your curls are losing their bounce - you can revive heat-damaged curls, but we’d recommend using your heat styling tools less frequently to start to see an improvement in your curls.

To give your curls extra oomph throughout the day, spritz our Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray to give them an instant boost of definition and restore elasticity.

Hairstyles for mid-length curly hair

3. Curly hair ponytail

Curly hair updos are great to show off your curls as well as keeping your hair out of your face - especially if you’re getting closer to wash day or during hot weather. Not only that, but they’re super easy to pull together on the go. Gently tip your head upside down, bunch up your hair on top and secure with a scrunchie.

For a messy look, tease strands out of the scrunchie and ruffle the hair around your face to accentuate your curls. Smooth down any flyaways with a small dab of our Dream Curls Frizz Ease Curl-Nourishing Crème Oil to add softness to dry hair, and beat frizz.

4. Loose, defined curls

Beautifully-defined, voluminous natural curls are perfect for people with medium-length hair to show off their kinks and coils. To get the look, wash with our Dream Curls shampoo, deep condition your hair using our Dream Curls Ultra Nourishing Deep Conditioner, and carefully run a wide-toothed comb through your lengths to spread the product. Rinse with lukewarm water, then blot your hair dry with a microfibre towel.

Never brush dry curls - brushing them can break up your styling product and alter your curl’s natural pattern, leading to dry-looking, frizzy lengths with no definition. To define your waves, curls and coils and add natural-looking bounce, apply a dab of our Dream Curls Advanced Hydrating Jelly to towel-dried hair and then scrunch for beautifully-defined curls with no crunch. 

Hairstyles for long curly hair

5. Half-up curly hair

For days when you can’t decide whether to wear your hair up or down, achieve the best of both worlds with a half up curly hairstyle. Half-up styles can be as complex as you like - for simpler styles, use a comb to neatly section the top part of your hair, then tie in a bun or top knot for a simple but stylish look. For more dramatic curly updos, braid your hair on either side of your head, leaving a few free strands to frame your face.

Arrange the braid at the nape of your neck and arrange on top of your lengths. Fix with hairspray to keep your braids in place.

6. Tousled beach waves

Dreamy, textured beachy waves are the perfect weekend style for brunches, barbeques and everything in between. There are several ways to get tousled, wavy hair - if you’re pushed for time you can use straighteners, but there’s a heat-free method to get wavy hair overnight.

The trick to beachy waves is making sure your curls aren’t too uniform - you want to look relaxed and minimally-styled, like you just spent a day at the beach. Add our Air Dry Waves Styling Foam to your hair before you start styling, and gently run your fingers through your waves at the end of the process. The trick is to separate your curls without losing them, so be gentle.

7. Messy bun for curly hair

Long, curly hair looks gorgeous when it’s pulled up into a messy bun - or even a relaxed chignon, with plenty of face-framing strands.

To get the look, smooth a small amount of Dream Curls Crème Oil through clean, damp hair to define your curls and fight frizz. Air dry, or blow dry your hair with a diffuser until it’s 80% dry, then part your hair, gently gather it together at the nape of your neck, then twist and roll into a rough, messy low bun. Make sure you leave a few strands around your face, or the look will come across as too severe.

Secure with bobby pins and spritz on some Frizz Ease Moisture Barrier Intense Hold Hairspray to set in place.