Antonio Gonzales: Wedding Hairstyles — Styling Curls

by Antonio Gonzales on Monday, May 17, 2010

I was born in Trinidad in the height of a hurricane. I spent my childhood surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of Carnival and the other Indian, African and Spanish festivals of the Islands. Loving the amazing costumes, I got my start dressing my sisters and doing their hair and makeup. An opportunity came up to work with Trinidad’s leading costume designers, makeup artists and hair stylists. After I left the Island, my career evolved with work in Munich, Los Angeles and now New York City. Here in New York, I am a stylist at the Orlo Salon in the Meat Packing district. Vogue magazine recently named me as one of the rising hairstylist stars in N.Y., I was awarded the best haircut of 2008 by shecky’s.com, Gotham Magazine called me a Shear Genius and Allure Magazine featured me as one of the best cuts 2009.

See Antonio’s blog here.

There are so many things about curly hair that I love, and styling curls is definitely one of my favorites. With this hair texture, I find it so easy to create height, shape and a romantic mood, which is the envy of every girl with straight hair. However, to some of us, curls can still be a challenge, especially when it comes to building a foundation for the style. Here are seven tips to help you prepare for your special bride-to-be.

1) POO OR NO POO

With straight hair I generally recommend to the bride not shampooing her hair the day of. It’s easy to work off of one-day-old dry hair and create the desired look. But with curly hair it’s very different. It’s almost impossible for a head of curls to be slept in and come in to the salon ready for a style. From frizzing, fly-away hair and un-polished hairlines, these are just a few of the challenges we face (notice I say we as I have curly hair too!)) During the consultation, I tell the client to come in with damp, clean hair and maybe apply a little product at home. I then add more products if necessary.

2) HAIRSTYLIST KNOWS BEST (sometimes)

During the consultation, listen closely to the bride. She may have a combination of products that she can’t live without and cling to like her first pair of heels. She knows the magic it can perform on her tresses, so my advice to the stylist is to go with the flow. It just may make our life a little easier. If during the discussion, you have faith that she is not misleading you, have her apply a fair amount prior to coming in. Go over tips with her in how she can apply the product better. She may have the miracle products but you have the magic wand, your knowledge. If not, and you want her to come in with towel-dried hair and you apply the products, then that’s your decision to make.

3) AU NATURAL

Depending on the desired curl, you should think of the heating tool you will be using. This, of course, will be decided on in advance. If it’s a Climazone, diffuser or hooded dryer, use the same machine on the day of the appointment. For the natural curly look, I sometimes start drying the hair with the Climazone to dry the top and combat that halo of frizz (depending on the texture) then I use to the diffuser for height and softness. After its fully dried I then use two different-size curling irons and select curls to enhance the shape and shine. The heat also seals the cuticle, allowing the style to last longer.

4) OLD SCHOOL

For very frizzy hair and depending on how thick the hair is, it maybe helpful to work off of freshly shampooed and towel dried hair, then follow with adding your products. Working with small sections, create barrel curls (as if setting the hair) and pin in place. Then place the client under a hooded dryer and allow the hair to fully dry. While setting the hair, a great tip is having your hands coated with a light amount of product so as you twist the hair there is always product on your hands to help mold the hair in place (reapply if needed). Remove the bread from the oven, oops I mean the client from the dryer. Before the hair cools start removing the pins and carefully stretch the curls loosening them from being too tight at the root. At this point, if needed, you can go in with a curling iron to help enhance the curl.

5) CURLS TO DIE FOR

Be sure to work toward a desired shape of curl. You may work with two to three differently sized curls. Yes, yes I know our creator did not decide on a certain amount and size of curl per person, but this is different. Uniformity will help the shape and not have the hair look like too many textures (unless of course that’s the look you want). It also helps with the overall creation to look balanced. Also keep in mind that the photographs will actually capture anything that’s not polished and that’s a no-no.

6) COMBS, PINS AND CLIPS

Once I was styling a curly hair bride and was trying to remove bulk while building height. All of a sudden she whipped out a banana clip. Yes, you heard me right! For those of you that may be too young to know, a banana clip was a girl’s best friend in the eighties. I first separated her hair in the back in three vertical sections making the center section the largest. I then took the clip and clipped the middle section. This clip was strong enough to hold the base in place and free me of so much unnecessary hair. I then took the two outer sections and blended it into the middle with bobby pins to complete the look. Of course, I’m not asking for the banana clip to make a comeback. All I’m showing is that we have tools galore at our disposal, so get creative while being efficient.

7) MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

When standing behind the client, it may look great to you but from a distance it may look like, well, a basket of grapes! The best advice I can give you is throughout your career, always use the mirror. It will always guide you in the right direction. Remember you can change the shape of the hair, not the shape of the face. Be sure you are working with a hair shape that is flattering to the profile as well as the front. Being symmetrical is very important. No bride wants to look like the leaning tower of Pisa. Stand back and look at your sculpture from all angles, working towards the perfect shape.

With these seven steps you are on the right track to creating a strong base for a romantic hairstyle that will last. My next article will complete my bridal tips and tricks of the trade to hopefully help my comrades to understand the CURL a bit more.