We have two great technique for creating loose waves or soft curls that every stylist should add to their bag of tricks. These techniques allow you to create natural looking curls or waves using a Marcel iron. The end result is a strong crest that appears to be done with finger waves and a lazy curl that appears more natural.
Tools Needed For Creating Red Carpet Waves:
- Professional Wide Cutting Comb.
- Marcel iron.
- Redken Spray Starch 15 heat memory styler.
- Redken Forceful 23 hairspray.
Red Carpet Waves Step By Step:
Optional: If you're working with fine hair or hair that won't hold a curl, texturize the hair before you curl with the texturizing iron.
- Begin with your first section and mist with Redken Spray Starch 15 from at least 6" away to protect the hair.
- Gather the section, elevate to 90 degrees with thumb and index finger and over direct to the corner of the clients eye.
- Place the Marcel iron in front of the section with the barrel of the iron behind the section. (Be sure to keep the hair in fingers close to the barrel at all times).
- Holding the section, face thumbnail up and then twist the hair so thumbnail is facing the floor, slide down and wrap.
- Slide the hair up the barrel making sure to keep thumbnail close to the barrel without closing the blade. (Closing the blades of the barrel will produce lines of demarcation inside the crest).
- Repeat the motions until the end of the section: Wrap, twist - thumbnail up, thumbnail down, wrap, twist, thumbnail up, thumbnail, down, wrap.
- Once to the end of the section, drop the elbow of the arm that is holding the Marcel iron, keeping hold of the section.
- While holding the end of the section with the thumbnail turn the Marcel iron in the opposite direction for more tension allowing the heat to do its job. (This creates the tension in the twists the twist is the crest and the flat wrap is the valley).
- Release thumb and place the palm of hand underneath the barrel of the Marcel iron.
- Catch the hair in palm when released from the barrel. (If hair is just dropped without catching it, the section will stretch and become loose).
- With the section in palm, spray two shots of Redken Forceful 23 hairspray.
- Pancake and compress the section in both palms (The hair will be very hot!).
- Allow the hair to cool be patient.
- Release the section from palm.
- Take your long cutting comb, using the end with the teeth spaced apart.
- Comb through the section to the ends, holding the hair at the bottom for a few seconds to relax the waves.
- Release the section and your loose waves appear.
Tools Needed For Creating a Lazy Curl:
- Marcel iron.
- Redken Spray Starch 15 heat memory styler.
Lazy Curl Step By Step:
- Begin with your first section and mist with Redken Spray Starch 15 from at least 6" away to protect the hair.
- Gather the section, elevate to 90 degrees with thumb and index finger.
- Place the Marcel iron in front of the section with the barrel of the iron behind the section.
- Holding the section, face thumbnail up and flat wrap around the iron (do not twist the hair around the barrel when doing a flat wrap).
- After you complete the flat wrap, hold the section and roll the iron and close near the scalp - allow the section to heat completely before moving on.
- Holding the section, remove the barrel from the hair and turn it so the barrel is not in front of the section.
- Place the iron in the spot where your last curl was made and repeat the process -- flat wrap, roll the iron and close.
- Once to the end of the section, come through with your hand and finger through the section to separate the curls.
- End result will be a lazy curl that looks very natural.
Have fun creating these two types of waves & curls using your marcel iron!
