Fluffy curls hairstyle: how to

Against the delicate features of golden haired Lily Hart, these soft, brushed out curls have an ethereal aura. Straight on top, then bursting out voluminously on the sides, it’s a style that also oozes soft 70s glamour if paired with some metallic eyeshadow and a retro-inspired frock.

To create the look for yourself, follow our how-to guide after the break.

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Click the thumbnails for full pictures

Shoot credits

Model: Lily Hart @ Chadwick Models
Photographer: Kelly Defina at kellydefina.com
Makeup artist: Shev Kelly for Napoleon Perdis
Hair: Annika Bowen @ Annika’s
Photographed at Koukei Studios

To get this halo of soft spiral curls, Annika Bowen at Annika’s hair used the following steps:

Section off the hair by dividing it into half and pinning with sectioning clips. Starting at the back, take horizontal partings and use a small curling iron to curl each under into a tight curl.

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Continue taking horizontal parting, curling hair all the way up the back of the head. Once you’ve curled up to the ear section, follow the partings from the back of the head to the front hair line.

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At the front hairline, keep curling hair back from the face as this will give you more width and create a softer look for most face shapes.

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As you get high on the head (i.e. the top layers of hair) start dragging the curls. This will create a build up of weight for the curls and have a flatness to the top of the head. You can drag the curls down to either eye level or ear level depending on where you want the volume to start from.

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Once you’ve curled all the hair, get a brush (a soft cushion brush works best) and softly brush out the curls. Using your fingers and the brush, adjust the width and shape of the hair.

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Once you’re happy with the desired shape, spray the hair in place with some hair spray.

Fluffy curls: variations

The finished result should be brushed out curls that have a romantic, fluffy effect. For variations try a sharp center part, or side part with pin.

If you have shoulder-length or bobbed hair, a burst of fluffy spiral curls can also give off a 1930s screen-star vibe – think Lana Turner or Ginger Rogers.