Curly Hairstyles

Doug Peters/All Action Digital

Curly Hairstyles

1 of 33

Jessica Simpson

Axelle Woussen/BauerGriffin

THE LOOK Long spiral curls with volume at the roots
HOW-TO "Extensions were used to get Jessica's volume, length and curls," says stylist Marco Maranghello of N.Y.C.'s John Barrett salon. "However, a similar effect can be achieved without the extra hair." Blow-dry just-washed hair with a two-inch round brush. When dry, curl small sections of hair using a one-inch curling iron. When the whole head is done, add a bit of shine serum and hairspray for maximum hold.
INSIDER TRICK "One-and-a-half-inch rollers at the crown and roots of your hair can be the best way to get Jessica's kind of volume," says Maranghello.
BUY ONLINE NOW hairdo Salon Clip-In Hair from Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves, $87.50; hsn.com.

Try on curly hair now!

2 of 33

Scarlett Johansson

Daniel Deme/WENN

THE LOOK Old Hollywood Curls
HOW-TO Part dry hair with an extreme side part, then set in hot rollers for 30 minutes. After rollers are removed and hair has cooled, gently brush through the hair to smooth them out. "Fix any unruly curls with your fingers and reinforce the shape with hairspray," says David John, stylist at the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon in Los Angeles. Finish the look with a barrette or bobby pin on one side.
INSIDER TRICK Use thermal sprays and other protective products to enhance your curls while shielding your hair from hot tool damage.
BUY ONLINE NOW Iron Design, Shu Uemura, $28; luxuryparlor.com.

3 of 33

Angelina Jolie

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

THE LOOK Half-up with curls
HOW-TO Stylist David Babaii started by scrunching his WildAid Bohemian Beach Spray into the hair and then sectioned the hair into three parts (top and two lower sides). "At the crown area I sprayed Volcanic Ash Root Amplifier from root to end and dried the section to add lift and volume," says Babaii. Once hair was dry, he wrapped a section of hair around a curling iron and repeated around the entire head. "At the crown area I back-brushed the hair at the scalp, sprayed more root amplifier and smoothed the surface. Then I brushed the sides up and back and secured with pins."
INSIDER TRICK To finish, Babaii says, "I ran my fingers up several curls to create volume and variations in texture."
BUY ONLINE NOW David Babaii for WildAid Volcanic Ash Root Amplifier, $13; at db4wildaid.com.

Try on Angelina's hair now!

4 of 33

Sarah Jessica Parker

Jen Lowery/Startraks Photo

THE LOOK Full curls
HOW-TO Stylist Anthony Cristiano says to use large hot rollers to get this look. "Create a brick-laying pattern throughout the hair," says Cristiano. "Once curls are cool, spray on Elnett hairspray to hold the look, then gently unroll the rollers and rake through hair with your fingers."
INSIDER TRICK " If you have an oval face you can do a center part; if you have a square face try a part slightly off center," says Cristiano.
BUY ONLINE NOW Elnett hairspray, $29; at pircosmetics.com.

Try on Sarah Jessica's hair now!

5 of 33

Alicia Keys

Stewart Cook/Rex USA

THE LOOK Glam curls
HOW-TO N.Y.C.-based hairstylist Alejandra says to start with smoothing balm on wet hair and then blow-dry using a medium-size round brush. "Take one-inch sections of dry hair, spray with a thermal shine spray, then use a half-inch curling iron to curl the entire head," says Alejandra. "When finished, brush hair out lightly."
INSIDER TRICK "Always use a thermal shine spray to hold curl and add shine," says Alejandra.
BUY ONLINE NOW Abba Thermal Protect spray, $16; at planetbeauty.com.

Try on Alicia's hair now!

6 of 33

Olivia Wilde

Steve Granitz/WireImage

THE LOOK Curly and pulled to the side
HOW-TO Blow-dry hair using a flat brush. "The curls start halfway down the hair shaft, so the trick is to keep the root flat," says stylist Tom Brophy. When dry, part the hair and curl sections with a medium-size iron. "Begin a few inches from the end of the hair, wrap the hair around the iron leaving the ends out," says Brophy. "As you work up the hair shaft towards the root with the iron the curls become larger and looser and the curls towards the end are smaller defined. Pin one side behind the ear to secure the style. Finish with spray gloss for shine and a light hair spray."
INSIDER TRICK "Separate the bottom curls but taking hair spray and piecing the sections out. This way the style does not look too coiffed," adds Brophy.
BUY ONLINE NOW Lamas Beauty Hold Me spray, $15; at lamasbeauty.com.

Try on Olivia's hair now!

7 of 33

Taylor Swift

Soul Brother/FilmMagic

THE LOOK Long loose curls
HOW-TO Comb curling gel through wet hair and part on the side. Use a diffuser to gently raise hair up to the head to create the curls. Avoid pushing up the top of the hair, which should lie smoothly. Gently run a brush over the swooped bangs and set the look with hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK This style works well on naturally curly hair, but using curl products (from shampoo to a diffusing hair dryer) makes it attainable for most hair types.
BUY ONLINE NOW Ouidad Climate control gel, $22; ouidad.com.

Try on Taylor's hair now!

8 of 33

Jennifer Lopez

Mario Anzuoni/Splash

THE LOOK Voluminous curls
HOW-TO Spray leave-in conditioner on wet hair, apply mousse to roots and then air-dry. Curl two-inch sections of hair. Finish with shine spray.
INSIDER TRICK When using a curling iron, stylist Marco Maranghello says to never hold it on your hair for more than 20 seconds.
BUY ONLINE NOW Kiehl's Panthenol Protein Hair Conditioner Softener, $15.50; kiehls.com.

Try on Jennifer's hair now!

9 of 33

Kate Hudson

Marion Curtis/Startraks

THE LOOK Bohemian curls
HOW-TO Kate’s stylist, David Babaii says to start by spraying wet hair with beach spray and scrunch the product into the hair (which is what he did for this look). Then blow-dry hair roughly and when it’s dry, split the hair into three parts: top, sides and back and then curl small sections within each part. “I use a one-and-a-half inch ceramic curling iron to create her classic Bohemian Beach Waves.” Finish with styling spray.
INSIDER TRICK “This style works best on hair that doesn’t resist being curly,” says Babaii. “If your hair is bone straight you shouldn’t attempt to force your hair to be unnatural.”
BUY ONLINE NOW David Babaii for Wild Aid Bohemian Beach Spray, $12; db4wildaid.com.

Try on Kate's hair now!

10 of 33

Thandie Newton

Doug Peters/Abaca

THE LOOK Full ringlets
HOW-TO Spritz a small section of hair with hairspray, says stylist Laurent D. of L.A.'s Prive Salon. With a one-inch curling iron, curl the section of hair and continue throughout the entire head. Finish with hairspray over the entire thing.
INSIDER TRICK "This look works better on thick and wavy hair and could easily be achieved with a day-old blow-dry," says Laurent D.

Try on curly hair now!

11 of 33

Nicole Kidman

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

THE LOOK Lush curls
HOW-TO Blow-dry hair with a large round brush. Once hair is completely dry, take two-inch sections of hair, spritz with Spray de Mode hairspray and starting from the mid-shaft, curl the hair around the iron. Proceed in this manner around the entire head, says Bumble and bumble stylist Michele Fiona. Once complete, finish with a shine spray and rake fingers through hair to lengthen curls.
INSIDER TRICK "Curling hair around the iron gives it a nice ropiness and keeps it from looking too done," says Fiona.
BUY ONLINE NOW Spray de Mode, Bumble and bumble, $30; fredsegalbeauty.com.

Try on Nicole's hair now!

12 of 33

Natalie Portman

Clint Spaulding/Sipa

THE LOOK Deep side part with low full curls
HOW-TO Create a deep side part. Then wrap two-inch sections of hair in hot rollers. Roll the sections under so the curler sits horizontally, and roll up to chin level, not all the way to the scalp. Let set for 15 minutes, remove, and spray with hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK This style is a great one for second-day hair and hairspray will dry up any excess oil at the scalp.

Try on Natalie's hair now!

13 of 33

Angelina Jolie

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

THE LOOK Large-barrel curls
HOW-TO With a one-inch curling iron, curl one-inch sections of hair, holding the iron vertically. "When finished, flip head over and massage scalp with a smoothing fluid," says stylist Gary Howse. Flip back and brush lightly with a Mason Pearson brush or other boar bristle brush.
INSIDER TRICK "Don't be afraid to brush the curls," says Manuel. "They will drop a bit but still look bouncy and full."
BUY ONLINE NOW Salon Straight No-Iron Smoothing Fluid, mark, $5; avon.com.

Try on Angelina's hair now!

14 of 33

Ellen Page

Peter Brooker/Rex

THE LOOK Low bun with face-framing curls
HOW-TO Apply a curl-enhancer to wet hair and blow-dry, lifting hair up to the head. Part hair and pull back into a low bun, letting face-framing pieces fall out.
INSIDER TRICK Blow-dry on low to minimize frizz.
BUY ONLINE NOW Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls Cream, $19.50; drugstore.com.

Try on curly hair now!

15 of 33

Beyonce

Allende/NY Post/Splash

THE LOOK Thick long curls
HOW-TO Nelson Vercher, of N.Y.C.'s Rita Hazan Salon, says to pin-curl hair at night to get this look. Take a small section, twist it and pin it up. Do that with all of your hair. Then in the morning, run your fingers through it and you're done.
INSIDER TRICK Use a small-barrel curling iron to fix any curls in the morning.
BUY ONLINE NOW Vidal Sassoon Gold Series Curling Iron, $16; target.com.

Try on Beyonce's hair now!

16 of 33

Beyonce

Denise Truscello/WireImage

THE LOOK Wild curls
HOW-TO "Start by applying a bodifying foam all over your hair and let it dry naturally," says stylist Wendy Bond. Once dry, mist with thickening spray. With a small curling iron, wrap small sections of hair from the scalp to the ends. Mist shine spray when the entire head is curled.
INSIDER TRICK Finish by softly spreading the curls apart to enhance the volume, says Bond.
BUY ONLINE NOW Bodifying Foam, Nioxin, $14; cosmeticmall.com.

Try on curly hair now!

17 of 33

Ellen Pompeo

Jim Spellman/WireImage

THE LOOK '20s flapper pinned-up 'do
HOW-TO On wet hair, choose where the hair should part, says stylist Jamie Bakos. Using one-inch rollers, take small sections and wrap onto roller and secure next to the scalp. Dry hair completely using a dryer with a diffuser attachment. When done, rub a light pomade through hair with the fingers. Use bobby pins to bring up small sections of hair.
INSIDER TRICK Make sure hair is combed smooth before wrapping onto rollers.
BUY ONLINE NOW Infiniti by Conair Flocked Rollers; $54.99; conair-store.com.

Try on curly hair now!

18 of 33

Madonna

James Devaney/WireImage

THE LOOK Wide curls
HOW-TO Start with a texturizing gel to eliminate frizz and keep curls cohesive, says stylist Burton Machen. With hair parted in the center, take a one-inch section, form it into a curl and lay the curl flat on the head and pin it. Create a row of curls on either side of the part and work down each side. Let set for as long as possible (a minimum of 20 minutes).
INSIDER TRICK This can also be done at night to save time the next day. "Plus, curls pinned this way are more comfortable to sleep on than rollers," says Machen.
BUY ONLINE NOW Radical Sheen Texturizing Gel, Rusk, $13; stuff4beauty.com.

Try on curly hair now!

19 of 33

Katherine Heigl

Henry Lamb/BEImages

THE LOOK '50s glamour
HOW-TO Start with the top of the head and place dry rollers (Velcro or foam) in wet hair, says stylist Jamie Bakos. Roll hair away from the face with one-inch sections until entire head is complete, then blow-dry. Remove rollers and run fingers through the hair and shake. Spray with light hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK After choosing a part, lightly tuck hair behind the ear, keeping the curls in form.
BUY ONLINE NOW Rene Furterer Finishing Hair Spray; $27; dermstore.com.

Try on Katherine's hair now!

20 of 33

Rebecca Gayheart

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

THE LOOK Romantic Curls
HOW-TO After creating a center part, curl sections of hair with a wide-barrel iron. "Curl from mid-shaft to the ends, keeping the iron away from the root," says stylist Mario Russo. Spritz each section with hairspray when you remove it from the iron to maintain the curl at the end.
INSIDER TRICK "If you have wavy or coarse hair, start by smoothing it out with a large round brush and a protectant cream," says Russo.
BUY ONLINE NOW Miracle Styling Creme, Mario Russo, $7.50; mariorusso.com.

Try on curly hair now!

21 of 33

Kelly Clarkson

Sara De Boer/Retna

THE LOOK Shoulder-length curls with sideswept bangs
HOW-TO Apply styling mousse to damp hair, then blow-dry. Use a one-inch curling iron to curl one-inch sections of hair. Secure curl to the head with a bobby pin. Repeat around the entire head. Let curls set and then remove pins. Spritz with hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK The curls should set in the amount of time it takes to apply your makeup and get dressed.
BUY ONLINE NOW John Frieda Frizz-Ease Corrective Styling Mousse, $6; walgreens.com.

Try on curly hair now!

22 of 33

Shakira

George Napolitano/FilmMagic

THE LOOK Long loose curls
HOW-TO Stylist Joaquin Hortal suggests starting by spritzing a curl-activating spray on damp hair and letting it air-dry. "Use alternating sizes of curling irons to prevent uniform looking curls," says Hortal. Place the curling iron at the base of the hair and twist up, stopping three inches from the root. Flip head over and gently run fingers through hair to separate curls.
INSIDER TRICK Allow hair to air dry for best results. If you are in a time crunch, use a quick-drying hair towel to speed up the process while fighting frizz.
BUY ONLINE NOW Curlisto Shaping Spray, $20; www.naturallycurly.com.

Try on Shakira's hair now!

23 of 33

Lindsay Lohan

Sara De Boer/Retna

THE LOOK Voluminous loose curls
HOW-TO Align your part with the middle of one brow when styling. With a 1 ½-inch curling iron, wrap sections of hair around the barrel, stopping three to four inches from the scalp and hold for 15 seconds.
INSIDER TRICK After finishing with hold spray, don't touch the curls. "Keep your hands off your hair or you'll disrupt the shape," says stylist Eva Scrivo.
BUY ONLINE NOW Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic Curling Iron, $65; hairproducts.com.

Try on curly hair now!

24 of 33

Halle Berry

Janet Gough/Celebrity

THE LOOK Low curls
HOW-TO Curl hair from the ears down, wrapping small sections around a vertically held one-inch iron. Lightly shake head to give hair movement after applying hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK N.Y.C. stylist Kevin Mancuso says that because humidity brings out curls, wavy styles are easier to maintain than pin-straight hair in sticky weather.
BUY ONLINE NOW Cricket 7000 Series Curling Iron, $55; folica.com.

Try on curly hair now!

25 of 33

Carrie Underwood

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

THE LOOK Big Curls
HOW-TO Try a curl-enhancing shampoo and conditioner. Blow-dry with a round brush, and when dry, add hot rollers. Lightly run fingers through hair to separate pieces and finish with hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK Put rollers in loosely to give a smooth look on the top of the head.
BUY ONLINE NOW Conair Ion Shine Instant Heat Hairsetter, $36; hairboutique.com.

Try on curly hair now!

26 of 33

Christina Aguilera

Gilbert Flores/Celebrity

THE LOOK Deep middle part and '40s-style curls
HOW-TO Stylist Marco Maranghello recommends the following steps: Part the hair down the center. Use sculpting gel to lay the hair flat on the top of the head and place a padded clip (in order to avoid creases) on both sides of the head. Then place pins at the corners of your forehead. Take one-inch hot rollers at the ends of the hair and curl up to the scalp.
INSIDER TRICK If you cannot get padded pins, use clips and a piece of paper towel to get the same effect.
BUY ONLINE NOW Frederic Fekkai Styling Gel, $16.50; beautysak.com.

Try on curly hair now!

27 of 33

Christina Milian

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

THE LOOK Long loose curls
HOW-TO Air-dry hair and once it's almost completely dry, finish by blow-drying with a round brush. Curl sections with a one-inch iron and hold for 15 seconds.
INSIDER TRICK Prevent drying out the hair by applying a little serum on the ends.
BUY ONLINE NOW BioInfusion Smoothing Serum, $15; walgreens.com.

Try on Christina's hair now!

28 of 33

Denise Richards

Kevin Mazur/WIreImage

THE LOOK Center part with long, loose curls
HOW-TO After you wash your hair, create a center part, add mousse to the roots and let hair air-dry. When it's dry, add two-inch hot rollers throughout your hair.
INSIDER TRICK "Rollers, especially hot rollers, not only create volume but add texture to flat hair," says stylist Marco Maranghello.
BUY ONLINE NOW L'Oreal Studio Line Full Of It Volumizing Foam Spray, Strong Hold, $5; walgreens.com.

Try on curly hair now!

29 of 33

Ellen Pompeo

Janet Gough/Celebrity

THE LOOK Pinned-up curls
HOW-TO Use a medium-barrel curling iron to curl hair, then gather it into a super-low ponytail (don't secure with a rubber band, however). Then tuck the ends under and secure with bobby pins.
INSIDER'S TRICK This is an easy and fun way to make long hair temporarily short.
BUY ONLINE NOW Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron, $27.50; conair-store.com.

Try on curly hair now!

30 of 33

Debra Messing

Lisa Rose/JPI

THE LOOK Long thick curls with deep side part
HOW-TO Towel-dry washed hair until almost dry, then apply hair gel. Make a deep side part with a comb or your finger. With a two-inch curling iron, wrap large sections in the iron and hold for ten seconds and release.
INSIDER TRICK When releasing hair from the curling iron, let it drop out to get smooth, loose curls.
BUY ONLINE NOW Jack Black Body Building Hair Gel, $15; sephora.com.

Try on curly hair now!

31 of 33

Katharine McPhee

Steve Granitz/WireImage

THE LOOK Long thick curls
HOW-TO Let washed hair air-dry, then add body. To do this, you can add a couple of extensions like Katharine did, placed at the back of the head under the hair. For the top of the hair, use a three-inch round brush and do a C-motion with your wrist to create the wave. Then use two-inch Velcro rollers on the rest of your hair and spray with shaping spray. Remove rollers after at least 20 minute and finish with a second coating of spray.
INSIDER TRICK Avoid hot tools when you have extensions in your hair.

Try on curly hair now!

32 of 33

Anne Hathaway

Doug Peters/All Action Digital

THE LOOK Long uniform curls
HOW-TO Cleanse with a curl-enhancing shampoo and conditioner. Spritz curl-defining spray on wet hair and blow-dry. Using a one-inch curling iron, curl small sections of hair until entire head is done. Hold with a heavy hairspray.
INSIDER TRICK Ionic tourmaline dryers, like T3, are great for fine hair or very curly hair, according to stylist River Lloyd.
BUY ONLINE NOW T3 Bespoke Labs Featherweight Dryer, $200; nordstrom.com.

Try on Anne's hair now!

Replay gallery

Account

More

Curly Hairstyles

1 of 33

Jessica Simpson

2 of 33

Scarlett Johansson

3 of 33

Angelina Jolie

4 of 33

Sarah Jessica Parker

5 of 33

Alicia Keys

6 of 33

Olivia Wilde

7 of 33

Taylor Swift

8 of 33

Jennifer Lopez

9 of 33

Kate Hudson

10 of 33

Thandie Newton

11 of 33

Nicole Kidman

12 of 33

Natalie Portman

13 of 33

Angelina Jolie

14 of 33

Ellen Page

15 of 33

Beyonce

16 of 33

Beyonce

17 of 33

Ellen Pompeo

18 of 33

Madonna

19 of 33

Katherine Heigl

20 of 33

Rebecca Gayheart

21 of 33

Kelly Clarkson

22 of 33

Shakira

23 of 33

Lindsay Lohan

24 of 33

Halle Berry

25 of 33

Carrie Underwood

26 of 33

Christina Aguilera

27 of 33

Christina Milian

28 of 33

Denise Richards

29 of 33

Ellen Pompeo

30 of 33

Debra Messing

31 of 33

Katharine McPhee

32 of 33

Anne Hathaway

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Popular in Hair

All Topics in Hair