No-Heat Curls with the Friar Tuck

About a year ago, I made a post called Curl Your Hair Without Heat about how to curl your hair with a headband after watching a video on YouTube. It has since turned into my most-viewed post and has generated a ton of emails from readers who want to know exactly how to do it.

Today, I bring you my very own video tutorial for what I like to call the "Friar Tuck."

More details:

• I have fine hair—and a lot of it. It holds curl well. 
• This curling method does not work if your hair is wet. It must be completely dry.
• If your hair falls out of this easily, try wrapping your hair in a silk scarf before going to sleep.
• If you have long hair, try using two headbands to reduce tangles & make it easier to tuck! 
• Dry shampoo used: Suave
• Sea salt spray used: Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Spray
• Songs in the video: (1) 1234 by Feist (2) New Soul by Yael Naim
• The photos below show my hair after an entire day. Some days the curls don't last quite as long.

Products used in this video:

/ / Like this video? Subscribe to my channel on YouTube! If you try the Friar Tuck, tweet or instagram me a photo with the hashtag #auniefriartuck. Love love love

My Daily Hair Styling Routine

 Glasses: c/o Firmoo

Lately, I've gotten quite a few emails from ladies who want to know how I style my hair on a daily basis. Frequently asked questions include:

• What do I do with it when I sleep? 
• What dry shampoo do I use? 
• Do I tease it?
• Do I use hairspray?
• How do I get natural-looking waves?
• How do I style my bangs? 

Today, I'm answering your questions. Here's a short video of exactly how I style my hair when I wear it down.



More details:

•  Fave overnight keep-it-out-of-your-face methods: ballerina bun, French braid, or Friar Tuck (video tutorial coming soon)
• Fave dry shampoo: Suave 
• Fave hairspray: Lamaur Sprayage (I used Big Sexy Hair in this video)
• If I shower in the morning, I just let my hair air-dry naturally. It ends up with this same wavy texture. Once it's dry, I follow the same process.
• To keep my hair healthy, I avoid heat styling tools and I haven't colored/highlighted my hair since May, 2011.
• My bangs are longer here than usual--I'm growing them out!
• Song in the video: White Sky by Vampire Weekend 

Products used in this video:

/ / Like this video? Subscribe to my channel on YouTube!

Curl Your Hair Without Heat

Last week, I saw a post on my friend Kristen's blog

(Confessions of a Graphic Design Student).

She mentioned how she vintage-style curled her hair with a headband...

with NO heat.

Needless to say, I had to try it.

I began by putting an elastic headband over my slightly damp hair.

I grabbed pieces of my hair and tucked them around the headband,

continuing until I reached the back of my head.

It's really similar to the Holiday Updo that I did in December.

When I reached the back, I simply twisted that hair around and around 

the headband until it was all tucked in.

I slept in my headband overnight...

Daniel said I looked like Friar Tuck.

So this is the "Friar Tuck Method" now and forever in my eyes.

In the morning, I pulled the headband out of my hair and was 

SHOCKED at the curls I got.

Wowza, baby!

They stayed like that almost all day.

Of course they fell out a bit... but I didn't mind.

UPDATE // And just in case you'd like to see how to do this,

I included my very own video tutorial (original inspiration tutorial can be found here).

Enjoy!

Products used in this video:

Oh... and just last night after my shower,

I mentioned to Daniel that I was going to "Friar Tuck" my hair again.

His reaction was so adorable, and clearly showed that he found

that sleep-in style NOT attractive.

I opted for two French braids instead.

Sexy.

UPDATE** For those of you who asked 

if this could someday become a hot new trend... 

yes, the Friar Tuck... 

I've actually worn a version of it out before. 

Check out THIS LINK!

UPDATE PART 2** For those of you who say you
get a red mark on your forehead that won't go away for hours,
after you finish rolling your hair,
push the front of the band up, so it rests in your hairline instead
of on your forehead.
That's what I do!

Sock Bun.

Yes. I did it. I curled my hair with a sock.

If you're not familiar with this method, you're probably thinking, "What the heck is she talking about?"

Well, it's quite simple, actually. In fact, there's a whole YouTube tutorial by a really cute girl who will teach you how to do it. Oh, and bonus... she has an adorable accent and it sounds like she calls it a "sook bun." It's so precious.

Basically, you just perform the following steps:

1. Grab a regular old tube sock. I used an old single sock that had been stashed away in a drawer.
2. Cut off the toe portion of the sock.
3. Roll the sock into itself so it forms a donut.
4. Put your DRY (or only very slightly damp) hair in a ponytail right on the top of your head.
5. Put your ponytail through the sock donut.
6. Pull the sock donut to the tips of your ponytail, and just as you rolled the sock into the donut, proceed to roll your hair into the sock by just rolling and scrunching the sock into itself.
7. Voila. Sock bun.

It was super-de-duper easy to do. The only problem is that my shoulder-length hair wasn't quite long enough so the back pieces kept falling out of the ponytail. Also, the top part of my hair that was rolled in the sock was falling out, too. To fix that, I simply wrapped the sock bun in a silk scarf so I could sleep soundly and not worry about my hair unraveling all night.

Attractive, I know. If nothing great happens to you today, at least you know that you look better than I did last night. I will allow you to mock me at my expense. Go ahead.

This morning when I woke up, the scarf and sock were still in place. Just a couple more chunks of hair had fallen down the back of my neck, but that was no big deal. I unravelled the sock and was left with this:

Not too bad, but definitely not as great as the girl in the YouTube video. Bummer. I think I will try a different sock next time. Also, I think my hair will do much better when it is longer.

To make up for my drooping, falling out waves (which was pretty much just straight hair with a flip on the end), I added a fun headband that I bought at Burlington Coat Factory for $3.99 yesterday (um... steal!).

Burlington has so many hidden treasures. They are just wonderful. In fact... what do you think of my fun outfit? The top, socks and headband are all from Burlington, and cost me less than $20. Bada-boom-bada-bang.

Think you'll give the sock bun a go? My waves really fell out throughout the day, but it still gave my tresses a nice amount of volume to work with. If I ever want my hair to have a slight flip at the ends, I will definitely opt to sleep in the sock bun the night before. It is just so easy!

So, yes. I curled my hair with a sock. You can bet your buns it's one more trick of the trade I am adding to my hairstyle arsenal.

Rock The Band.

When you're running late, and you know that your hair is going to be the least of your concerns, why not opt for something easy? Usually I'm so preoccupied with trying to attempt intricate hairstyles, that once in a while it's nice to go with something simple.

That's where the headband comes in. What headband, you may say? Any headband. Plastic. Rhinestoned. Alligator patterned. Comb-like. Fabric. Elastic... any and all headbands work.

Today I picked my simple, black plastic Scunci headband. Last night I had thrown my hair into a couple of Wrap Snap & Go curlers (not freshly washed since I washed it yesterday morning), and this morning when I took them out I had a simple wave instead of corkscrew curls. I tossed a headband on and was out the door.

Easy as pie... well just kidding. If I were a baker, it would be easy as pie. But I surely am not (I make a fabulous bowl of cereal!) so I guess this hairstyle is more aptly said as easy peasy.

Shirley Temple.

You asked for it... you get it! In homage to the legend Shirley Temple, I attempted her spiraled, corkscrew 'do.

While shopping at Sally Beauty the other day, I spotted the As Seen On TV Wrap Snap & Go curlers. With no haste, I snatched those babies up. I'm definitely looking for new hair innovations to try to give me some body and OOMPH, and those promised to give me the curly, voluminous look. How could I resist?
As with all my curling and braiding methods, I washed my hair and began while it was damp. The directions suggest to roll the middle section of your hair, interlocking the curlers as you go, and then begin on the sides. I started curling the middle section and found that it wasn't hard at all.

This would definitely be easier on longer hair. I want to try this method with more of a spiral along the roller next time. This time, I just rolled the hair under itself, like a sponge roller. I wasn't sure (since I couldn't use hairspray to keep it in place, as they suggest) that it would hold if I tried the spiral approach. Overall, it took about 20 minutes to roll my entire head. That's not bad at all! If I could get results from a 20-minute prep, it's definitely worth it.

It doesn't look like it would hold too well, since they are just little cloth/foam rollers. Surprisingly, they were quite tight and held all throughout the night. In fact, they didn't budge a bit and they were almost too tight. I looked like I had a face lift when I had finished rolling. It was pretty amusing.

I awoke this morning to find a few of the rolls still a little damp. Bummer. I took them out right before I got to work and found myself with cute little Shirley Temple curls. They're so bouncy and fun!

As you might expect, I really didn't want to leave them like that all day. I mean, they're cute on Shirley, but not on a grown woman... er... lady... er... they're just not cute on me (hehe, I don't consider myself a "grown woman" quite yet). Actually... they are cute, but cute isn't really the look I'm going for. Not for work at the hospital, anyway.

Since they were still a little damp when I took the curlers out, I waited about an hour before running my fingers through my hair to relax the curls. The final product was astounding! I love getting voluminous, curly hair from a 20-minute, super-easy prep.

The downside of this style is that I began while my hair was still a little too wet. Unfortunately I've made that mistake quite a few times over the last week. But, when I began, I didn't know how fast my hair would dry with this technique, so I charged ahead with my damp hair. I think this style is one that really should be done on hair that is only slightly damp or completely dry. Just to be safe.

The upside of Wrap Snap & Go is that they are so easy to use. They stay in all night and their instruction book includes lots of fun things that you can do with the curlers. Also, the curl is bomb-dot-com. I am really surprised at how well this style worked, considering my hopes weren't too high. You know, it is one of those As Seen On TV products... how was I supposed to know it would actually work? I mean, I tried the As Seen On TV doggie Pedi Paws, and those were just horrible for trimming my little puppy's nails. And don't even think about it... I will not be trying the As Seen On TV Bumpit. No way Josè.

Well, to wrap up this Shirley Temple tribute... Shirley, we love you. Here's to 83 years of your greatness. Keep it up, lady!

Throw-back.

Do you remember way-back-when, 4th grade for me, when sponge rollers were cool? Oh shoot... you don't?

Well, let me entertain you. Sponge rollers are those little squishy rollers that you use if you are 1) old or 2) a cheerleader. I think it's safe for you to assume I used them because I was a cheerleader... since clearly I'm young, vibrant and wrinkle-free. Clearly.

When I was in my elementary and middle school years, our family lived in Oklahoma. My sister and I were part of Twist & Shout, an amazing competitive cheerleading gym. The night before competitions, we were required to slick our hair into ponytails on the top of our head. We then had to sponge roll the ponytail hair into the tightest, littlest curls. We slept in our curlers overnight and took them out when we got to the competition the next morning. We were all adorable with our matching little bouncy Shirley Temple ponytails and cheer uniforms. Ahh... those were the days.

In fact, I still own my sponge rollers from 4th grade. What's even worse than that is that I was going to use them last night... until I came to my senses and popped into Sally Beauty on the way home. I bought a couple sets of extra large sponge rollers (I did NOT want teeny tiny Shirley Temple curls this time) and went on my merry way home to wash my hair.

While my hair was still pretty damp, I rolled it into the twelve rollers. I did four down the middle of my head and 4 on each side.

After I finished, I wrapped my head in a silk scarf to keep them in place overnight and went to sleep. Surprisingly (I think because I bought the extra large ones), they did not bother me while I slept. In fact, they were kind of kooshy. It was like I had a bunch of mini pillows all over my head. OK- maybe it wasn't that nice, but it wasn't bad at all.

This morning, I woke up and got ready. Each of the curlers held very well. I took them out in the car on the way to work (driving safely, of course!) and ran my fingers through my hair to finish the look.

Um... success!!! Since there was no heat involved, the curls held really well and hardly fell out at all.

Sheesh... I know it's only been 9 days that I have been doing this 365-day project... but if I can sponge roll and braid my hair... I'm goooooood.

Headband Braid.

When I was a little girl, my mom used to always braid the front of my hair from one side to the other to make it look like a French braid headband. I thought it was so cool. And really, it was.

My mom used to show and jump horses when she was little, so she has plenty of experience with braiding. She used to braid the horse's tails and manes so intricately. It figures that she could make braiding magic with my hair.

Now, I'm fairly good at braiding. But when it comes to the headband braid, I struggled. It took me three times to even get it to look presentable. Also, since my hair is entirely lacking in volume, I braided cornrows (as I was informed that they were called, instead of reverse French braids... hehe) down the back of my head before bed as well to help give my hair some good body.

I'm going to warn you ahead of time. DO NOT be fooled by the photo. The picture actually makes this style look pretty sweet.

However, in person... not so much. it was so flat and dull. Also, on the left side, by my ear (no photo for you... sorry), there were lots of little hairs sticking out all over the place. It was just a mess.

I decided to scramble and re-do it at work. It ended up in two reverse French braids with a chignon in back. (I know... I did one yesterday... but I had to do something). And it looked lovely... so I let it stay in all day.

The best part about chignons is that they can be a little messy but still so chic at the same time. Want to know another secret about them? They even stay in during my workouts at the gym. Now that is a fool-proof hairdo!

Bantu Knot-Out.

Ban-a-what? Don't worry, I didn't know what Bantu knots were, either. One of my natural hair buddies on Twitter checked out my blog and suggested I try Bantu knots for a fun and different style. I had to Google search them and even had to watch a YouTube tutorial to see what these were and how to do them.

As soon as I figured them out, I decided I was going to opt for a "Bantu knot-out." That is where you put your hair in Bantu knots, but then take them out for luscious, spiraled curls. Well, that's the intention anyway. I just couldn't resist this style! I went straight to work after I got out of the shower last night. It is recommended to do Bantu's on your hair when it is wet or slightly damp to help the knots stay in, and to also help your hair hold the curl. I added a leave-in conditioner as well to hopefully help preserve the knots.

About an hour and a full box of bobby pins later (since my hair is so fine it did not want to stay in these knots), I ended up with this look:

Yep. Sexxxayyy.

Within 10 minutes of having my knots completed, I was told that I would look good as a bald person and that I also looked like Buckwheat from Little Rascals. Awesome.

O-TAY!!! I guess that's at least more realistic than saying that I look like Bo Derek.

Before I went to bed, I sprayed the knots with water since they were starting to fall out. I then wrapped my hair with a silk scarf so my tossing and turning during the night wouldn't disrupt those little babies. And guess what? I even took a photo. Just for you... because once again, it's just such an attractive look for me.

Duck face.

This morning when I woke up, each knot was still in place. In fact, I don't even think I moved more than once or twice last night because my hair didn't budge a bit. After I finished getting ready, I removed all my bobby pins and unwound the knots.

Some of my hair was still a little damp (bummer) so I left it like this while I drove to work. I turned the air on high in my car in an effort to help dry the few spirals that were still damp.

When I got to work I ran my hands through the spirals and ended up with a kinked, funky look. I think I know what it feels like to have naturally curly hair now!

Ha! The back is simply dreadful. I was really not too happy with this look because it is just all over the place. I decided to grab a couple trusty bobby pins and secure the hair into bumps on each side of my part to help it look just a little bit more styled. I'm actually quite happy with how the front looks now.

The back is definitely still struggling, though. Sorry for all the photos today... I just couldn't resist the montage.

Overall, Bantu knots are so fun. They are a LOT of work, but they create a totally unique look that I would love to try again to see if I can make it look better. Who knows... maybe next time I'll just opt for Bantu knots (not the knot-out)... and go to work with those little balls all over my head! Wouldn't that impress the boys?! Hmmm... In fact... maybe I will try that. :)

The Faux Fro.

Well, I did it. I made it one whole day without hairspray or teasing. Just 364 more days to go. Awesome.

Last night, I washed my hair and now it's officially product-free for the next year. See, I wouldn't say that I cheated, because yesterday's hairstyle was the day-after, brushed-out version of the hairstyle I received from Lindsey on the day before this whole endeavor started. And let me tell you... already my hair is feeling flat, dreary and boring.

To help rid myself of my plain-Jane straight hair, I decided to put it in braids after I got out of the shower last night. Call it a Bo Derek-inspired day.

I sectioned my hair into 4 pieces and cornrow braided it down the back of my head. It was quite attractive. I mean, if Bo Derek can do it... I can too, right?

Um... maybe not. I'm far from the Bo Derek fantasy with this hair. Truth be told, I seriously never let people see me with that hairdo. It's just downright funky looking and totally makes me look like a pinhead. But it does make a great morning-after crimp... so that's why I chose it. The nice part about braiding it right before bed is that it doesn't have to be nice. I knew I was going to take it out in the morning, so I just did a quick job.

This is a very, very easy hairdo to wake up with. Basically, I woke up this morning, showered, put on my makeup and went out the door. I actually took my braids out while I was in the car by running my hands through them. And that's how I left my hair for the day.

I call it my "faux fro" because it definitely has some good body when it's crimped. If I'm not allowed to tease my hair, but I know I want body, this is the look I'm going to go for. I don't care if it's "in" or not. It's easy-peasy... and that's just what I'm looking for. Since my hair is pretty fine, it tends to hold what I do to it pretty well. I'm hoping that same fact is still true when I don't have my trusty hairspray by my side.

The ONLY downside of this wake-up-and-go style is that you MUST know how to french braid. You could always have someone do it for you, but when you live with your dad... it's usually not an option. So a big thank you to my beautiful mom, who taught me to braid at a very young age. Knowing how to braid just might be the only thing that gets me through the next 364 days.