Something different - first attempt at pin curls

All my life I have envied girls with curly hair, and never managed to create any that stayed in my own locks. Last night, in a fit of boredom, I decided to try out pin curls, and I'm wearing them out today. They're pretty messy and not consistently curly or similarly sized, but it was fun to try. I'm hoping that maybe they will get better and easier with practice, because I certainly wouldn't want to use up this much time (and hairspray) for an ordinary day. However, I never managed to master braiding my own hair when it was long enough to do so, so perfect pin curls may just be another hair-related item that doesn't click with my shaky hands.

Photos of the first attempt are below for your amusement. The first picture is when I actually took the curls out, and the 2nd and 3rd are after some finger-combing and allowing the curls to settle for an hour. (Yes, I'm actually going out in public to the library like this - eep!)

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15 years ago

Mae

Active Member

Yay for library fashion! I tried pin curls once and let me just say, they did not turn out half as good as your first attempt.

Kari

Veteran

Thanks, Mae. I'm not sure that this is a great first attempt either, but it is what it is given that I don't have any practice! I'm not sure whether I'd be bold enough to wear this to work, but it's fun to have a very different texture!

Anonymous

From what we can see from the front, this is a very cute new look for you.
I like it.

I hear you, as a fellow straight-and-fine-haired creature. It's fun to try something different!

Ele

(website)

Love the curls on you, Kari!

I used to love doing pincurls when I was little, which is bizarre since I obviously had no need for them. I think it was because the little girls in books like Little House on the Prairie did it, and I wanted to be like them. I also sewed myself a cotton bonnet and wore it everywhere- let's hope that look doesn't come back in style!

marianna

You are adorable. I like the curls. Fun. Also love your outfit!

Elly

I have extremely fine hair and can't get it to do pincurls (and I had someone that used to wear them everyday in her hair do mine). However, If you want something else to try I always had luck with rag rolling or foam rollers done overnight.

Thanks, Joy and Marianna. Well, I guess I'll try this again in the future and see if it improves! It is fun just to try something new.

Ele, that's so cute. I didn't try pin curls when I was little, but constantly was recreating Little House on the Prairie with my sister or childhood friends. We had plenty of make-shift bonnets and aprons, but weren't quite as crafty as you to actually sew our own.

Elly, thanks for the suggestion! I used to have baby fine hair. It's thicker now than it was when I was growing up, but the main issue is that it's very dense and just tends to hang. I haven't tried foam roller curls in a long time. Wonder if my mom still has hers? It would be interesting to see if they turn out better that way.

shana

Kari, I like you in curls! I think you should definitely work on tweaking this look because it's such a fun & different look. My hair can go either curly or straight and I remember trying pin curls in the past. In my case, it made my hair too curly! Did you try these with wet hair or dry hair?

You can also get a similar look with long foam rollers (not the traditional kind that you roll up) - they're long thin cylinders (about an inch or do in diameter and about 6 inches in length). You wrap the hair around them and they hang vertically down.

taylor

Nice and very current too I might add..You look Fab Kari!!

Sihaya

Kari - this looks great. I also love your outfit - the red belt gives it a surprise element. Very pulled together!

bella

I like this look a lot for you. You can probably achieve this look with a curler in less than 15 minutes since your hair is short, even less when you get used to using the curling iron. I curl my hair with a thick barrel. My hair is longer than yours and it takes me probably 15 minutes maybe less.

yublocka

You look gorgeous Kari. Yay for mixing it up!!!! I had my first attempt at pin curls a few weeks ago whilst attending the Lindy Charm School for Girls with a few friends one afternoon. This is a more fun, relaxed look of curls thats for sure. Would ou ever consider doing the curls in retro style too? That'd really match the "Mad Men" look some of your fab outfits have too.

April

Kari, I was logged out and had to log back in to comment.

"They're pretty messy and not consistently curly or similarly sized" -- yes, welcome to the world of the curly girl. That's exactly how it goes.

We're glad to have you -- you're looking fabulous with curls!

Srujana

Kari, you look sooo fabulous in curls! Wear them proudly

Marley

Oh I love this look on you - its feminine, but because its kind of messy it also looks very edgy. This is all the style right now! If I were you, I'd definitely do this again!

chewyspaghetti

I've always wanted to try that, but I forget to get the pins. It's nice to have a different way to wear your hair when you want to.

rute

Not bad, but I prefer you with your smoth hair, the curls are not very defined..You can use a curl cream to finish and add more definition!

Thanks, Rute - I'll keep the curl cream in mind if I try this more often. Not something I ever thought I'd add to a potential shopping list.

Bella, unfortunately I am a complete dunce with a curler of any size. Ditto with flatiron curls. I've watched tutorials online but just can't get the mechanics down. It was the same thing when I had longer hair and tried to learn how to braid - I couldn't manage it. Too bad, because I think that a curling iron would be much quicker and more uniform!

April, thanks for the encouragement! So having my curls be more crazy and less unform makes them appear more authentic? That's great!

My boyfriend didn't actually comment on them right away when he saw me that day. Later on he commented that he wondered if it was due to humidity. Oh dear!

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