When it comes to curls, YouTuber and content creator Chloe Homan knows how to chat. Known by her online moniker Frizzandfrillzz, Homan has built an online community of curly-haired folx on the foundation of celebrating and embracing their hair — a topic we discussed in detail over Google Hangouts. "Growing up in the 2000s, I felt like curls weren’t seen as pretty or well-kept, and that you needed to straighten and then curl your hair for it to be okay," Homan shares. She adds with a laugh that, although she's always worn her curly hair natural, "whether it looked great or not is a different story." Years of styling experimentation led to the 2010 launch of her now established YouTube channel, a platform she fills with engaging vlogs spanning from curl tutorials to product reviews.
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"When I was in my mid-20s, I started to really focus on how to do my curls and spend extra time on them. It was a lot of trial and error," Homan explains. Since then, she's honed a care routine for her curls that she shares with her audience. "I think [the best thing about being a content creator] is honestly the random DM that you get from somebody saying, 'Thank you so much — ever since following you, I’ve never felt more confident in myself. I’ve never felt so good with my natural hair,'" she says. Homan has tried a bevy of curl-friendly products through the years, allowing her to perfect several tried-and-true routines. We asked her to share her simple three-step system for defined, bouncy curls. Keep reading for a full walkthrough, including visuals of her most sworn-by products live in action.
Step One: Use Curl Cream On Damp Hair
"After you get out of the shower, it’s really key to make sure that you still leave a good amount of water in your hair. You really want to leave a lot of that moisture, and I actually like to leave in a little bit of my conditioner as well. Then, you don’t have to use as much styling product," Chloe explains.
"Give your hair a quick wring to make sure it’s not sopping wet and can’t take in any product. From there, when it comes to the order of applying products, I always say creams and leave-ins should go first because they don’t have any hold properties — they’re really just there for moisturizing. I'm using Bread's Hair-Cream, which feels like a mix between a curl cream and leave-in. How much product you'll use will depend on the density and porosity of your hair.
"When your product is really rich, less is always more — you can always add more, but it’s a lot harder to take it away! Personally, for me, I have high-density, high-porosity, and very thick hair. So it’s like, thirsty, thirsty, thirsty and wants all of the moisture. I normally get about two dollops of hair for me, but someone who has finer texture might need less."
"Give your hair a quick wring to make sure it’s not sopping wet and can’t take in any product. From there, when it comes to the order of applying products, I always say creams and leave-ins should go first because they don’t have any hold properties — they’re really just there for moisturizing. I'm using Bread's Hair-Cream, which feels like a mix between a curl cream and leave-in. How much product you'll use will depend on the density and porosity of your hair.
"When your product is really rich, less is always more — you can always add more, but it’s a lot harder to take it away! Personally, for me, I have high-density, high-porosity, and very thick hair. So it’s like, thirsty, thirsty, thirsty and wants all of the moisture. I normally get about two dollops of hair for me, but someone who has finer texture might need less."
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Step Two: Add Touchable Hold With A Gel-Cream
"From there, I like to use Kérastase Curl Manifesto Curl Defining Gel-Cream, which is very lightweight. I use four to five pumps but just feel it out — does your hair feel like it needs more? Then add more. For someone with less hair, you might only need two or three pumps.
"When you apply any curl product, always apply from the ends and work your way up, finger combing it through. Eventually, you’ll get some up toward the crown. You don’t want to be heavy-handed near the roots because by day two you’re gonna be like, 'I have no volume and my hair is greasy.' If you don’t have enough product at the top, add a little bit if you feel like you need it."
"When you apply any curl product, always apply from the ends and work your way up, finger combing it through. Eventually, you’ll get some up toward the crown. You don’t want to be heavy-handed near the roots because by day two you’re gonna be like, 'I have no volume and my hair is greasy.' If you don’t have enough product at the top, add a little bit if you feel like you need it."
Step Three (Optional): Make It Last With A Strong Hold Gel
"For somebody who doesn’t need a ton of hold or doesn’t live in a humid climate, they might not even need a separate gel — especially if they have a finer texture. I'm loving Curlsmith's Shine Gel right now. Curlsmith has 10 levels of hold, and this one is a level-nine hold. The two key ingredients are polyquaternium-69 and castor oil.
"I’m a total nerd when it comes to this stuff. Polyquats create a seal from the environment and offer humidity-blocking and extreme hold. Castor oil is an emollient ingredient, and the polyquat adds that barrier and really good shine to your curls. Also, less is absolutely more here because otherwise, you’ll get that feeling of a lot of product buildup right away. I use probably no more than maybe a dime-size amount in each section of my hair — and I section into maybe four or five sections, and that's on my really dense, coarse hair." —Chloe Homan, Frizzandfrillzz
"I’m a total nerd when it comes to this stuff. Polyquats create a seal from the environment and offer humidity-blocking and extreme hold. Castor oil is an emollient ingredient, and the polyquat adds that barrier and really good shine to your curls. Also, less is absolutely more here because otherwise, you’ll get that feeling of a lot of product buildup right away. I use probably no more than maybe a dime-size amount in each section of my hair — and I section into maybe four or five sections, and that's on my really dense, coarse hair." —Chloe Homan, Frizzandfrillzz
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