Holy gorgeous swirly retro curls, Batman! Tami Lee of My Moving Finger Writes knows how to rock out some retro waves that we know some era-inspired brides will totally be up for trying.
But before we dig in… HI! 👋 We’re Roxie Jane and Ariel. One of us is a hairstylist and one of us is a wedding blogger — but we both LOVE the look of timeless curls, braids, and updos so much that we wrote a whole dang book about it! Our Lazy Girl Guide to DIY Vintage Hair Guide is packed with step-by-step tutorials to help you master the art of vintage hairstyling at home.
How to do retro finger waves on your bangs with pin curls
Tami creates barrel pin curls first, then uses long metal clips to smooth the bang curls into waves. Roll the curls on the larger half of your hair part away from the hair part. Roll the curls on the smaller side towards it:
So, the art of turning pin curls into great waves takes practice.
But here’s a small tutorial that explains the basics. If you have any questions feel free to ask. 🙂
To start we’re going to use barrel curls.
They are pretty similar to flat pin curl but instead they are more 3D.
Roll the curls on the larger side of your hair part away from the hair part.
Roll the curls on the smaller side towards it.
The pin curls on the back of your head should just be normal flat pin curls.
Related Reading
Pin curl your hair for major no-heat waves and retro style (pin curls work great on short hair too!)
You know we love us some Roxie from Roxie Jane… Read more
If you’re wondering why, it’s so you don’t smoosh them in your sleep. If you sleep on the side of your head you might want to make the lowest row on the sides flat as well.
Wrap a bandanna around your forehead so none of the barrel curls get smooshed down. Your bangs are going to be pretty curly, so brush them out and sculpt them down into waves.
Use long metal clips to secure them as you go along. Spray and leave them in while you do your make-up/eat breakfast/flash your neighbors etc.
Want to try a different retro finger waves look?
Here’s Tami Lee’s Pin Curled Finger Waves 101
Tools used: Clinique mascara tube, spray bottle of water
Next morning. I take the pins out and just let the curls chill while I put my face on.
Now just brush everything out. I didn’t brush my hair before setting it, so this part was torture. Don’t follow my lead.
You’ll already be able so see some distinct waves.
Now go back and rebrush everything but from underneath, like so:
(FYI, I do know what the handle on a brush is for)
Do this in layers, and start from the bottom.
So, now you have a beautiful wave! If you like the natural, soft look you can stop here. I am over-the-top, so I go on to make this wave even ‘better’.
I use my handy dandy alligator clips (without these things I don’t think I could do a single hairstyle)and push the wave together, making it more extreme. Do this all around, hairspray and let sit for a while.
Voila!
And here’s one with a smile, just to prove I’m not as deadpan as this tutorial makes it appear.
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