Secrets of Sexy Curls

A few easy tips—and perfect products—to keep your rizos soft and loose, whatever their texture.

1. Straight: Apply a volumizing gel to wet hair to give hair the body it needs to hold a curl. Flip hair upside down and blow-dry, aiming at roots for added volume. Section hair into 1-inch to 2-inch pieces and curl with a hot 1 1/2 inch?barrel curling iron. Try L.A. Looks Bomb Shell Super Sexy Volume Gel ($3).

2. Wavy: Use a curl-enhancing mousse throughout wet hair so waves maintain their shape. Let hair air-dry, then section into 2-inch pieces. For each piece, curl loosely around one finger, then pin it to scalp. Set 15 minutes, then style with fingers. Try Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Sexy ´n Sassy Volumizing and Thickening Mousse ($15).

3. Coarse: Strengthen and soften the texture of your hair with a repairing treatment. Since your hair is prone to breakage, avoid adhesive-strip rollers, which can pull and snap weak strands; instead, wrap 2-inch sections of hair around hot rollers for 15 minutes, then style with fingers. Try Fekkai Ageless Damage-Defense Capsules ($45: Neiman Marcus).

4. Curly: A thick styling cream applied to wet hair will smooth and loosen tight curls. Blow-dry hair straight, then curl 2-inch sections around big, fat adhesive-strip rollers; leave them in for 30 minutes, then remove and style with fingers. Try L´Oreal Professionnel Hairmix Supremesmooth by Textureline ($15).