Everyone knows when styling curly hair you should avoid brushes, texture sprays and frizz, right? Wrong, believes amika’s Global Artistic Director Naeemah LaFond, @naeemahlafond, known for her own massive mane of bodacious, buoyant, breezy curls. “Open up the options,” she declares. “Show your curly clients there’s more to be done with their hair than what they grew up doing. With access to great products and tools, you can transform anyone’s hair into any shape.” Another tip from Naeemah is to embrace the frizz. “That’s what makes hair look cool and modern,” she says.

Curl experts agree that serums and creams add moisture to curly hair and gels provide hold, however curly girls usually shy away from beach sprays, but not Naeemah. “When I’m styling curls, a beach spray can give the hair a little stiffness, which it needs to hold the curl,” she shares. “I spray amika’s Bushwick Beach No-Salt Wave Spray into the hair, so I don’t need to use a holding spray.”

Here are two looks by Naeemah LaFond that reframe the way curls can be styled today.

Airy Curls
Naeemah’s goal here was to use the model’s natural curl for an upgraded style. “Often curly clients think they cannot do much with their hair, but there are so many styling options as long as you use the right products,” she says. “I specialize in creating texture—I like to take a curl and make it curlier, messier or bigger. I often brush through curly hair, as it puts air in the curl shape and gives them life. Just be sure the hair is detangled before you brush through it.”

Get the look

• Shampoo and condition hair with The Kure Repair Shampoo and Conditioner.

• Apply two quarter-size amounts each of Curl Corps Defining Cream and Curl Corps Enhancing Gel to damp, clean hair.

• Apply generous amount of Haute Mess Texture Gloss to the front side section, smooth with a grooming brush and braid vertically behind the ear.

• Brush through the rest of the hair in 1-inch sections with the amika Detangling Brush to distribute the products.

• Dry with a diffuser and once dry, mist with Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray. Break up curls with fingers and brush through again to expand the curl.

• Apply Fluxus Touchable Hairspray for a hint of shine.

Fluffy Glam
WavesThis model’s natural texture is similar to the model above. Here Naeemah’s goal was to create a glamorous wave shape that uses the natural curl as a foundation. “I didn’t want a silky, smooth wave,” she explains. “I wanted to work with her natural hair and reshape it so there is width at the sides but not on top.”

Get the look

Apply Blockade Heat Defense Serum and Bushwick Beach No-Salt Wave Spray to curly, damp hair and blow dry with wide paddle brush to loosen the curl pattern. This isn’t a silky blowout—the hair should remain big and fluffy.

• Once dry, curl hair with the 1-inch Le Marcel Curler away from the face—twisting as you wrap. Use the Marcel like a styling wand and be sure to wrap the hair around and over the clamp for a wand-like finish.

• Brush hair with the amika Detangling Brush to create volume, then liberally spray the hair with Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray.

• Spray Vandal Volume Powder Spray from the temples down to create extra lift.

• Finish with Heist Molding Blend at the ends for a bit of definition.

• Discover how amika can help you create individual beauty for all your curly clients.