Trouble With Upstyling? You Need To Read This!

Gorgeous styling takes a cool cut and color to the next level, and while we were at the Farouk Systems Global Conference, we caught plenty of tips and tricks to take upstyles up a notch. Check them out below. 

Creating a Retro Look
Retro looks require different curling and setting techniques than beachy waves and bold curls. Here’s how CHI artist Leonel Rodriquez creates them: 

• Take big sections (even on long, thick hair). For the look below, he used a total of nine sections.
• Make sure the ends are curled, that is a major point of difference when creating a soft retro wave, instead of a beach wave.
• Use the CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray to protect the hair from humidity + a big-barrel curling iron to create voluminous soft waves.

Watch in the video below!

Positioning Your Body
When creating any type of braid, CHI global artist Rocky Vitelli says to keep your body in the direction that you want the braid to move. Why? Because the braid will always follow wherever you are positioned.

Keeping Your Pins In Place
When pinning an upstyle, bring the pin through the upstyle and into the scalp, then make contact with the scalp, lift the hair up slightly and then come down inside the upstyle. This will create a hold that is secure and has zero slippage.

See all the pics from Farouk’s Light It Up Conference in Cancun!

Securing Your Braids
It’s not necessary to always secure braids with an elastic! Tammy Mixon, a celeb stylist and Farouk platform artist, opts to backcomb the end of the braid and spray it with the CHI Royal Treatment Ultimate Control Hairspray instead. This keeps the braid secure and the number of pins and ponytails down.

Detailing The Hair With Twists
Another way to create texture and detail without braiding the hair? With twists! Rocky shares his twisting technique in the video below. Check it out. 

Creating Balanced Backcombing
When creating volume at the highest point of the head, never backcomb all of the hair in the same direction. Instead, overdirect the first couple sections and backcomb down. Then take the next couple sections at a 90-degree angle and backcomb down. This will help get to the end result faster.

Prepping For A Backcombed Style
Rocky suggests applying the Farouk Royal Treatment Ultimate Control Spray and then blowing the hair dry before starting to backcomb. This will add texture and moisture to the hair making it much more pliable, and it will transform the hair from a satin silky finish to a cotton finish.