Do the Vintage 'Do!

Hey, honeys. Long time no talk, right? Well, I have to admit that I've fallen into a total nostalgia rabbit hole lately. This morning, I learned that Shirley Temple passed away. It saddened me, maybe more than it should have, but I realized how quickly the world is losing many of its beloved silver screen stars. What are we left with? Their legacies, of course, but also this new idea of beauty... Nude lipstick? Highlighted hair? *Shudder*

I've been looking for retro hairstyles for naturally curly/course/mixed race hair to recreate, because, if you didn't know, I'm multi-racial. However, finding tutorials and even photographs of these hairstyles is a difficult task, so it looks like I'm going to have to begin experimenting with my hair. I've tried wet sets, dry sets, foam rollers, bendy rollers... I've begun a love affair with Lotta-Body setting lotion, which I found at my local beauty supply store. It keeps my curls in for days even if I don't roll and pin curl it overnight.

I want to start recreating mainly 1940s hairstyles, as it is my favorite era, but flat ironing and then curling it has become a hassle, and the heat damage is taking its toll on my hair... I've come up with a (mostly) heat-less routine that isn't terribly difficult to do. Remember, I'm only a beginner, and please let me know if you have any retro hair styling tips.

My favorite way to create my retro 'do is: 
1: After washing and conditioning my hair, usually sometime in the afternoon, I use a wide-tooth comb to detangle and then a brush to get it as smooth as possible. I wash my hair about once a week to keep it from drying out. You may want to shampoo yours more often depending on your hair texture and thickness.
2: I put it up into a tight bun and will sometimes add a headscarf. This step is very important for me, because I want my roots to air dry as straight as possible.
3: I let my hair air dry for as long as possible (sometimes overnight, but usually only for a few hours). It's okay for the ends of your hair to still be a little damp, but the roots especially should be dry.
4: Immediately after taking my hair down, I spray the ends with Argan oil or another heat protectant and blow my hair out straight with a blowdryer until it's completely dry.
5: I part my hair to the left as usual - right above the arch of my eyebrow. Then I take my setting lotion and bendy rollers, and take about 1 1/2 inch sections of hair. Each section should be about the same size. Putting a few drops of lotion on each section, I roll the hair under with the bendy roller. It's very important to make sure that the ends are rolled. If the ends are left out, you'll have pretty curls with awkward straight ends. It might take a couple of tries to do, but it's worth the patience, I promise! I usually separate my shorter bangs into smaller sections and use more than one roller there.
6: After all of my hair is curled up and the rollers are secure, I take a large satin scarf and wrap my hair so I don't disturb the curls when I'm sleeping. I won't lie to you, they can be a little uncomfortable to sleep with at first. But eventually, you get used to it. And just think about how pretty your hair will look in the morning!
7: When I wake up, I go about my morning routine, leaving the rollers in until after I finish my makeup. Then, I take off the scarf and carefully unbend and take out the rollers. Usually by this point, my curls look a little like Ms. Temple's. I add a coat of hairspray all over, shake out the curls at the roots with my hands, and run a bit more Argan oil through. Then, I take my brush and begin gently brushing out the curls until I have my desired 40s wave. The more you brush, the looser your curl will become. When it's styled to my liking, I spray a final coat of hairspray and run out the door!

-

I also wanted to share the very few photographs of vintage hairstyles on starlets of color that I've found. Hopefully I can get to recreating some of these looks once I completely get the hang of this. Stay tuned...

Aquanetta

Hilda Simms

Fredi Washington - Imitation of Life is one of my favorite films, thanks to my grandmother.

Lena Horne

Ophelia Devore