Sponge Rollers Tutorial

I've seen a few tutorials around for hot rollers and pin curls, but not so many for sponge roller sets, which is what I use on my hair most of the time; so I've taken the plunge and done a quick tutorial so you can see my process. These kind of curls tend to be quite loose, yet durable, so they're very wearable in places where full vintage style isn't really appropriate/socially acceptable! They also mean, like pin curls, that you can save a lot of time in the morning by just popping them in before you go to bed. They take about 5 minutes once you have the hang of them and are about as comfortable as pincurls to sleep in.

So, here goes! (Apologies for the slightly blurry photos)

Step one.

Brush your hair thouroughly - the smoother your hair, the smoother the curl will be. Then take a small section and brush it out again.

Step two.

Take your roller - with the catch open - and start to wrap your hair around it from the very ends, rolling it inwards. Make sure these ends are tucked in to the curl rather than sticking out the side, or you will end up with randoms flicks here and there.

Step three.

Roll the hair upwards around the roller until you reach the roots. If you want to look more like Lauren Baccall than Bonnie Tyler, than I suggest placing the rollers closer at the bottom, and wrapping the hair more loosely towards the top of the roll. Then snap the catch closed over the top of the hair.

Step four.

To achieve the iconic wave across the eyes of the 40's starlets, simply take the front section of hair and roll it up and away from your face.

Now, I have a fringe, or bangs as they say across the pond, so this can prove quite difficult. To get as close as I can to this wave, I can only give fellow fringe wearers the following tips:

• Put a pinch of mousse in to hold all the strands together and make it easier to roll.
• I grab a small longer section from either side and the back to add a bit of length. This means you don't get a fringe with one big kink in it.
• I roll it slightly at an angle, so the curl will go to one side of my face.
• Make sure that each layer and strand of the fringe is wrapped in to the roll. It can take a few attempts, but it is possible to style it to the side if you so wish.

Step five.

Leave them in for at least 3 hours. I tend to sleep on mine, as I'm more likely to use hot rollers if I'm going out. However you can put them in the morning and wrap a headscarf around them until the afternoon. Remember though, if you do sleep on them, the sponge material can be quite rough on the hair when the latter's also rubbing against a pillow, so I recommend wrapping it in a soft scarf first to protect your locks. 

Then gently comb through and bam! 40s curls.