How to make the most of your curls 

Amid all the statement eyes and glossy, Euphoria-inspired aesthetics of recent times, one logic has reigned supreme – the assets that deserve attention are the ones we already have. As improving our skin health has become a core focus, attention to haircare has also increased, with Google searches for all-encompassing “self-care routines” up by 250 per cent compared with last year. At the forefront of this is an embrace of our curls (at least for those who have them), a task made easy by a burgeoning market of enhancing treatments. 

Bouclème’s range of products – shampoos, conditioners and serums – use naturally derived ingredients such as shea butter, coconut extract and kukui nut oil. “My ultimate ambition is that everyone celebrates their curls,” says Michele Scott-Lynch, who founded Bouclème in response to the lack of “clean and effective hair brands tailored specifically to curls, kinks and coils”. The bestselling Curl Cream (£19) should be loosely combed through wet or dry hair using fingers, giving extra attention to individual coils. Other curl-worthy treatments include Davines’ Curl Building Serum (£19, cultbeauty.co.uk) and Total Recoil Curl Definer (£21) from Australia-based Evo.

For extra definition, consider taking your curl cues from Nicole Kidman. Her portrayal of Grace Fraser in HBO drama The Undoing may be remembered for its divisive coat, but who could forget her bouncing, almost distracting, mane of perfect waves? Kidman is a Kérastase fan, particularly the brand’s Discipline Oléo-Curl Cream (£26), a product she uses for “curls without frizz” (and which saw a sales surge of 193 per cent during the first month of the show being broadcast). Apply a small amount to damp hair for smooth, soft ringlets courtesy of restorative elastin and xylose, a sugar that helps to retain moisture. Also popular is Aveda’s Be Curly Curl Enhancer (£23), which can be applied to towel-dried hair before drying with a diffuser. 

If leave-in treatments spark fears of brittle, crispy curls, opt for a product designed to strengthen the hair, such as Olaplex’s No.3 Hair Perfector (£26, cultbeauty.co.uk). As hair type is dependent on the shape and angle of our follicles (straight hair has round, vertical follicles, while curly has an oval shape that curves into the dermis), curly hair tends to be dryer, as the scalp’s natural oils aren’t able to travel directly down the length of the shaft. To combat this, try Sachajuan’s Curl Treatment (£25), which saw sales increase by 86 per cent in 2020, according to Cult Beauty. Enriched with Ocean Silk Curl Complex, the formula smooths the hair cuticle, making it easier to manage, and helping to cure split ends – a sure-fire way to stay ahead of the… curl.