Have you ever watched an old movie and fawned over the lead actress and her beautiful, bouncy waves? How did those 1940s war era women do it? How did they make their hair so shiny and soft looking? And have you ever wanted to try it? Whether for a costume party or just a fancy night out, let’s break down what products you need to achieve a modern bombshell look.
The Products
First, let’s go over the supplies you’ll need to get this look. The classic shiny waves are achieved by setting your hair in rollers, letting the curls dry or set completely (usually over night), removing them from the curlers, and then brushing through to make the curls more soft. Or for tighter, more defined curls, you don’t brush them out. There are a ton of variations for what you can use, but here are some different easy options:
Curlers:
There are a few different kinds of rollers you can use, depending on the size of curls you want and how comfortable you want to be while wearing them. The easiest and comfiest option is to get these soft overnight foam curlers:
Aimin Soft Curlers for Overnight Heatless Curls
These curlers are nice because they’re very soft and easy to use. They’re great if you have a sensitive head or are worried about sleeping in curlers. However, they are a little messier than traditional foam curlers, because it’s harder to get all the hair curled around them smoothly, and hairs are more likely to pull free while you sleep. So they’re a good option if you want something easy and comfortable, but not if you’re really looking for a crisp clean look.
If you’re wanting more control over the size of your curls, and you’re looking for a more clean look, then these foam hair rollers would be a better option. They come with four sizes, are still very easy to use, and pretty comfortable (though perhaps harder to sleep in). These would be great if you want to put your hair in damp and dry it with a hair dryer to speed things up. That way you don’t have to worry about the overnight problems.
Setting Lotions/styling products:
Unless your hair is really good at holding shape on its own, you probably want to apply some sort of product to your hair before and/or after putting it in your rollers to help it hold those luscious curls and waves. This could be a settling lotion, foam, or gel product, or simply a hairspray. Here are some that come highly recommended:
This setting lotion is cheap and has good hold without being too sticky or crunchy.
L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray
This is a very classic hairspray with strong hold, great for finishing off once your curls are set.
Camille Rose Spiked Honey Mousse
This stuff has a softer hold, but it smells absolutely amazing. It’s one of my favorite mousses.
Styling Tools
You can accomplish these curls with nothing but curlers and a brush, but extra tools can be helpful in making the process go smoother, sectioning your hair more easily, or helping the curls stay in at night. Here are some products that can level up your curling game:
The Process
Now that you know what you need, let’s talk about how to do it. In general, most 1940s hairstyles will follow what’s called a setting pattern. This means the way in which you arrange your curlers on your head. Different ways of rolling your hair, the number of rows you do, where you place curlers, and the direction you roll them, will all affect how the finished curls look. Some setting patterns are very complicated and can be a little overwhelming. Here are some examples from the time period:
Pretty cool, huh? But don’t let the complexity of these styles scare you off. You can achieve a nice vintage look with a pretty simple setting pattern. You can always adjust based on your hair length and thickness, but these basic guidelines should get you in the ballpark at least.
Before you start setting your hair, you can either get it damp with a spray bottle, or use a settling lotion or mousse to help it stay (this is helpful if your hair takes a very long time to dry after it’s wet).
Start by setting your face framing curls. If you have bangs, that’s what you’ll use for these. If you don’t have bangs, take the sections of hair in front of your ears, separate them into two or three horizontal sections, one on top of the other, depending on how thick your hair is. Roll them into the curlers, while turning the bottom of the curler towards your face (so the hair curls under itself rather than over). You should end with something looking kind of like this (though you can start the curls higher up towards your part on the side that has more hair if you don’t have a middle part):
Then for the rest of your head, you can simply do two or three rows of horizontal curls across the back of your head. Start right behind one ear and follow the curve of your head, using four to five curlers to form a row until you reach your other ear. Then repeat with another row right underneath that one. You might need a third row if you have very long or thick hair.
Once your hair is in the pattern, you have a couple of options. You can either let it air dry, sleep in it overnight, or use a blow dryer with a diffuser to speed up the drying process. But it is important not to take out the curlers until your hair is 100% dry, or else the curls won’t hold. If you choose to sleep in them, I recommend tying a hair scarf or satin sleep bonnet (linked earlier in the post) around your head to keep everything in place and prevent frizz.
After your hair is completely dry, you can spritz it with some hairspray for some extra hold. You can do this before or after brushing it out, it’s up to you. Take out all the curlers, and then brush out your hair thoroughly. This is what gives the hairstyle that fluffy soft look you see in old movies and photographs. If at first it looks like a frizzy mess, don’t give up! Just keep brushing the hair, using your hands to press and sculpt the curls and waves. The more you brush, the more the curls will match each other and follow the pattern. Once your desired look is achieved, you can lightly mist with some more hairspray to help it hold. Accessorize with bows, headbands, scarves, ribbons, or if you’re feeling really fancy, a snood:
Or, if you’d prefer, you can decorate your do with some floral accents:
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