Lifestyle

4 Easy Hairstyles for Curly Hair

Add these effortless styles to your mirror moment roster.


If you’re one of the lucky few to have curly hair, you know that it often has a mind of its own. Once you’ve discovered how to wrangle your natural texture, it can be tempting to stick to one or two styles that you know work—and we think it’s time to expand your horizons. We sat down with our team of hair care experts and curated this list of four easy hairstyles for curly hair. Read on to explore some new looks fit for waves, curls, coils, and beyond. 

Four people with curly hair sporting different hairstyles.

Before you get started…

Before we can show you how to style your lovely locks, it’s important to set the stage with hair care catered to your texture. Create a personalized shampoo, conditioner, and hair masque to fit your exact goals by taking our quiz. Whether you want to define your curls, up the hydration, boost volume, or all three, you can achieve your dream hair with our results-driven, 100% vegan hair care formulas. Now let’s get styling!

Front and side view of a person with wavy hair illustrating a loose, dreamy bun.

Romantic Updo

This dreamy style is simple to execute and requires zero heat-styling—a major bonus for your strands. We love a loose and laid back style for our naturally curly-haired friends because it allows the hair to move and show off its personality. This kind of hairdo works with your texture, not against it.

To try this look at home:

  • After letting your hair air-dry and applying a curl cream of your choice,  gather your strands into a loose ponytail halfway between the nape and crown of the head.
  • Gently twist the ponytail around the base of the hair tie to form a bun.
  • Use a few bobby pins to secure it into place before spritzing it with hair spray to lock in the shape. If there are a few flyaways escaping the bobby pins surrounding your face, that simply adds to the romance. No need to push them back in place unless you’d like a more polished finish.

Front and side view of a person with curly hair demonstrating a deep side part hairstyle with clips.

Deep Side Part

No matter what anyone says, a deep side part never goes out of style—especially if you have curly or wavy hair. You can easily dress this look up or down depending on your style. For added sparkle, feel free to add a few pins to one side or leave your locks untamed for a more casual look.

To achieve this style:

  • Create a deep side part on either side of your head, using your natural texture as a guideline. If certain parts of your have fallen flat, go in with a curling wand to bring the curls back to life. Spritz lightly with flexible hairspray if desired. 
  • On the shallow side of the part, secure the hair behind the ear or with pins. If needed, you can smooth any frizz with a smoothing balm or hair oil.

Woman with curly hair showing off a half-up, half-down pigtail hairstyle.

Half-Up, Half-Down Pigtails

When your curls need to be tamed with finesse, this fresh take on pigtails offers both control and style. Half of your hair is pulled out of your face to wrangle in unruly locks and the bottom half of your hair is free to flow in any way that it likes. It’s a fun look that harkens back to childhood but finishes with grown-up flair.

To do this style:

  • Start with dry, clean hair.
  • Use a comb to part hair down the middle. 
  • Create two subsections off of your part from your hairline to a couple of inches back. If you want a smaller pigtail, create a smaller section. 
  • Secure hair outside of the section with clips to keep the rest of the hair out of the way while securing your pigtails
  • Secure the pigtails with a small hair tie, using a comb as you go to make sure there are no bumps and the pigtail remains flat to the head. 
  • Spray the pigtail with hairspray or gel to ensure there are no flyaways. 
  • Repeat on the other side

Person with natural curly hair that has a pop of color.

Pop of Pigment

Sometimes, all you need is a pop of color to pull everything together. So whether you’re in the mood to style your strands or simply embrace your natural texture with a wash, dry, and head-out-the-door style, a burst of color can complete any look—and it doesn’t matter which color you choose. Whatever suits your vibe, just got for it.

To transform your hair color:

  • Start by selecting the semi-permanent pigment of your choice. You can personalize a masque to feature your desired shade or go for one of our curated masques from our Best Sellers Collection
  • Then, apply the masque to your hair. For a richer result, you can apply the product to clean, dry hair. For a more subtle finish, you can the product to wet hair. 
  • Let the color process for the suggested time in your instructions. Usually about 10-15 minutes. 
  • Rinse thoroughly, style, and go. 

AURA Insight: If you’re not in a hurry, air drying is often recommended for curly-haired individuals as it is the most gentle way to dry your hair. If you’re on a time crunch, you can diffuse your strands or use our Mirror Moment Hair Wrap Towel to gently scrunch strands and soak up excess moisture.


We want to see how you rock these four easy hairstyles for curly hair at home. Tag us in your mirror moment selfies @aurahaircare for a chance to be featured on our Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok!