Coax curls fresh out of the shower and there won't be any surprise endings. Gently wring out excess water, then coat hair with conditioner. Follow with a large dollop of maximum-hold gel, like Redken Hardwear Super Strong Gel, and comb through from roots to ends. Finger-mold wide tendrils around your face, then scrunch hair up in fistfuls to jump-start the curling process.

From then on, keep your hands off your head until hair is completely dry; this prevents curls from separating and frizzing. If the curls start to become unruly, spray with a shine mist like Rusk Shining and twist back into a clean shape.