Brushed-Out "Lioness" Curls Are The Antidote To Perfect Ringlets

A hairbrush is usually the last thing anyone with curly hair wants to reach for once it’s dry. After all, that’s one of the first things you learn when styling your natural texture: unless you want an immediate halo of frizz, keep the brush far, far away.

This summer, though, celebrities are making the case for breaking that rule. Fluffy curls are showing up everywhere from red carpets to Lollapalooza, with bigger volume and softer definition replacing the perfectly separated ringlets of seasons past. The effect? “Lived-in lioness,” as curly hair expert and Curl Warehouse owner Samantha Cross puts it. Think an airy, slightly fuzzy finish with tons of bounce and movement — basically, everything your curls want to do in the humidity anyway.

Ahead, a closer look at the lioness curl trend, plus how to get the look at home. (Spoiler: dry brushing your curls is encouraged.)

Lioness Curls Are Bringing Back ’80s Volume

Curly girls seem to be following one motto lately: the bigger, the better. “For so many years, the defined look has been in, with people chasing intense hold and definition,” says Cross. “Now, we're seeing a variation on the more romantic curl look with looser, fluffier, more lived-in styles.”

The voluminous style calls back to the larger-than-life hair of the late ’80s and early ’90s — and for Cross, it’s especially reminiscent of Julia Roberts’ famously fluffy curls from that era. Now, with blue eyeshadow and draped blush already bringing ’80s beauty back into the zeitgeist, it was only a matter of time before curly hair started taking up space again.

A-listers, for one, are fully embracing the lioness look. At the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere in London last month, Zendaya went all in on the style, with fluffy lengths that fanned out around her face and shoulders. Olivia Dean has made cloud curls a staple of her concert looks, while Chase Infiniti and Natasha Lyonne have both been sporting a brushed-out, wispy finish. Meanwhile, Emmy Rossum and Mika Abdalla are keeping a bit more definition while separating their curls just enough to give them an airy, touchable quality.

How To Get The Look

If you have naturally curly hair, you actually don’t need to do much to get the extra volume. Cross recommends starting with lightweight styling products that give your curls shape without locking them into place.

“A mousse or foam can add soft definition without weight, especially for finer hair types or waves,” she says. If you have tighter coils or ringlets, try a light-hold gel instead, which will help define your curl pattern without creating a crunchy cast.

For those with straight hair, a little heat styling can help fake the effect. Start by applying a heat protectant, then use a curling iron to create loose, oversized curls throughout your hair. Once you’ve finished, let everything cool before you start touching your curls so the shape sets.

Then comes the part that would normally make any curly girl nervous: brushing it out. Once your hair is completely dry or your heat-styled curls have cooled, Cross recommends gently working through sections from the ends up toward the roots.

For maximum fluff, reach for a detangling brush with flexible bristles to really break up the curl clumps. A wide-tooth comb, meanwhile, gives you a little more control over how much you separate the curls.

If the idea of taking a brush to your curls still makes you cringe, you can always use your fingers to separate them, which Cross says will give you a less uniform, more undone finish. A little hair oil warmed between your hands can help here, too, adding moisture and shine as you pull the curls apart. After all, the goal is intentional airiness and volume, not hair that looks dry or damaged.

From there, the rest of your makeup look helps set the mood. Paired with glowy skin and a swipe of mascara, lioness curls feel easy and relaxed — or you can add a bold blush and colorful eyeshadow to really play up the retro factor. Either way, a good hair day no longer has to be frizz-free.