In today’s live video, I styled my hair in real-time while sharing some of the most common brush styling mistakes that I have seen my clients make during our guided styling coaching calls. I also answered your questions about styling.

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Summer Group Coaching

If you want real-time feedback from me on your styling, diffusing, and refreshing, join us for the Summer Group Coaching program.

• Enrollment officially opens June 1
• If you want in early to get a headstart on watching the beginner modules, DM me on Instagram or Facebook or EMAIL​
• June is our onboarding month where you’ll start engaging with me and other members
• July-Aug is when we have weekly coaching calls, including guided styling like this

Brush Styling Mistakes

❌ #1 Not creating clean sections

This can result in snags on your brush, messy, uneven clumping, and flat roots.

Instead, start at the bottom and create clean section lines using something pointed, like the end of a brush or your finger. Clip your hair up snug, and away from the lower section. When you pick up a section to brush, create a clean line there too.

❌ #2 Picking up sections that are too large

Sections that are too large can reduce your volume and cause your scalp to show, especially in low-density hair. It also can cause curls to not form properly when you’re trying to force large curl families together that don’t want to be together.

Instead, pick up smaller sections, make sure they’re not wider than the width of your brush and remember that the thinner/more sections you create, the more volume you’ll have at the end.

❌ #3 Not directing the hair properly

Pulling hair down too much flattens the roots; lifting it too high can expose the scalp. Brushing forward makes hair fall in your face. Forcing all curls in one direction—especially with mixed patterns (which most people have)—can lead to wonky results.

Instead, pay attention to where your waves and curls naturally fall. Work with your curl pattern, not against it. Adjust direction as needed to boost volume without exposing the scalp.

❌ #4 Brush styling when not needed

Wavy and loose curls can stretch out too much from the tension and not bounce back.

Instead, use other techniques and SKIP brush styling and see if your results are different enough to spend that time brush styling on your washdays.

Products Used

• ​Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo​
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• ​Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Bond Building Mask​
  ​Buy from Ulta​
• ​Living Proof Triple Bond Complex​
  ​Buy from Living Proof​
  ​Buy from Ulta​
  ​Buy from Amazon​
• ​AG Liquid Effects Medium Hold Weightless Styling Gel​
  ​Buy from AG with code GENA20​
  ​Buy on Amazon​
• ​Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly Detangling Brush​
  ​Buy from Amazon​
  ​Buy from Ulta​
• ​Bounce Curl Volume Root Clips​
  ​Buy from Bounce Curl with code GENAMARIE​
• ​Hair RePear Ultimate Hair Towel​
  ​Buy from Amazon​
• ​Curlsmith Defrizzion Hair Dryer & XXL Diffuser​
  ​Buy from Curlsmith​
  ​Buy from Amazon​
  ​Buy from Ulta​

Q&A

Q: How do I get certain areas to become curlier after brush styling, rather than become straighter?

A: As long as you know your hair natural curls at the root, use your brush to define it starting right at the scalp.

• Place your brush close to the root and turn it
• Make sure you’re going in the right direction
• Finger coil to fix it if not
• Scrunch right at the roots after brush styling

Q: How do I style the front of my hair which has a cowlick?

A: I helped a client style her front cowlicks recently. We discussed either styling to hide it or potentially moving her part there to work with it.

• Brush the hair in the opposite direction to cover it
• Avoid over clumping
• Use your diffuser to set the hair in the direction you want to go
• You can even place clips there to make it dry that way

Q: How do I keep my hair from falling down in the front?

A: Try upright styling over styling upside down, which gives you more control over how your hair lays

• Brush the top section up and back
• Look closely at the root area in top. Which way does the hair grow?
• Adjust your part to work with the growth directions.
• If your curls naturally curl towards your face, you’ll need to “hook” the curls around each other to hold them back

Q: How can I prevent brush styling from making my hair look stringy?

A: Are you applying tension/pressure with your brush?
A few other things you could try:

• More water when styling
• Pressing your hand into the brush and following through fully
• Different brush with tighter spacing between the bristles
• Praying hands after brush styling

Stay tuned for another video coming up very soon, sharing an easy styling routine WITHOUT using a brush to style!

If you want real-time feedback and demonstration like this from me on your styling, diffusing, and refreshing, join us for the Summer Group Coaching Program. Enrollment opens JUNE 1st, but you can lock in your spot with an early bird rate of $100 off NOW. Spots are already filling up. So, DM me on FB/IG or email me to get started.