I cut my curly hair routine from 2 hours to 20 minutes. Here’s the 'lazy girl' method that'll help you do the same

1. Apply products while you're hair is soaking wet

The second I turn off the shower tap, my clock starts. If my hair drops to a damp state before I reach for my styling cream, I’ve missed the window.

Here is the core science: water is the true hydrator. Water enters the hair to make curls flexible, while your cream’s emollients smooth down the cuticle to lock that moisture in. But the secret to avoiding flat roots is keep your curl cream completely away from your scalp.

Heavy creams weighed down by water get dragged straight down by gravity, causing your roots to dry completely flat against your head. I keep my roots drier than my ends by concentrating my product strictly from the mid-lengths down. My go-to products at the moment is the blue Skala and Aunt Jackie's Curl La La line.

By leaving the root area untouched by heavy creams, my roots stay airy and naturally lift off my scalp as they dry.

2. Use the cheapest mouse you can find

Before I even touch a styling tool, I lock in my hold. And I’m going to be completely honest with you: I don’t know what kind of magic drugstore brands are channeling, but my $3 budget mousse outperforms every high-end curl foam sitting in my bathroom drawer.

While luxury formulas chase that ultra-soft, touchable feel, they usually skip the actual hold. My cheap drugstore bottle relies on old-school polymers that deliver a firm grip and create an instant cast. Raking it through wet strands gives insane root lift and forms a light, crunchy shell that preserves your curl pattern as it dries.

3. Brush styling

I used to spend 45 excruciating minutes sectioning my hair into tiny micro-quadrants, laboriously brush-styling every single strand until my arms burned, then finger coiling. It was a fast track to shoulder fatigue, not better curls.

Now, I use one solid brush with firm bristles that create uniform tension. My personal fave is Bounce Curl brush dupe I got from Amazon, but and a classic Denman works just as well.

I flip my head completely upside down while soaking wet, brush through once to detangle and distribute product, and give it a good scrunch. Then, I flip back and brush-style the top layer and the front face-framing pieces. That’s it.

4. Plop with an old cotton T-shirt

To cut drying time in half without stripping away the shape you just built, ditch traditional bath towels. Their rough terrycloth loops shred curl clumps on contact, creating instant surface frizz. Instead, grab a soft, worn-in cotton tee.

Lay the shirt flat on your bed or counter, lower your wet curls onto the center, and wrap the shirt snugly around your head like a turban. Leaving your hair "plopped" in the shirt for even a couple minutes, or simply using it to scrunch absorbs the bulk of excess water without disrupting your curl pattern.

5. Get your diffusing routine down

Once you unwrap the T-shirt, it’s time to dry. Here is my cardinal rule for maximum volume, if that's what your goal is: always dry your roots first.

Hover your diffuser attachment directly around your roots and crown for the first few minutes while keeping the dryer moving. Getting the moisture out of your roots early stops gravity from pulling your hair down. Once your roots are mostly dry, you can switch to normal diffusing, whether that's pixie or otherwise.

I’ll be the first to admit that investing in a high-end dryer like a Dyson or Shark is undoubtedly a game-changer for time-cutting and overall hair health. But don't let anyone convince you that you need a $400 tool to have great hair. For years I used a standard $20 hair dryer with a cheap universal diffuser attachment without issue

Once your hair is dry, you can use your hands to scrunch out the cast. I like to use a little bit of oil here, leaving juicy curls that last a week with minimal maintenance.