I knew I couldn’t be the only one wondering how Chappell Roan’s curls always look so perfect. I consider myself a professional beauty investigator, so naturally, I scoured the internet for her curly girl routine to figure out exactly what she uses for definition, shine, and hydration. A while back, the Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess singer took to TikTok to share her favorite products and exactly how she styles her hair every day. Roan is known for loving drugstore-priced beauty brands and the hair products she uses and loves are no different. Most don’t even hit the $20 mark (we love a drugstore queen).
I took some serious notes and decided to try her routine out for myself as a little experiment. I was excited to give it a go, but I also had to consider a few things before trying anything different with my hair. First, I have coarse, thick, 3C–4A curls, so they’re very different than Ms. Roan’s most likely 2C curls. My hair also doesn’t always do well with silicones and other ingredients (like coconut oil) that are often used in curl formulas. Luckily, though, I had all the products she uses on hand already and decided to follow her exact tutorial to see what kind of results I’d get.
For all my thoughts on her routine and what she uses, keep scrolling. I’m sharing it all ahead.
Chappell Roan’s Curly Hair Routine
PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross
Mist Spray Bottle
First, Roan starts by spraying her curls with water to activate them and prep them for product. Luckily, I already do the same and this is an easy step. “I don’t get it dripping wet, but it’s pretty damp,” she says.
It’s good for any curlies to have a refillable spray bottle handy because it can help prep your hair for styling and refresh your style throughout the day. Pattern’s refillable mist bottle is a great option.
Rizos Curls
Refresh & Detangle Spray Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner
Depending on how dry her hair is that day, she then uses this leave-in conditioner from a favorite brand of mine Rizos Curls. She sprays a bit into her hands and then uses it all over her hair, avoiding the root area because she tends to get greasy and oily if she uses too much there.
I really like this leave-in from Rizos curls already. It adds a lot of softness, shine, and hydration without weighing curls down.
Rizos Curls
Curl Defining Cream
After using a leave-in, she goes in with the Rizos Curls Defining Cream, which is packed with super hydrators like shea butter, aloe vera, and glycerin. She uses a little more than a quart-sized amount, but says that if you have longer hair, you’ll “need way more.” Roan likes to use the “praying hands” method to smooth the product through her hair, focusing on the ends where she needs it most. Then she scrunches the product in an upward motion to give more definition.
Bounce Curl
Light Hold Creme Gel
The secret to most of Roan’s looks? A lot of gel. She uses this light hold option from Bounce Curl most days to smooth down any frizz at the top of her head. This also helps her curls hold their shape throughout the day.
I’m also a huge fan of Bounce Curl and loved getting to bust this gel back out. It does a good job of smoothing flyaways that I always have at the top of my head and makes my curls nice and springy.
Not Your Mother’s
Curl Talk Flash Freeze Gel
If she needs extra hold, she tops off her look with this heavy-duty $10 gel from Not Your Mother’s. It’s thicker, smoothes down edges, eliminates frizz, and provides some serious hold.
(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)
I really like all of the products Roan uses and love how my curls turned out, but I’m not sure I would use them every single day. As I mentioned above, my low-porosity hair doesn’t do too well with coconut oil, and a few of these products do contain it. I also don’t use gel daily because it usually makes my hair dry and unmanageable if I go overboard. If you have hair similar to mine, I think this routine is great for one-off styling when you have an event or something you want to look cute for quickly. If you have finer curls that are more similar to Roan’s, though, I think you’ll absolutely love this routine for daily care. It’s also great for fine, drier curls that need a little extra conditioning and all the products are pretty affordable.
Overall, this is such a great routine, and I really do love it, I think I’ll just stick to it for days when I need quick definition.
More Beauty Products Chappell Roan Uses and Loves
Kimchi Chic Beauty
Jewel Collection 03 Sapphire
Roan’s makeup artist Ali Scharf told Billboard that she used this palette on Roan’s recent tour because the shades are “blendable, smooth, and velvety.”
Kimchi Chic Beauty
The Most Concealer
For concealer, Scharf and Roan are fans of this full coverage concealer for shows. It can cover, contour, conceal, and correct in one.
Kimchi Chic Beauty
Puff Puff Pass Set & Bake Powder
To set her looks, Scharf would go in with Kimchi’s TikTok-viral setting powder to keep everything in place all night.
L.A. Girl
Pro Coverage Liquid Foundation, White
In an interview with Them, Roan said she used this drugstore foundation for the cover shoot of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
She also said in her interview with Them that she used Colourpop for the shoot, too. She didn’t mention the exact products she used, but this eye shadow palette is the perfect $6 palette to re-create her cover look.
