Madison LeCroy Shares How to Get Patricia Altschul’s Hair Swoop

Ever wondered how Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm got that perfect swoop in her hair? Well luckily her hairdresser and co-star Madison LeCroy shared a video tutorial all about how to achieve the voluminous hair swoop look. I’ve included lots of hints and tips including how to cheat the look if you’re not a blowdrying pro!

Madison-LeCroy-Hair-Swoop-blowdry-tutorial-blushinginhollywood.com_

Madison Lecroy was kind enough to film a video tutorial of how she creates Patricia Altschul’s signature swoop hair style. Luzanne of the amazing and must follow @welovepataltschul Instagram account re-posted the video with some extra details:

View this post on Instagram

Did you know that the beautiful @madison.lecroy is Miss P’s hairstylist? She kindly did a hair tutorial on the @pataltschul hair swoop. The “only iron [she’ll] use” is the @t3micro Single Pass 1.25” Professional Ceramic Curling Iron. This tool and other P haircare favorites are linked in my story • Please be sure not to miss the Amazon @keraniquehair sale. The $40 for Color Boost shampoo and conditioner set is currently on sale for $30. This is the brand recommended by @camwimberly1 that @pataltschul is now using, too • Keranique is the brand for which my former roommate did a commercial and received a bunch of product. Initially, I used Keranique merely because it was free. Six months later, my hairstylist of 20+ years noted for the first time how thick my hair had gotten and asked what I was doing differently. I dismissed the observation until driving home when it occurred to me that the change may be attributed to Keranique. While I could not tell the difference myself (there’s not much hair handling when you don’t blow dry your hair and wear a ponytail daily), my hairstylist knows my hair and has never made such an observation previously. It made me a believer • The only two negatives for me? I have a lot of fine hair. The kind that instantly become a rat’s nest when water is added. This conditioner is very light. I need to use a wet brush and add a dollop of a thicker conditioner to subdue the tangles. Also, the cream colored shampoo bottle and maroon colored conditioner does not register with my brain. I cannot tell you how many times I have reached for the shampoo bottle after shampooing only to waste it as I meant to grab conditioner. This has never happened with another line and happens regularly with Keranique. Granted, this is my problem not the company’s. Just thought I’d share in case anyone who does the same does not feel alone in being a doofus!

A post shared by We Love the South! (@welovepataltschul) on

I have taken it upon myself to further break down this tutorial for people who need ALL the details on how to get the perfect hair swoop.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about what that means and how it works on my Disclosure page. Thank you for your support!!

Tip: If you are determined to learn this and need to watch it a few times record your screen while playing the video to save a copy. That way you can pause, rewind, and select exactly which parts you need to rewatch.

Here’s a photo of the final effect so you know what we’re going for:

Screenshot of the final hair “swoop” from Madison LeCroy’s instagram tutorial

Here’s Madison LeCroy’s Hair Swoop Tutorial broken down:

Blowdrying

Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm showing how she blows out the front section of her hair for the perfect swoop
Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm showing how she blows out the front section of her hair for the perfect swoop
  • Blow dry damp hair with a round brush. If you’re towel drying your hair I LOVE the Aquis Lisse Hair towel. It’s light weight so it won’t stretch or damage your hair and it helps it dry more quickly with less damage.
AQUIS Lisse Luxe Desert Rose Hair Towel
AQUIS Lisse Hair Towel
  • The brush should be positioned at the hair line where the hair and forehead meet. The bangs section of hair goes under the brush and then back towards the back of the head. She holds the blowdryer at the root for a few seconds then pulls the brush and the hair toward the blowdryer, then up and out and to the back of the head.
  • When pulling the hair up and out with the brush she twirls the brush towards the back of the head to make the ends smooth and so they curl under.
  • Madison is using a BaByliss Blowdryer.
Babylisspro-Ceramix-Extreme-Blow-Dryer
Babylisspro Ceramix Extreme Hair Blow Dryer
Madison Lecroy blowdrying the front bangs section of her hair to give it the Patricia Altschul "Swoop" effect. Notice how she has the hair rolled up here like it's in a large hot or velcro roller.
Madison Lecroy blowdrying the front bangs section of her hair to give it the Patricia Altschul “Swoop” effect. Notice how she has the hair rolled up here like it’s in a large hot or velcro roller.

She also wraps the hair around the brush and holds it in place for a few seconds. This looks similar to when you put your hair in a hot roller or a velcro roller and is going to give Madison a similar effect- big volume with a sexy wave at the end.

Madison LeCroy twisting her hair with the round brush to give her hair that side swoop effect
Madison LeCroy twisting her hair with the round brush to give that side swoop effect

After she’s blowdried the ends a few times around the round brush, she pulls the hair up towards the ceiling and uses the brush to twist the section away from the face.

On the non-swoop side Madison holds the brush more vertically while blowdrying the hair
On the non-swoop side Madison holds the brush more vertically

When Madison blowdries the hairline of the non-swoop side she holds the brush up and down/vertically instead of more horizontally. This will give the hair on that side some lift and volume, but not the same swoop you’re going for on the opposite side.

Madison LeCroy blowdries her swoop in the opposite direction to increase volume and lift
Madison Lecroy blowdrying the swoop side with the brush horizontal again.

For contrast here she is blowdrying the swoop side and the brush is turned the other way. She is blowdrying the underneath part of the swoop side in the opposite direction to give the hair more volume and lift. The hair is not wrapped around the brush here she’s just brushing it to the opposite side and blowdrying the root.

Madison blowdrying the roots of the swoop side in the opposite direction to add more volume
Madison blowdrying the roots of the swoop side in the opposite direction to add more volume

Using the Curling Iron

Madison uses a T3 Twirl Convertible 1.25-Inch Interchangeable Clip Barrel Curling Iron. She posted on Instagram that it’s the only curling iron she’ll use.

Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm using a T3 curling iron to smooth the front of the hair and lock in the volume and body to her hair
Madison using a T3 curling iron to smooth the front of the hair and lock in the volume and body

Madison takes the front/forehead section of the swoop and holds it straight up to the ceiling. She takes a T3 curling iron and puts the clamp about 3-4″ from the root. She curls the hair under while pulling the curling iron towards the back of the head. She rolls the hair up, loosens the clamp, pulls the curling iron forth down the hair and wraps it all the way up again. She repeats this unclamping, moving the curling iron further down the hair, reclaiming and winding up and under until there’s maybe 2″ left which she leaves out on purpose.

T3  Twirl Convertible 1.25-Inch Interchangeable Clip Barrel Curling Iron
T3 Twirl Convertible 1.25-Inch Interchangeable Clip Barrel Curling Iron

Madison’s Southern Charm castmate Naomie Olindo loves this curling iron too.

Madison’s look here is sexy wavy beauty Victoria’s Secret angel hair. Patricia Altschul’s is typically more polished and has the ends curled under as well. If you wanted a look more similar to Patricia’s then be sure to curl the ends of the hair under as well. After you’re done with the curling iron you could even use a velcro roller to set the front of the hair.

Madison curling the non-swoop side of the hair out and towards the back of the head while curling the hair away from the face.

For the non-swoop side Madison holds the curling iron vertically and curls the hair away from the face while holding the iron up and out to keep the hair’s volume. She starts a few inches away from the root again, clamps the hair, and rolls it up around the barrel.

After curling a few inches of the section of hair, Madison twists the section of hair away from the face then rolls the curling iron up again.

She then loosens the clamp, moves the curling iron a few inches towards the ends of the hair this time while twisting the strand of hair to make the curl less prom like and more beachy.

Madison leaves a few inches at the end out so they remain straight. When she pulls the curling iron out of the hair she leaves the hair twisted in order to set the wave.

She clamps again and rolls the hair around the barrel again and repeats until she gets almost to the end, but again leaves a few inches out so they remain straight.

Hairspray

Madison uses Moroccan Oil finishing hair spray
Madison uses Moroccan Oil finishing hair spray

Madison uses Moroccan Oil Luminous Spray Extra Strong finishing hairspray after finishing curling the rest of the hair.

Madison Lecroy using Moroccon Oil Finishing Hairspray to keep her swoop in place and then brushing the hairspray through the hair

Notice how she’s spraying the hairspray at the roots and lifting the hair in the front with her fingers then spraying it in place.

Here Madison is curling the underneath layers of her hair. Notice how she leaves the swoop/bang portion out. If she clipped it up too she will lose that volume she just worked to build. When she goes to pin up the swoop section she pulls the hair loose a bit so it stays big.

After curling the rest of the hair, she brushes through it again to loosen up the curls.

Madison holds the front section of the hair up as she brushes through it to avoid losing the volume she just created
Madison holds the front section of the hair up as she brushes through it to avoid losing the volume she just created

When she brushes the swoop side she holds the hair and the roots to keep the volume intact.

Dry Shampoo

Madison Lecroy from Southern Charm using dpHue Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Shampoo
Madison Lecroy from Southern Charm uses dpHue Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Shampoo

Madison uses dpHue Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Shampoo in the front and roots of her hair to add even more volume and a little texture.

Madison Lecroy using dry shampoo
Madison lifts her hair and sprays the dry shampoo into the roots for more volume.

Hair Oil

Madison Lecroy using  dpHue Color Fresh Oil Therapy in her hair
Madison uses dpHue Color Fresh Oil Therapy to add some shine back to her hair

Madison uses dpHue Color Fresh Oil Therapy to add some shine back to her hair. Notice in the photo on the left when she goes to put oil in her hair she’s starting from mid-shaft down. She then dainty applies a teensy bit near the front of her hear.

Madison applies most of the hair oil to the mid-shaft and ends of the hair, then sparingly applies to the front of the hair
Madison applies most of the hair oil to the mid-shaft and ends of the hair, then sparingly applies to the front of the hair

At the end Madison uses her fingers to perfect the style and separate the curls.

I also noticed Madison has highlighted her face for the gawds in this tutorial. To learn more about how to highlight your face like Madison’s check out this blog post.

My Results after following Madison LeCroy’s Hair Swoop Blowout Tutorial

I tried this Madison LeCroy/Patricia Altschul hair swoop out myself and I think it turned out pretty good!

I followed Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm's hair tutorial to get the perfect Madison LeCroy/Patricia Altschul side hair swoop results
My Madison LeCroy/Patricia Altschul side hair swoop results

Madison makes this technique look easy because she’s a pro, but it takes a lot of practice and trial and error to really nail this look!

You can use my code HOLLYWOOD for a discount on Girl Get Glamorous clip-in hair extensions.

I used a few wefts of my Girl Get Glamorous clip-in hair extensions to give my hair some extra body and volume.

Hair Swoop Hack Using Velcro or Hot Rollers

One way I “cheat” this look is by using a velcro roller. First I get my hair hot either by blowdrying it with a round brush or flat ironing it. I then wrap my hair around the velcro roller and leave it in while the hair cools. Here’s a photo where Madison has her hair in a round brush, but you would position a velcro roller the same way:

If you struggle to get Madison LeCroy's perfect hair swoop with a blow dryer and round brush only, use a velcro roller to roll the front section of your hair up like Madison is doing here with her brush. Let the hair set in the roller and voila! Gorgeous swoop accomplished.
If you struggle to get Madison LeCroy’s perfect hair swoop with a blow dryer and round brush only, use a velcro roller to roll the front section of your hair up like Madison is doing here with her brush. Let the hair set in the roller and voila! Gorgeous swoop accomplished.

I use these Conair Mega Self Holding 2.5″ velcro rollers to get this look.

If you want to see another AMAZING Bravo hair tutorial with huge volume and sexy minx waves check out my blog post on Sophie Stanbury from Ladies of London’s Hot Roller Hair Tutorial.

Products Used

Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm's favorite hairspray, blow dryer, curling iron, and dry shampoo

Products Madison LeCroy Used

BaByliss Blowdryer

T3 Twirl Convertible 1.25-Inch Interchangeable Clip Barrel Curling Iron

Moroccan Oil Luminous Spray Extra Strong finishing hairspray

dpHue Apple Cider Vinegar Dry Shampoo

dpHue Color Fresh Oil Therapy

Other Recommended Products

Aquis Lisse Hair towel

Conair Mega Self Holding 2.5″ velcro rollers

Madison LeCroy’s Hair Swoop

Here’s some more photos of Madison and Patricia Altschul’s hair swoops for inspo:

Madison at the Southern Charm Season 6 Reunion
Madison at the Southern Charm Season 6 Reunion
Madison Lecroy and Patricia Altschul at Patriica's birthday party
Madison LeCroy and Patricia Altschul at Patricia’s birthday party
Madison Lecroy and Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm
Madison Lecroy and Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm

Pin this to Pinterest to save this post for later

Madison Lecroy hair swoop tutorial
Madison Lecroy hair swoop tutorial
Madison Lecroy hair video tutorial

Read More Southern Charm Blog Posts

Read More Patricia Altschul Blog Posts

Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm's Beauty Secrets
Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm’s Beauty Secrets

Cameran Eubanks’ Beauty Secrets

Cameran Eubanks from Southern Charm's Beauty Secrets
Cameran Eubanks from Southern Charm’s Beauty Secrets

Naomie Olindo’s Beauty Secrets

Naomie Olindo from Southern Charm's Beauty Secrets
Naomie Olindo from Southern Charm’s Beauty Secrets

Kathryn Calhoun Dennis’ Beauty Secrets

Kathryn Dennis from Southern Charm's beauty secrets
Kathryn Dennis from Southern Charm’s beauty secrets

Sophie Stanbury’s Big Voluminous Hair Tutorial

sophie-stanbury-hair-tutorial-header
Sophie Stanbury of Ladies of London’s Big Voluminous Hair Tutorial

How I do My Ombre Blonde Highlights at Home like Jessie James Decker

jessie-james-decker-ombre-blonde-highlights-header
Jessie James Decker’s Ombre Blonde Highlights

Wedding Hairstyle ideas using Girl Get Glamorous Hair Extensions

Half up hairstyle with fishtail braid loose curls and hair extensions header

Use my code HOLLYWOOD for a discount on Girl Get Glamorous clip-in hair extensions.

Author: Lindsay

Lindsay is the creator of Blushing in Hollywood a beauty, dating, travel and lifestyle blog based in Los Angeles, California.