I'm all about products that do exactly what they say on the tin, and most hair waving tools fall short on that front.
They sell us a dream: create a head of perfect waves, fast, with almost none of the skill or effort your best curling wand requires. In reality, the finished effect is best described as big crimps, or in a nice bit of modern marketing spin, mermaid waves. It's not a bad look, but it is a bold one, which I suspect mostly appeals to those born this side of Y2K.
Still, I've trusted ghd with my heat styling needs since millennium bug panic was a decidedly un-distant memory. And seeing as I'm what my friend David calls a 'game old bird', I decided to take the new-ish ghd Wave home for a spin anyway.
Why this hair waving tool is my beauty buy of the week
Here's the pitch: Do you ever look at pictures of Kate Moss, or Zoe Saldaña, or every French woman ever (especially you, Lou Doillon) and wonder how they achieve that magical hair texture?
It's not a proper curl, and it's not glam, bouncy waves; it's a bit looser, bendier, and beachier. It's also effortless-looking, which of course means it takes plenty of effort to achieve.
Stylists often advise learning how to curl hair with straighteners to replicate this texture, and I bow down to anyone who's got that knack - but I'd also say, why bother? I've been using the Wave all week, and it does that same undone beachy thing in five minutes flat with none of the twisting-turning-potential-finger-burning.
Introducing the easiest hair tool to come into my life, possibly ever. I split my hair into six fat sections, clamp it twice per section, mist on hairspray, and job's a good'n!
There's no brushing through or having to wrap the curls in the right direction, and it only goes to 185°C, so no brain power is expended on temperature either. The effect, as you can see, is the loose, bendy wave I've been labouring away trying to achieve for years with my best curling wand for fine hair - faster, easier and better.
Admittedly, one thing that's not better about this vs a curling wand is that it's massive. It has to be massive because it needs three barrels, and those three barrels all need to be big enough not to create zig-zag crimps.
It's not as heavy as other triple-barreled wavers I've tried, but I probably wouldn't take it on holiday - unless you travel in such style that you swerve mean airline baggage restrictions, you lucky duck.
It is absolutely one to have in your house, though. Plugged in by the mirror, ready to go for efficient hair styling that makes you feel like the insouciant French woman (or iconic Croydon supermodel) you always wished you could be. Sounds good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
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