Ghd have had the people and the entire hair industry on a chokehold since its V Gold straighteners launched in 2011. Throwback to school days when every girl in class had them on their Christmas wish list. Did you really get ready for a night-out with your friends if you didn't call shotgun and take turns sizzling your hair bone straight? And a special shoutout goes to the ghd advanced users who could turn around mid-length curls with the irons in under 20 minutes *icons*.
Ghd may be the hair tool OGs, but they've undeniably evolved since entering the hairdryers and curling tools market. And, they've recently launched a new curling wand to add to their iconic roster of hair tools — the Curve Thin Curl wand.
A professional looking blow-dry at home? Sign us up!
This thin wand claims to be like no other, with the quality and protection for the hair made a priority. Although it’s designed with a single button and set temperature of 185°C, ghd tells us that this is the optimum styling temperature for hair and it heats up to it in 30 second flat. This ghd curve thin wand should give you tight curls from as little as three seconds thanks to its 14mm thin barrel. This should require minimum effort and faff but yet still deliver well-defined, long-lasting curls at a quick styling time without having to use extreme heat.
It sounds almost too good to be true, so in true GLAMOUR fashion, we decided to put these claims to the test on five different people with different hair textures, lengths and colours. Here are their truest and most honest thoughts…
ghd Curve Thin Curl Wand, £139, Look Fantastic
Shei Mamona, GLAMOUR’s Beauty & Entertainment Assistant
Curls are usually my go-to style. My natural hair is afro-textured, but as the hair connoisseur that I am, this means changing it up every 2-3 business days. I often opt for using wigs as my protective style and when I do, there needs to be big curls involved, so using a thin curl wand is very on brand for me.
Ghd’s tools always understand the assignment, so I was expecting big things only. I went ahead and sprayed heat protectant all over the hair *important step* put on the protective glove and curled my wig picking up small sections starting from the back. I used the twist-a-twist trick to create a tight wave as opposed to Hollywood curls. I then wrapped the hair around the wand, I must have held it for five to ten seconds and as I pulled it out I held it tight to allow the curl to cool off before it dropped. Once finished, I did a lil Beyonce head shake to loosen them and finger brushed through them. Well… the smize in my picture says it all, we love it here!
I tried the curlers again using different techniques and I loved the variety of curls you could get from this wand alone. The styling time was short even though I have a lot of volume to work with and the curls held together until the following day, without compromising definition and shine – even given this ever-changing UK weather. Ghd you’ve done it again. As for you, if you see me rock Diana Ross curls tomorrow and thereafter, mind you business…
Rating: 9/10
Kim Zhang, Conde Nast’s Account Strategist
My natural hair ranges from a little limp to irregularly wavy, and my “styling” rarely ventures further than a little straightener on the ends, so I knew that the ghd thin wand was about to change the game.
I noticed that the wand heated up almost instantly, and it indicated it was ready for use with a series of reassuring beeps and boops. Twisting each section of hair, the hair-curling wand was easy to use, even for a noob like me. The only difficulty I had was with the slightly longer wand length, which meant I had to be more cautious with my twirling hand. Even when I did accidentally brush my hand against it, however, the cool tip meant that I barely felt a thing — phew.
I had used fairly large sections of hair to twist around the wand, so my curls ended up being looser than the tight curls I’d expected. I noticed how shiny my hair looked, even though it’s been damaged from bleach. All in all, I don’t think I personally suit the curly look (whether that’s more on my technique than anything else….), but I loved how easy-to-use this wand was, and the curls looked even more gorgeous as they softened throughout the day.
Rating: 7/10
Hannah Robertson, Conde Nast’s Marketing Executive
I have fine, naturally wavy/curly 2B/2C hair, and am always looking to get bigger, curlier hair. After sectioning my hair back with clips and putting on the heat-resistant glove I got to work. I quickly learned that using smaller pieces at a time gave the best results with a tighter curl. After holding a strand around the barrel for just a couple of seconds I had a really tightly coiled curl. Smaller sections does of course mean more sections, so this process really did take a good long while.
After about 2 hours (snack break included) I had a head full of very tight and bouncy curls. The curls were so shiny and springy that I was afraid a hairbrush would turn it into a dry, frizzy mess, but after shaking it out and raking it with my fingers I decided I’d go for it. Now the result was a lot and probably won’t be for everyone, but honestly I loved it. It was giving Diana Ross, disco diva, mega volume. Probably not efficient enough to use every day, but for volume, curl definition and hold, this does not miss.
Rating: 9/10
Chloe Laws, GLAMOUR’s Social Media Director
My hair has a slight natural wave, that when treated right can have defined curls. But, because I've bleached my hair regularly over the last decade, going from copper to blonde to pink, the condition is less than optimal. So, I've become accustomed to deep conditioning treatments, no heat, and generally shoving half of it up in a claw clip. So, I was excited to try this self-dubbed 'curl defining' wand.
Opening the GHD Thin Wand, it was refreshing to see a tool (albeit elevated) that I knew how to use instinctively. I love an experimental tool as much as the next beauty-obsessed person, but after lots of grappling with hot brushes and air-curling-technology, a wand that looks like a wand is a welcome relief. In classic GHD form, it heats up incredibly quickly and gives you a little beep to say 'hi I'm ready'. Because it is so thin, I worried that it would take me hours to curl my hair, but each curl only needed a 5-second hold, meaning I was able to get through the sections with speed. For me, this wand is going to be my go-to for nights out and days when I fancy some glamour — it is easy to use and creates lasting curls. My main tip, as always with curling tools, is to brush out the ringlets with your fingers, and then a soft brush, and finish with an oil.
Rating: 8/10
Saffy Altmeyer-Ennis, Conde Nast Events Manager
Having very straight fine hair that hardly holds a curl, (and being an avid ghd fan since their hot pink straightener stage), it's safe to say I was looking forward to trying their thin wand. My first reaction was just how thin it was, at a mere 14mm it is definitely the thinnest curler I've used, but having typically had no luck with thicker ones I felt very optimistic. Like all ghd products it heated up at lightning speed, and with only one button it's very simple to use.
I decided to go with smaller strands of hair to create tight curls, and it really did deliver exactly that, full of volume and definition. After curling my whole head this way I roughly brushed it out and felt very Carrie Bradshaw-esque — a far cry from my usual poker-straight locks. Over the day the curls didn't drop much, again something I always struggle with normally. I'm looking forward to trying this tool in different ways to gain slightly softer curls, but overall definitely one of the best curlers I've tried for fine hair!
Rating: 8/10
For more from Glamour UK Beauty & Entertainment Assistant Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
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