For hair this Summer it's all about carefree curls - muzzed up festival hair with bounce, gently tousled waves on red carpets , and volumised curly updo's for just about any occasion.
With that in mind, this week my challenge has been to tech test two curling devices. Will you please welcome to the BitchBuzz stage the Yogi Hair Wand, one of QVC's sell out items, and the newly launched TONI&GUY Electricals range Jumbo Wave and Curl Tong.
First up, the Yogi Hair Wand. The Yogi retails at £59.95 and is available in five designs: Pink, Purple, Zebra Print, Pink Zebra Print and Black. First impressions are that it is lightweight and manageable, a very simple aesthetic design attractive to keep in the grooming parlour - the one BitchBuzz has is the Zebra Print, which has a boudoir feel to it. The wand heats up very quickly, within around 10 seconds the tourmaline and ceramic barrel is ready to use.
So, how easy is it to get curly? I literally took the wand, allowed it to heat and began experimenting with curls instantly. By holding the wand in one hand and twisting hair around the barrel with the other it seemed easy to get going. A slightly worrying factor was the glove which came with the wand, with advice that it may be useful for the first attempts. Ignoring this I boldly began curling, a choice soon regretted on burning my forefinger and thumb a few times when winding the hair around the barrel. Ouch. A little more practise led to less burns, and a head full of curls without much effort.
Other than that the Yogi has a lot going for it. It looks professional, heats in record time and makes curls which hold if you don't mind the initial blips as you perfect the skills. Nicky Clarke I am not, so to professionals it would pribably be a differemt story altogether, and even as an amatuet member of Joe Public ( or Clarissa Consumer) it ddn't take long to get used to the technique. The barrel is teflon coated for easy wipe cleanign of any heat sprays and styling products.
In the red corner we have the TONI&GUY Jumbo Wave and Curl Tong in at a pocket friendly £19.99. Larger than the YOGI this is heavier to use but has a rather pleasing chunky feel to it. Rather than using opposable fingers and thumbs to curl, this tong uses the clip and roll method, so nice and easy. Literally slide the tongs in where you want to curl with your finger down on the arm of the curler and release to hold in place before rolling the tong towards the scalp. As the barrel is quite wide in diameter you can achieve some lovely volume and easy retro waves.
The Jumbo Wave Curl and Tong has a variable heat gauge, and heats up to the top temperature quickly enough, although a comment on the design would be that it's quite easy to knock the heat dial when using the tongs, so you need to keep an eye on the temperature as you go to make sure your locks won't get frazzled or just not heat up enough.
The TONI&GUY tong also has tourmeline technology to help smooth hair and 'lock in colour', as do all the new electrical items in the range.
So, what's the BitchBuzz verdict? Well the overall winner for ease of use and value for money would have to be the TONI&GUY Jumbo Wave Curl and Tong. At £19.99 it is pocket friendly, accessible and does the job very well indeed. However, the YOGI is much better in terms of weight, very important if you are travelling and concerned about luggagge constraints, it has a funky design and is easier to achieve tighter spiral curls.
Both have drawbacks - the YOGI wand takes a bit of perfecting how to use ( but avoid burns by using the glove provided), and the T&G tong has user issues with the temperature dial.
If you are travelling a lot, get the YOGI. If you want professional curls every day it might be worth investing in the pricier contestant. But, If you want occasional curls and a happier bank manager go for the TONI&GUY option which will tick all the boxes and get you styled in no time.
Sitting on the fence?
We like to think of all angles for our ladies, so weigh up your options and get curling.
The TONI&GUY Electrical ranges are available from Argos, Boots, John Lewis, Debenhams, Amazon, Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, as of August 2010. www.toniandguy.com
For YOGI wand stockists see www.yogihairwand.com.