‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That is my motto when it comes to hair tools. A foundation can woo me with words like “radiant” and “luminous” — one week I’ll tell you I’ve found my forever base and the next week I’m embroiled in a full-on affair with a new one. But hair tools? It’s absolute monogamy. I’m married to my GHD Helios hairdryer (£159; ghdhair.com) and completely committed to my T3 tongs (£120; lookfantastic.com).
And the same goes for hairbrushes — my Moroccanoil round brushes (from £11; feelunique.com) are keepers, although I should be mortified to admit this after reading that we should change our brushes every six months. Not six years … six months.
So what would make me change things up? 1) If I can smell burning; 2) if there’s a weird spark at the plug (tends to happen on holiday when it’s the wrong voltage); 3) it packs in — kaput, gone to hair-straightener heaven; or 4) something new and whizzy comes along that catches my eye. And that is exactly what has happened. There is a slew of snazzy tools after years of same-same.
Tongs, first: Undone by George Northwood Curl It Tongs (£65; boots.com), which can’t stay in stock. (It may have something to do with the very reasonable price.) The fact that Northwood uses these exact tongs to achieve Alexa Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s coveted waves is a good enough reason on its own, but also the tongs have a lovely small barrel and so give effortless bed-head waves rather than a pouffy curl.
And second is the Turbo Tong. I can’t say the name with a straight face. It sounds naughty — or like a superhero. “Tuuurbo Tong!” Anyway, a hairstylist used the Professional Long Tong (£135; turbotonghair.com) on me — giggling again — at an event and the wave lasted three whole days. Normally it’s flat as a pancake after one night’s sleep, but this had miraculous staying power. The extra-long bit makes it a cinch for longer hair as you don’t have to layer your lengths on top of each other. Each section touches the heated barrel so you get a more even wave.
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Next is the Mermade Pro Waver (£54; mermadehair.co.uk). The name alone is enough to think “not for me!” and then there’s the fact that I’ve seen Love Islanders and Little Mixers sport the “mermaid wave” look. Like you, I was convinced I could never pull it off, but I’ve given it a whirl and I love it. It’s so much easier than tonging and blow-drying. Instead of your arms and hair getting into a dangerous game of tool twister, with these you just clamp … and release. Clamp … and release.
And there’s more. The ultimate temptation comes from the American company Drybar arriving on our shores. It has a variety of expert-approved tools and brushes on its website. I’m obsessed with the Baby Buttercup Travel Blow-Dryer (£85; harrods.com), but that may be because hotel hairdryers are a no-go for me. Where’s the oomph? Where’s the nozzle? Why is there only lukewarm air? This one is a fold-up mini — but mighty — contraption with the power of a full-sized dryer. It’s also worth mentioning one of Drybar’s bestsellers: the Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush (£125, from the end of November), which combines the hot air of a hairdryer with the structure of a round brush to give an easy-to-achieve smooth, shiny finish with lots of lovely volume.
I’ll finish with the new Wet Brush Scalp Massager (£10; houseofcurls.co.uk). Apply shampoo and then massage this little gadget all over in circular motions to cleanse and deflake. To be honest I use it more as a ritual. I have never found chores like hair-washing relaxing, but incorporating this step sparks that little bit of joy.
