Oh, heavens…
Is it a curling iron or a high-performance race car? It’s hard to tell based on the specs for the new ghd Curve Soft Curl curling iron.
Check it:
- 1 1/4” large ceramic barrel for volume and soft, smooth tumbling waves
- Six quick-thinking sensors set in three zones of the barrel ensure an even internal curling temperature of 365 °F for fast, long-lasting curls
- A thermo-protective tip at the end of the barrel provides a safe, cool place to hold the iron
- A built-in safety stand keeps the iron secure so it won’t be rollin’, hatin’, patrolling or otherwise riding dirty when you set it down
- A swiveling professional-length cord prevents tangling
- Convenient illuminated power button
- Makes a sound when powering on (it sounds like a chorus of hair angles singing, “Ahh!”)
- Automatic sleep mode powers off the iron after 30 minutes of inactivity
- Universal voltage regulator allows it to be used all over the world
- Quickly heats up after powering on; ready to use in about 30 seconds
Seriously, that’s some fancy sh*t! 🙂 It might even be able to do your taxes.
Soft Curl comes with all the bells and whistles…as it should, considering that it costs $245!
Yes, that’s right. All of the curling irons in the new Curve line by ghd are priced like that.
And all of them are designed for specialized jobs, like this one, the Soft Curl model, is the one you want if you have long hair and want big curls and big volume.
So is it worth the price?
Yes, it just might be if you curl your hair often (at least a few times a week) and have some very specific hair-curling pet peeves or needs (like an extra long swiveling cord and a quick heat-up time).
If not, you’re probably better off getting something for $20 from Ulta.
Wow, though. This bad boy works fast! I have what my friend/stylist Alis jokingly calls “vampire hair,” meaning that I have a good amount of it, and it usually takes me anywhere from 20-40 minutes to use a curling iron, depending on the style I’m going for, but curling with the Soft Curl takes half the time.
The barrel heats up evenly along its entire length, which makes for faster curling than many irons, and I only need to hold each section of hair in place for 10 seconds to get a good curl.
I also like that while the Soft Curl gets hot, it doesn’t get volcanically hot. I don’t feel like I’m cooking my hair to a crisp, which is how I feel when I use the t3 Body Waver. I swear, that thing gets hot enough to give Ryan Gosling a run for his money. Even on the lowest setting, I’m swimming in a pool of sweat when I’m finished using it. I have to take off my clothes to be comfortable.
Naked curling — people, it has come to this! 🙂
But with the ghd Soft Curl I can actually keep my clothes on. LOL! No naked hair styling.
Thank goodness, because who wants to strip down to their skivvies to curl their hair in an airport restroom?
With the ghd Soft Curl, the proof is in the pudding. When I use it, I end up with bouncy, curly hair that holds its style for one, or sometimes two days. The name “ghd” is short for “good hair day,” and I definitely have those with the Soft Curl.
PRICE: $245
AVAILABILITY: New, and available now at ghd counters in Neiman Marcus stores and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A- (super effective, but ridiculously expensive)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
LindaLibraLoca says
Sounds like a dream, but I rarely curl my hair (naked or not) in an airport restroom, so I will stick to my trusty Braun one.
Karen says
LOL. I don’t think I’ve tried Braun. I’ve used Revlon and Conair and have decent experiences with both! 🙂
Nicole says
Had it not been for a $50 gift card to Mecca, I wouldn’t have purchased GHD’s Curve Creative Curl Wand. When paired with Kevin Murphy’s Antigravity Volumsing Cream, I swear the hair Angels have descended before me.
Ahhh! But man, so expensive, right?
Karen says
That one looks really cool! Is it easy to use?
Nicole says
Sure is, but it took me a couple of ‘dos, and a first degree burn to work on my technique. The wand does come with a glove, but I noticed the intense heat can melt nail polish (yikes) despite wearing it. This only happens when I rest the tip of my glove covered thumb nail against the section of hair being curled. Tis a bummer of a way to ruin a manicure. It’s also worth mentioning the glove only protects the thumb, index and middle fingers, thus leaving the ring and pinkie fingers exposed to the very hot elements.
As I was writing this, I just realised I’m writing a one-way ticket to the Darwin Award’s Ceremony. Nevermind, at least I’ll have killer hair, right?
Nicole says
Sorry about all the rights?, I’m such a donkey’s behind.
Kiss & Make-up says
I am so jealous of your oomph. Can I have some of it? And don’t tell me it was all the curling iron because I don’t believe that for one second. You have such great hair!
Karen says
Aww thanks! 🙂
Happy Wednesday to ya!
Kristina Vieweg says
LOL! Naked curling sounds kinda dangerous! And holy volume batgirl that is some serious body and the curls look amazingly soft…I guess thats why they call it the “soft curl!” 😀
Karen says
You do what you gotta do! lol Have you tried any cool new hair stylers lately, Kristina?
Kelly B. says
Whew, that is a WHOLE lotta money for a curling iron! I love the amount of body it gave your hair but I’m not personally a fan of irons with clamps, still-I’ll have to see if they have other tools in this range/similar to!
Karen says
They do. They have a clipless creative curling wand and a waver. I tried the waver this morning!
Kim says
Ah, and you got it in at the very end. The whole time I was reading, I was thinking “for $250, it had better live up to its brand acronym for Good Hair Day”. With my elderly, color treated hair, I never curl any more but I would have snapped this sucker up 20 years ago. 🙂
Karen says
Dude, I think your hair is a long ways from elderly, lol. You’re too funny. What’s your hair routine these days? Wash and wear? If it is… JEALOUS.
Kim says
HAHA! Thanks! It might have been a *tiny* exaggeration.
My routine is pretty much wash and fry with a hair dryer every day. I can’t really complain because it’s not a disaster but I’d need a little more volume on the top if I wanted to wash and wear. Good wave/curl but not enough thickness for naturally nice hair. 🙂 And I do have to wash it every morning or I’d be uncomfortably close to Walking Dead hair territory. On that note, I am hoping so hard that those folks get a wash, very soon. Btw, your hair always looks awesome. I’m totally jealous of people with thicker locks!
Erika says
Maybe I’ll put this on my wish list. I’ve never had good luck with a curling iron; I’m a hot roller kind of girl, but maybe this one would change that! It should, at the price!
Karen says
Hi Erika,
I’m the exact opposite. I’ve tried hot rollers but never quite got the hang of them. Which ones do you use/love?
Erika says
I have a set of old Conair (covered in the velvety stuff) that I like, but my new faves are the Calista Tools travel set in the long style. It came with 6 long, kind of narrow hot rollers with “teeth” on them. You have to be careful not to get them tangled, but I plop those 6 babies in for a few minutes and I look like something out of a 1980’s hair commercial- Hooray for big hair!! I will say the plastic clips that come with them are a nightmare. I had to buy the set on ebay. I think they make a set of 12 and sell them at a ridiculous price, but six is all I needed.
Anna says
Hey Karen! Love your blog! You remind me so much of my self. I have a question, what shampoo do you use? Your hair is stunning!!!
Stephanie says
YOUR HAIR! I can’t get over it, even in the recent entries.
Yelena says
Karen, I Love your hair with big waves like this!
I recently cut my hair because I had bad split ends and I think breakage, even tho I was using a heat protector every time. I’m thinking maybe the heat protector wasn’t effective???
What are the top heat protectors you recommend? 😀