Big, bouncy curls aren’t Victoria’s Secret anymore. Word got out, and now it’s easy to get runway ready hair at home with the T3 Twirl 1.25-Inch Curling Iron ($119).
Those V.S. chicks get help from a dedicated team of stylists who tease their locks into perfectly tousled submission; the T3 Twirl gets help from its 1.25-inch diameter barrel.
The unit joined T3’s stable of styling tools earlier this year. To improve upon the design of old school curling irons that delivered inconsistent heat, the company implemented some very scientific-sounding technology. Straight up, they make it sound like the Kublai Khan of curling irons!
2007 FLASHBACK: See how the T3 Featherweight hair dryer changed my world.
T3’s Single Pass digital heating insures that the iron gets hot f a s t. It also helps it maintain consistent heat through the length of the barrel.
T3’s Tourmaline technology (tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone/gem) is even hotter than that! The tourmaline in the barrel emits negative ions that cancel out static electricity and close the hair cuticle for sleek and springy, frizz-free curls.
As Flava Flav so often said, “Yeah, boyeeeee!”
The Twirl works about 40% faster than the cheapie $12 Revlon curling iron I’ve been using since 1998 (!). At its highest setting (450 degrees), it takes about two minutes to reach a working temperature; the Revlon takes about 10.
I also notice that I don’t have to hold the T3 in my hair as long as the Revlon to get the same type of curl. Overall, the Twirl shaves about 10 minutes off my regular curling time, bringing the job down to 15 minutes from 25.
Curled with the T3, I think my hair looks less frizzy, too, and my curls stay tight throughout the day.
The Twirl even sports some nice extras, like a 9-foot cord that swivels at the base of the iron (doesn’t get tangled) and a velcro cable tie for storage.
Yep, the Twirl’s fast and effective, but it should be for $119. If you’re in the mood to splurge, or you curl your hair often, in which case a few minutes saved each time could eventually justify the cost, it might be a good investment. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
You might like the T3 Twirl if…
- You’re looking for one of the fastest curling irons money can buy
- You don’t mind paying top dollar for hair styling tools
- You want those big, bouncy V.S. girl curls that stay tight and last all day long
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Starting June 16, for a limited time, Bloomingdales is offering a free bottle of T3 + Orlando Pita Elevate Heat Seeking Iron Volumizer with any Twirl purchase. It’s a spray designed to add volume and shine to flat-ironed styles (a $19 value). Just something to think about. 🙂
Lindsay says
June 10th, 2010 at 11:16 pmYou look beautiful!!! I’ve been wanting a t3 curling iron… Some day i’ll break down and get one.
.-= Lindsay’s last blog post… MAC Fabulous Felines August 2010 Promo Pics =-.
Karen says
June 10th, 2010 at 11:23 pmIt’s pretty cool. Do you curl your hair often?
Natalie says
June 10th, 2010 at 11:18 pmwow too amazing. i think i would curl my hair if i had this. I use my straighter instead, im not to excited to do that on a whim
Karen says
June 10th, 2010 at 11:23 pmOh, do you use your straightener to curl your hair? I still haven’t quite figured that out yet.
Meredith says
June 11th, 2010 at 11:25 amKaren- it took me forever to figure out how to curl my hair with a straightener, but there are lots of youtube videos; you should check them out, they’re really helpful!
Natalie says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:37 pmyea, takes ages and they dont all come out even =/
im not too skilled at it though so that could be why..
Laura says
June 10th, 2010 at 11:58 pmwish I could figure out how to curl my hair with a curling iron lol instead I use bumble and bumble salt spray for wavy-ish hair!
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:02 amThat’s a good product. I love how it smells and creates a tousled look. 🙂
Kim says
June 11th, 2010 at 4:36 amLuckily I have quite a bit of natural curl, but it’s nice to emphasize it for special occasions. And I agree, I love all T3s tools. If you’re going to go high end, you can’t go wrong with T3! A few years ago at a hair show, we were across from T3 and they were doing demos with one of the Asian models (thick, straight hair). In like 10 minutes, she looked like Shirley Temple (in a good way). Everyone was blown away and there was a big crowd wanting to be next! It was pretty amazing.
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:00 amYeah, their stuff is LEGIT! It’s just really pricey. When I bought my hairdryer a few years back I remember being a little alarmed that I spent that much on one tool but it makes a huge difference in time!
Scientific Housewife says
June 11th, 2010 at 5:58 amI just got a new curling iron for Christmas and was amazed what a little ceramic ionic action could do for my hair. I don’t curl it enough to spring that much moolah but it looks great!
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:55 amNice! Does your iron have a big barrel for large curls or a smaller one for tighter curls?
Nina says
June 11th, 2010 at 6:36 amI dont really curl my hair but your description makes me want to! 🙂
A T3 dryer has been on my wishlist for a while, along w/ a straightener. Why dont I just complete the gang and add this one too? 😀
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:53 amYeah!! Then you can have a happy T3 family, LOL!
Nina says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:11 amYep… I will be the hair fab T3 momma! 😀
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:13 amYeah, just don’t tell the hubs.
When El Hub found out about how much I spent on the Featherweight he said, “You spent WHAT on a hair dryer?!?”
Nina says
June 11th, 2010 at 12:52 pmUh oh. I better get it one by one … secretly! 😀
Lee says
June 11th, 2010 at 6:45 amI usually use velcro rollers in my hair 4 curls/waves like that cos i can put them in each section i blowdry and leave them in 4 as long as i want which is usually a couple hrs while i do some stuff round the house then finish getting ready ( makeup and dress ) lol
I find it makes them stay alot longer than a curling iron, BUT i havent used a curling iron thats really a top range one lol so maybe i should give this a try 🙂
Lee says
June 11th, 2010 at 6:47 amOh by the way Karen, ive just had a quick look at the t3 site, could u please tell me if u really have noticed a good difference with ur hair since using their dryer? i read how they say every use makes ur hair better but somehow i dont believe that lol
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:49 amHi Lee,
I don’t blow dry as much now as I used to, but when I did the main difference was with time. It cut down drying time by a TON! I don’t remember if my hair was technically in better shape (as repeated blow drying/heat styling can dry it out), but I do remember it looking less frizzy.
Lee says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:06 amLess drying time sounds really good 2 me! and so does less frizz 🙂
Do you guys have the Dove shampoo range over there? ( sorry i know thats prob a really stupid qtn lol )
I use the dark blue range, the one 4 damaged hair with repairing serum in it and i find that has smoothed the heck out of my hair even when i dont blow dry 🙂 id say its the closest drugstore shampoo i have used compared 2 my fav ever salon brand, the Loreal Intense Repair range 🙂
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:10 amI used it a looong time ago and remember liking the scent and the conditioner! It’s been ages though… I think we still have it here!
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:52 amHi Lee,
I think I tried those a long time ago when I was a kid and for some reason the curl didn’t take. That’s cool they work for you though! I bet you look cute while you’re puttering around the house with ’em. 🙂
Lee says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:02 amSome have said i look more like a cute little old lady lol…but now i think ill get the t3 curler and get rid of the granny rollers lol
I just hope its not way 2 expensive here in Aus 😛
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 8:12 amIt might be a fun way to mix up your routine.
I bet the granny rollers are great! I would use them if they worked on my hair!
Courtney says
June 11th, 2010 at 6:46 amYEs YEs Yall! I used mine this moring and I got some serious whiplash wave curls going on. I.LIVE.FOR.THIS.CURLER! It gives major runway/red carpet action. And the best part.. your look last. I live in NYC so if I curl my hair by the end of the day I have loose sexy wavys that i LOVE.
Your hair looks FAB Karen!
.-= Courtney’s last blog post… I cant breathe… =-.
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:51 amHi Courtney,
Glad to hear that you love this! How long have you been using it for?
Michelle says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:23 amI need to invest in a good curling iron — I have 3 little girls with long hair who love to have wavy/curly hair. This could change my life 🙂
Your hair looks gorg, BTW!!
Karen says
June 11th, 2010 at 7:44 amHi Michelle,
This would be great if you like to do loose waves. 😀
Lisa S. says
June 11th, 2010 at 9:11 amOooo love your big bouncy curls! I do curl my hair almost everyday so I can actually justify this.
And my birthday is coming up anyway, so it’s all good!
makeup morsels says
June 11th, 2010 at 12:56 pmdaaang I’m in love with your loose curls, you look ready to breeze right out the door. are there any drugstore curling irons you like for this type of curl? I don’t want to spend that much since I don’t actually curl my hair all that often
.-= makeup morsels’s last blog post… Last of the Lumene Lineup =-.
makeup morsels says
June 11th, 2010 at 12:56 pmAlthough the Revlon isn’t as good compared to this, would you recommend that I just go for that? I just love the look of loose almost wavy curls
.-= makeup morsels’s last blog post… Last of the Lumene Lineup =-.
JillyB says
June 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pmYour hair looks great! I use a curling iron every day on my really straight hair. Down here in FL the curl doesn’t last very long. I’d like to use some kind of spray– have you tried any? Does a spray for flatirons work for curling or is it made to keep the hair straight? I can’t seem to find anything for curling iron use. Hair spray while I’m curling makes it crunchy. Any suggestions? Thanks! And I’m so late, but hope you had a happy birthday.
Rachael says
June 11th, 2010 at 3:06 pmI’ve given up fighting my natural waves and random spirals; I’ve embraced my natural texture. Needless to say, I want that curling iron!
.-= Rachael’s last blog post… License to Thrill: I Wanna be a Bond Girl =-.
Haley says
June 11th, 2010 at 3:09 pmWANT!!! And I was reading above you don’t know how to curl your hair with a flat iron, Karen?
Theres lots of youtube tutorials that show you how… I almost always use my GHD flat iron to curl it (although I used my babyliss curling iron today), and I’ve recently learned to wave my hair with it! A lot of cool stuff 😉
Do you think this T3 curling iron packs more heat than the babyliss? I find that my babyliss just doesn’t hold the curl as long as my ghd does 🙁
Sylvia says
June 11th, 2010 at 4:08 pmare the t3 straightening irons better than chis? my chi broke and im looking for a new one…would u recommend one?
marisol says
June 11th, 2010 at 10:02 pmI can use most hair styling tools but curling irons are my nemesis. Can never get my hair to look right using them.
.-= marisol’s last blog post… Disappointed… =-.
Devi says
June 12th, 2010 at 2:14 pmYour hair looks great. I’m looking out for a straightening iron, any recs? My hair’s a little below my shoulder and naturally wavy. There are so many out there, I’m confused!
Julia says
June 13th, 2010 at 2:47 pmHey Karen, your hair looks great! I must ask, do you use any product in your hair before you curl it? My curls always seem to fall flat even with a ton of hairspray. Help!
Janet says
June 13th, 2010 at 2:52 pmLove the volume and curl!!!
lexi says
June 14th, 2010 at 10:40 amFYI – i bought a bottle of that T3 Orlando Pita volumizer at Marshall’s for just $5.99. I don’t own a T3 anymore and it works just fine with my cheapie flat iron. I’m sure it’s even more amazing if I used it with the curling iron.
Karen says
June 14th, 2010 at 10:50 amSpeaking of Marshall’s, I was just there yesterday and spied several pairs of LAMB shoes on clearance for $70!
Michelle says
July 29th, 2011 at 3:06 pmThanks for the review! I’ve used many different curling iron brands and neither worked for me as good as my Karmin Salon Pro Clipless Tourmaline Curling Iron it is awesome and leaves my hair really soft and shiny I love it!
You can check it out here:
http://www.rylees.co.uk/karmin-professional-salon-pro-clipless-ceramic-tourmaline-curling-iron.html
S. Abe says
December 17th, 2011 at 9:43 pmWoah! I had no idea That T3 was good, let alone great until looking at this post. I just bought one yesterday for $22(it was on clearance) at TJ Maxx. I had planned on buying the cheapest one that had the word tourmaline on the label (b/c apparently that’s what makes hair look shiny and frizz free, Man oh man am I glad this company rocks – I was just planning on investing in a great one when I had more money in the bank.