I’ll be completely honest with you, I love my hair – it’s my favorite feature right now. It used to be my breasts, but then I had two kids and as a result they slipped down the list a spot or two. So my beautiful, long blonde hair took the number one spot. However, regardless of how much I love it and the fact that I’m a beauty editor and have a lot of hair products at my disposal, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. any Time to style it. I own one of the best hairdryers in the world (Dyson Supersonic Nural, in case you were wondering) and yes, I even have the Airwrap, although it is currently gathering dust under my bed, but I prefer the simple approach. I like to let my hair dry naturally – although I never skip my moisturizing products (Arkives The Good Calmer is my absolute favorite) – and rarely brush it through because I really like that undone, beachy wave look. Sparse would be the word I would use to describe my styling routine.
However, occasionally I like to change up my look and go for something a little more playful. And about four years ago I discovered what I think is one of the most ingenious hair tools to ever hit the beauty market: the Toni & Guy Deep Barrel Hair Waver. This styler ticks all my boxes – it’s incredibly easy to use, it takes me less than 15 minutes to style all of my hair, and it costs less than £20.
Toni & Guy Deep Barrel Hair Waver
So what is a deep barrel hair curler? Well, dear reader, it’s not really like a traditional curling iron or tongs, it’s essentially a giant crimper – but don’t let that description put you off. This isn’t an embarrassing 90s teen hair tool, this styler creates gorgeous deep waves in no time.
I first saw it while scrolling through Instagram, as I often do these days. I saw how quickly it transformed hair and I immediately knew I had to get it.
As I mentioned above, I own a multi-styler that can create all kinds of looks. In recent years, hair tools like this have been at the top of everyone’s wish list. As a low-maintenance (or lazy) person, the Toni & Guy tool appealed to me because of how quick and easy it is to use.
(Photo credit: Katie Thomas)
This tool really has no frills – it has an on/off switch, a handle lock, and a little dial that goes from 1 to 25 (I’m not sure why) to control the temperature. At 25 it reaches the maximum temperature of 200°C, but if you have very damaged or fine hair just turn it down accordingly. Unlike all the fancy tools coming out these days, you can’t tell when it’s hot enough to use, but I usually wait a minute before I start styling.
Before using the Toni & Guy Barrel Hair Waver
(Photo credit: Katie Thomas)
My hair has a very slight natural wave to it, which I like to accentuate by wearing it in a low bun when I sleep (this is another low maintenance styling tip). Because my hair is long, it is very heavy, which pulls everything down, so it can look a little flat around my head.
After using the Toni & Guy Barrel Hair Waver
(Photo credit: Katie Thomas)
Hello, wonderful waves! I took these pictures for this article and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it took 12 minutes to get from the first picture to the second. Seriously, I timed it.
To fully style my hair, I divide it into layers. I start with the hair at the bottom and work my way up. Since the plates are quite wide, you can style large sections at once. I’m sure I’m breaking all the hair rules here, but I didn’t even brush my hair before styling – I just clamped it down for about five or six seconds and then moved downwards.
If I know I’m going to use the waver, I make sure to apply a heat protectant spray beforehand because it gets hot on the highest setting. And finally, I apply a little moisturizer to the ends and I’m done. This is honestly super-fast styling at its finest.
My favorite styling products for the tool
Kérastase Chroma Absolu Sérum Chroma Thermique
This serum is perfect for my hair type. Since I bleach my hair, it is very frayed, so I need something that will smooth and condition my hair, and this does that while protecting it from high temperatures.
Hair by Sam McKnight Happy Endings
I love this product for taking care of my dry ends. I use it every day and always opt for the smaller 30ml package and keep one in my purse just like my lip balm.
