Hot Tools Black & Gold Curling Iron 25mm

While this is a nice looking curling iron, it's quite cumbersome to use as it's not super light weight nor tightly compact. It's pretty rugged & solid in quality but it's not easy to use when you're in a hurry. It heats up decently & has dials to turn to get the correct heat setting but it doesn't clamp thin fine hair tightly enough to curl. Your hair will slip out too often to get your curls done in a adequate amount of time. If you have plenty of time to be extra careful while using this curling iron & able to constantly re-clamp slipped hair, only then you may achieve curls, highly doubt they'll be the curls you'll want but curls will form. Most of us want something that's going to curl quickly & sufficiently with nice bouncy curls as the end result. In order for ... MoreWhile this is a nice looking curling iron, it's quite cumbersome to use as it's not super light weight nor tightly compact. It's pretty rugged & solid in quality but it's not easy to use when you're in a hurry. It heats up decently & has dials to turn to get the correct heat setting but it doesn't clamp thin fine hair tightly enough to curl. Your hair will slip out too often to get your curls done in a adequate amount of time. If you have plenty of time to be extra careful while using this curling iron & able to constantly re-clamp slipped hair, only then you may achieve curls, highly doubt they'll be the curls you'll want but curls will form. Most of us want something that's going to curl quickly & sufficiently with nice bouncy curls as the end result. In order for that to work, iron needs to be light & compact yet well heated with tighter clamps. This iron while aesthetically pleasing just wasn't functional for what I needed.

This is a curling iron, plain & simple. It heats up relatively quickly, in about 1 minute. It can be set on whatever degree of heat is desired with the dial beginning at 280 degrees & maxing out at 455 degrees. Where the cord attaches to the handle, it swivels so there’s no fighting with a cord that’s tangled. The end remains cool so it can be held while curling the hair. My hair is long, thick & coarse. I’ve not been successful with curling irons actually giving me a curl that holds. The first time using this, it’s recommended to try it at low heat. I did & my short sideswept bangs pretty much held after I sprayed them. The curl in the rest of my hair didn’t hold at the lower heat & I didn’t really expect it to. Later, I tried the iron after heating it to about 410 ... MoreThis is a curling iron, plain & simple. It heats up relatively quickly, in about 1 minute. It can be set on whatever degree of heat is desired with the dial beginning at 280 degrees & maxing out at 455 degrees. Where the cord attaches to the handle, it swivels so there’s no fighting with a cord that’s tangled. The end remains cool so it can be held while curling the hair. My hair is long, thick & coarse. I’ve not been successful with curling irons actually giving me a curl that holds. The first time using this, it’s recommended to try it at low heat. I did & my short sideswept bangs pretty much held after I sprayed them. The curl in the rest of my hair didn’t hold at the lower heat & I didn’t really expect it to. Later, I tried the iron after heating it to about 410 degrees & I got the same results as I do with any curling iron. What works on my thick, long, coarse hair is to curl it with a flat iron at 410 degrees which is why I chose that temp for the curling iron. I don’t know if it’s the flat surface grabbing more of the hair or what but I get a great curl that lasts with a flat iron. With a curling iron, I got more what I should get with a flat iron, relatively smooth with a little curl on the end. There’s nothing wrong with this curling iron. Good features are control of the degree of heat desired, a cord that swivels, a wand with a good hair grip & it turns off automatically after 2 hours. The downside for me is the cost. For me, this iron doesn’t do any better curls than any other one I’ve used, it’s features just might make things a little more convenient. I’ll stick with my flat iron.

I've used a LOT of styling tools in my lifetime, of all shapes, sizes, and brands. I have to, to make my naturally wavy hair look acceptable for public contact. It has just enough "natural" to need taming somehow.This curling iron is a good performing unit, that heats up very quickly and leaves my hair shiny. The curls last well, depending of course, on what I've put on it. If I don't over-condition my fine hair, and sometimes use a mouse or styling product, the curls look natural and stay in at least for the day, if not until my next wash. This is the goal, right?One, little flaw that I've noticed, is that the clip near the inside/handle doesn't hold my hair. There's too large a gap for it to clamp tightly and my hair can slide out. The far end, closest to the tip ... MoreI've used a LOT of styling tools in my lifetime, of all shapes, sizes, and brands. I have to, to make my naturally wavy hair look acceptable for public contact. It has just enough "natural" to need taming somehow.This curling iron is a good performing unit, that heats up very quickly and leaves my hair shiny. The curls last well, depending of course, on what I've put on it. If I don't over-condition my fine hair, and sometimes use a mouse or styling product, the curls look natural and stay in at least for the day, if not until my next wash. This is the goal, right?One, little flaw that I've noticed, is that the clip near the inside/handle doesn't hold my hair. There's too large a gap for it to clamp tightly and my hair can slide out. The far end, closest to the tip of the wand, does an excellent job, but it loosens closer to my hand, eventually becoming ineffective. I have to re-curl that hair section.I like the dial and indicator light and the cord is long enough for my needs. It seems I need a hotter temp than I'm used to using, but I have enough heat to meet my needs, without using the highest setting.I will continue using this iron and update if I have more to add.