Hot Hot Tools!

Trust me on this one, girls, a curling iron is not just a curling iron. It’s a potential day-wrecker, and if you keep it for awhile, I promise it will be a repeat offender. I’ve had plenty of bad curling irons over the years—ones I bought on sale, second-hand ones, ones I spent WAY too much on and regret—so I’ve learned a thing or two about selecting a good one. I can tell you the iron that I owe my best hairstyles to and the one that’s stuck with me for years without fail is a Hot Tools Professional gold-plated barrel spring iron. I have two sizes, and they are both awesome. If you clean the barrel now and then and don’t leave it on 24/7, it should last you for years and years. Check out the specs at: http://www.hottools.com

You can get one at Ulta for $35 on sale, and I just saw they also have them on Amazon.com right now for $25 (OMG!), so there is no excuse to be using that rusty old thing that burns your hair and the spring keeps falling out. Just admit it and move on—you’re in a bad relationship. Drop it like it’s hot!

What to look for when comparing irons:

1. You’ve GOT to have adjustable heat. Look for a dial—it should get up to at least 400 degrees to get the job done, but you’re also going to need to turn it down so you don’t burn fine or fragile hair.

2. Size matters…Obviously the width of the barrel will be determined by the style you’re going for, but I’m talking about the LENGTH. (Why does this sound dirty? Umm…) The longer the barrel, the more hair you’ll be able to wrap around that thing and the faster you’ll get your hair did, so hold out for a big one, ladies.

3. A powerful spring clamp. You heard me. You don’t want to have to redo the same curl time and again because it keeps falling out of the clamp. Dumb things are infuriating. A good iron will even come with a replacement spring, make sure you keep track of that. You’ll thank me later.

4. Why waste your time with a short cord? You never know when you’ll be stuck getting ready somewhere and find the outlet is miles away from the mirror. My cord is 8 feet, so I can wrap up in it like I’m talking to a gal pal on an old school telephone.

Alright then, go get one. Let’s bring the sass back! I’m bored of straight hair.