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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Curls with the KISS InstaWave - A Review

Unintentionally, this week is shaping up to be new product review week. New year, great new items to test out. I have to admit, one of my favorite parts of being a blogger is getting to try out new products before everyone else. Getting the chance to try a hair styling tool, heaven. I got the chance recently to test out the new KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler. I wasn't sure it would work well on my fine, shorter, hard to curl hair. I thought I'd give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised.

I opened the box and read all of the instructions. It seemed super easy. I loved the idea of getting curls without worrying that my fingers would end up burned and blistered. Since my hair is above my shoulders, finger burns happen more often than I'd like.

The Features:
  • KISS InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle-free curler that instantly creates beautiful curls
  • Easy for anyone to use, from any angle, with any hand
  • Features a Curl Dial with left/right curl directions
  • Automatically shuts off after 90 minutes
  • 2 heat settings with a low/high switch with maximum temperature of 420

There are two heat settings. I found the lower setting can be best for my fine hair. The indicator light comes on when the InstaWave is ready.



I started by pulling out a small section of my hair.


Hold the KISS Instawave Automatic Curler vertical to your head and just place the hair in the tines of the spindle. You just lay it across.


Then you hit the toggle button in the direction you want the barrel to turn.


Hold the InstaWave Automatic Curler in place for 5 to 10 seconds. Then pull the curler straight down. There was a little bit of a learning curve with my shorter hair and I found using a clip to hold my uncurled hair back was helpful.


Here is a video demo. (Be kind this is my very first video.)




My hair after I finished my full head. My curl lasts all day and still looks good.


PROS
  • Easy to use right out of the box but since it was different than a standard iron, it took some time getting used to the motions.
  • Heats up quickly.
  • Didn't tangle.
  • Auto shut-off (after 90 seconds), a plus for forgetful people like me.
  • Creates lasting curls, even on my fine hair.
CONS
  • Curling was one handed but use was not. I needed both hands to set the hair in place in the curler.
  • It will take some time using it before I'm as fast as I am with a standard curling iron. To be fair, I've been using a standard iron since I was 12.
  • It makes some noise (see video above). If you do your hair early in the morning while your spouse is sleeping (like I do) be aware that it's not silent.
  • On the higher end of curling iron price points (retail: $59.99)


Note: I received my KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler in exchange for my review. My opinions are my own.