2 hours ago
2
I’m frequently out of step with the beauty community, never more so than on the release of the original Dyson Airwrap hot-air hair styler. While I have girlfriends who would sooner surrender their dishwasher or telly than their beloved and more expensive Airwrap, I gave mine away after a handful of attempts, having found it a faff with limited rewards. Bouncy curls dropped limply to nothing in minutes; the drying time seemed interminable. I couldn’t get the multi-use tool to do any one job as well as a single-use tong, wand or dryer could.
I never imagined an upgrade would make enough of a difference for me to take another look. I think I was wrong. The new Airwrap i.d. has ironed out most kinks in the user experience. As with so many beauty gadgets these days, it involves downloading an app, but registration is quick and leads the user to a short questionnaire about their hair. This information is then used to design the right curling cycle for the owner, combining temperature, airflow and duration of hot-air styling v cool shot setting (remember: in hairdressing it’s always “hot to mould, cold to hold”). If you’re sharing – and for £479.99, you should – each family member can be added under their own profile.
When you switch on the Airwrap to curl, the app will direct the handset according to your personal settings, taking out the guesswork. The result, for me, has been curls and waves that last (albeit with decreasing definition) for literally days until my next wash, when the original model gave me barely an hour.
Another significant improvement is the new set of attachments it comes with. The conical curling head gives cooler, more modern-looking curls than the uniform, glam, bouncy barrel waves – an Airwrap signature that isn’t everyone’s aesthetic. The curl and wave diffuser allows large, wavy sections to appear naturally air-dried and more casual. The new arrow-shaped tool gives a poker-straight surface with few flyaways. The overall experience is acres better, if not perfect.
It’s still a bulky piece of kit. It still can’t be plugged into an adaptor to work abroad. As to whether it is worth the massive price tag, it very much depends on your approach and priorities. If you change up your style regularly, or worry about the damage caused by regular mechanical heat styling, this more versatile, gentler tool may be a godsend. Then again, £480 buys a lot of Christmas presents.
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Hair stylist: Sarah Cherry
