A bouncy wave is always going to be on trend. Between the GLAMOUR team, we’ve tried countless tools, and more specifically, hundreds of hair curlers. But the Hershesons Wavemaker is one is not like anything we’ve tried before. Sure, we’ve come across one or two auto-curl technology tools but none of them have felt quite as grown-up and futuristic.
For the uninitiated, London salon, Hershesons, are known for their effortless hair styling and A-list clients (who include Kiera Knightley, Sienna Miller, Emma Watson Dua Lipa and Claudia Schiffer), but in the past couple of years they’re tapping into the haircare and tools space.
Thanks to its innovative rolling barrel technology, the Wavemaker simplifies the process of creating waves and tousled texture, allowing you (in theory) to achieve your bouncy curls effortlessly. All you have to do is simply place your hair in between the barrel and let the tool do the rest of the work.
With a selection of three heat settings, this innovative tool provides customisable options to cater to various hair lengths, ensuring a personalised and effective styling experience. It also has a built-in cooling system that not only guarantees a lasting hold, but also prioritises safety. Sitting at £149.50 we needed to see how this tool performs on us, so five GLAMOUR staffers with different hair lengths put the Hershesons Wavemaker to the test. Here are our honest thoughts…
The product:
The Reviews:
Elle, GLAMOUR’s Beauty Editor
I love Hershesons salons for cool-girl hair and I love the products and tools for their innovation. This one, in true Hersheson’s style, is pushing the envelope with a format you’ve probably never seen before, and I’m here for it. My only problem is that I’m cack-handed at the best of times. I can only curl my hair if I tie it up in a ponytail and tong from there – that way I don’t have to wrestle with sectioning. And I’ve only recently sort of mastered curling my hair with a pair of straighteners. As with most new adoptions (see also: Dyson), it can take a while to get the hang of new stylers that don’t come as intuitively as familiar renditions. It definitely took me a good 15 minutes of playing before I got a curl that looked like the one in the tutorial from the QR code on the back of the booklet. After a further 30 minutes of experimenting, I’m still nowhere near a pro at it. Eventually I managed some messy waves, which in fairness is more my vibe than glossy uniform ones, but I reckon if I commit to learning I could crack tousled wavy hair in a couple of minutes each morning. Yes, unless you’re very co-ordinated it might take a moment to get used to, however I admire that Hersheson’s are adamant about pushing hair styling forward. We love to see it.
Rating: 8/10
Lian, GLAMOUR’s Audience Development Manager
I’m the first to admit that I’m no pro when it comes to hair. As I’ve gotten older my hair has (much to my dismay) become a lot finer and straighter, so I tend to want to avoid using any heat styling tools on it unnecessarily. As a result, I’m very much out of practice with using any kind of hair tool, especially a spinning one.
Nevertheless, I went into trying Hershesons Wavemaker with an open mind and after a few tests and my partner helping me finesse my technique, I felt like I had just about got into the hang of it. However, even on the 200° setting I found that I struggled to get a curl to hold in my hair. This is no doubt more to do with my lack of skill styling hair than the tool itself, but I did find it wasn’t as user-friendly as I’d hoped and that I had to keep re-curling strands.
Overall, as much as I wanted to like this, even after dedicating a decent amount of time to try and get my technique down, I wasn’t able to achieve the waves that I’d hoped for. Any hair tool that I have to insert my hair into the barrel of is always going to be intimidating to begin with, but I think I’ll need to have a few more tries to get the hang of this.
Rating: 5/10
Fiona, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director
To be honest, I didn’t find this the most intuitive tool I’ve ever used and I definitely feel like I need to practice using it a bit more before I get the result I want. It’s also definitely not the tool for someone who wants big ’90s supermodel-style curls that start at the root – which actually suited me down to the ground. This curler basically allows you to create Luke Hersheson’s signature undone hair at home, where the curl starts halfway down the hair shaft. I really liked the volume I still got at 50 degrees
Rating: 7/10
Sophie, GLAMOUR’s Senior Commerce Editor, Europe
In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to like this styler – and was a little terrified of getting my hair caught up in it – but once I had gotten the hang of it, I was actually such a fan. First and foremost, I loved the branding. The bright blue scuba case is great for travelling and it really stands out from the rest of my hair tools. As for the results? My hair looked bouncy and freshly-blown within minutes. I *did* have to dry and straighten my hair before using it – it’s naturally thick and very wavy – which added an extra step to my haircare routine. But on days when I have a little bit more time, I don’t mind making the effort. I found that I needed to use the hottest heat setting to get the results I needed, and I had to separate my hair into pretty small segments. But following that procedure, the results were dreamy and my curls stayed in place, with a little finishing serum, all day.
Rating: 8/10
Neamh, GLAMOUR’s Commerce Photo Editor
I loved my natural wavy curls growing up, but dying my hair from brunette to blonde has drastically changed my curl pattern. When it comes to curlers, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t make your hair feel really dry afterwards from the clamping down of heat to the manhandling of it. Some of them are just simply not that user friendly, so I was excited to try this Hersheson’s tool.
On first impressions, the packaging looks sleek but complicated to use. I couldn’t tell if the clear case was to be taken away. Although, thanks to the QR code included inside which takes you straight to Hershesons website, you can get the instructions in three simple steps.
The tool gave me soft tucked in curls as opposed to the waves I expected. I found it difficult to create defined, bouncy curls that reached the roots with my short hair, though. The barrel is thick, so doesn’t wrap around much of the hair. Perhaps it would be easier to play with curls if my hair was a bit longer? I played with the higher setting so that it would make my curls more defined, but it got a bit too hot too quickly.
Rating: 6/10
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
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