Thanks to the cobalt blue hue which defines all Hershesons hair products and tools, you can spot them a mile off in pictures, tutorials and in the wild at hairdressers.
After seeing the salon chain had launched a new tong, The Wand, earlier this summer, I quickly began to see flashes of its statement colour pop up all over my social feeds. Influencers raved about it, and it was clear it was fast becoming a cult piece of kit.
While Dyson, Shark and GHD may be giants in the hair tool space for their tech credentials, Hershesons are far from new to the sector. The family-run business was the very first brand to launch a professional straightening iron way back in 1998, and since then they’ve launched plenty more tools, as well as brushes and some cult hair products. The salons are a trusty presence in central London for a more premium approach to the cut and colour with several ‘lifestyle store’ locations. It was founded by Daniel Hersheson and his son - Luke Hersheson counts the likes of Keira Knightley and Dua Lipa as clients.
The brand’s last electrical to hit the market was The Wavemaker, which creates curls automatically when you feed hair into the barrel system that cools and sets them, rather than the user manually twisting or holding the hair. It garnered lots of attention as the lazygirl tool of choice, though for me looked a little fiddly and seemed to offer less control given I’ve been tonging my hair religiously for over 12 years (yes, I don’t even own straighteners). But then came The Wand, a more classic tong which it touts for ‘tousled’, more undone looks. Given I wear my hair wavy every day (or at least with tousled ends), I had to see what the fuss was about.
I’ve had the same trusty tongs for six years, so could The Wand convert me? Here’s what happened when I tried it.
Key features:
- Temperature settings: 80C - 210C, variable by an LED swivel dial
- Material: 25mm ceramic-coated barrel
- Cable length: 35cm
- Weight: 220g
- Heat-up time: rises instantly
- Accessories included: neoprene heat-proof sleeve
- Power: standard UK power plug and global dual voltage
- Safety feature: automatically switches off after 60 minutes of non-use
What is the Wand?
A sleek, bright blue (of course) curling tong, the Wand heats up instantly to between 80°C and 210°C (though personally, I would advise against heating hair above 200°C as damage is likely to happen above this temperature).
It has a swivel cord that won’t snag as you pull the tool in any direction, which makes for easy styling. It’s also sleek and easy to hold, with the perfect-sized handle and a curved point on the end of the ceramic barrel where you rest your non-dominant hand to keep the tool in place, while you set the curl. It’s also really light in weight in spite of feeling solid and high quality, so you won’t get tired of twisting your locks, even if you have loads of hair.
The product comes in recyclable, corrugated packaging with a note from the team about why it’s foolproof and with a QR code detailing the ‘cool girl’ looks you can create. A nice touch. It comes with a heat-proof neoprene bag which is thick and protective but flexible, so it’ll keep your wand looking fresh and means you can stash it away and go without singeing anything while they cool down.
Functionality
The Wand’s USP is that it promises to make curls and waves last all day and that it can create multiple looks. It also promises to be easy to use. This, claims the brand, is because the 25mm ceramic-coated barrel is the perfect shape and size to define curls and waves. You can just alter where you curl the hair from, and how much hair you style at a time, in order to set the look of your choice.
It has plenty of techy features including a twistable dial on the bottom of the barrel which you use to the temperature up and down and can see it changing in real-time on a digital display. It’s ready when it states your desired heat level, or before if you wish.
It’s also got a big selling point for those for whom the phrase “Have I left my curlers on?!” lives rent-free in their head most of the day: it turns off automatically after 60 seconds and displays the word ‘OFF’ from then on. I found this also prompted me to turn them off at the socket as it reminded me they were on standby.
A real plus for me, The Wand doesn’t have a clamp. Instead, you twist the hair around it and hold the ends so they’re not damaged by the heat. I hate the fact that many clamps leave a mark on the hair and that the overall look can be a tad too “done”.
User-friendliness
The brand recommends using The Wand at a low setting if your hair is fine or coloured and on high settings if it falls out easily and is thicker. They say to hold the hair on the barrel for just three seconds.
Over a few days, I experimented with several heat settings and styling techniques to create different looks. It’s worth mentioning that my hair had been freshly cut the week prior, so it’s likely to hold styles better than hair which isn’t in optimum condition.
For ideas on how to get the most out of the product, I watch some influencer reviews and the brand’s own content. In a video by Polly Sawyer (who has fine, dyed blonde hair, cut in a blunt bob), she follows the brand’s suggestion to do each section of hair in the opposite direction to the last — it works wonderfully on her hair type and looks fab, making it appear a little tousled and undone. On my hair, this wasn’t so successful. My locks are fine but I have a lot of it. So keeping to one direction to avoid adding volume to the roots worked best for me. I always curl the front pieces away from my face.
A short burst of heat at 180°C works to set a tighter curl on less of my hair for a beachy look. Though my preferred way to use it is on a thicker section, on a lower heat (150°C) for longer — I try about eight seconds. This works best a day, or at least the morning after a wash, but held well on freshly blowdried hair, as long as I used a little product.
Hershesons says to use its Almost Everything Cream after curling, though I reach for my Larry King A Social Life For Your Hair (£29 for 100ml) as I like the slightly gummier texture (you just need a pea-sized amount rubbed into hands and lightly rubbed through the mid-lengths and ends — I like to lift it from the bottom while doing this. Or I turn to some O Way Glossy Nectar (£22.75 for 50ml) to define my fringe or individual strands. And speaking of products, don’t forget a heat protector of your choice before any styling with hot tools. A given if you don’t want split ends or frazzled lengths.
When I create bigger waves with more hair, they look a bit done at first, though if I undo with a little with my fingers they’re full but relaxed. I always use the tool closer to horizontally than vertically, and for the longer strands of my hair, I curl from around ear height (much more natural than starting too close to the roots), then I twist the hair into place as I release it and hold it for a second or two in order to coax it to stay in position as it cools down.
A top tip from the Hershesons team is to use the tool without a mirror as it prevents you from getting confused by the reverse image in the reflection. As I mentioned, I’m a tong veteran, but I see others raving about this online, and journalist India Knight is quoted saying she could use it in the dark. So it really is foolproof as the brand claims.
Verdict
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Hershesons The Wand
Best for: creating varied textures and looks for lengths from bobs to long hair
My trusty old tongs are already retired a week after getting my hands on The Wand. They’re waiting in the cupboard just in case, but Hershesons’ new tool looks a lot slicker and more stylish on my dressing table. I’d go as far as to say it’s aesthetically my favourite on the market: that cobalt colour really does pop.
It’s also intuitive to use. The digital display, twist temperature gauge and 360 cord give it an edge. And even though it took me a while to contend with the fact the barrel isn’t tapered and therefore the curls are a bit more consistent in size through the hair length than I’m used to, I’m now on board with this and like how, as the brand says, it makes it easy to create loads of looks.
My only mild bugbear is the fact that the temperature shoots up in odd numbers, from 80 to 110. But this makes no difference to the finished look.
The speed factor is another huge draw. My hair is long, reaching my ribs and I could create any of my desired looks in around five minutes. It was also perfect for adding texture to natural curls if I had let my hair air dry the day before without the faux waves looking out of place.
I haven’t seen the product used on very thick, naturally straight hair, so can’t confirm if it can hold curls on this texture as well, but you can feel the heat working fast at the high settings, so it could be a good option with enough setting product. Perhaps the Wavemaker might be the more desirable tool in this instance.
Added kudos for the fact that the finger rest on the top gave me added control and prevented a rather embarrassing occasional beauty blunder: burning my forehead when I use tongs to smooth my baby hairs (I don’t use straighteners). I like the fact you can quickly direct short hair with the tool or smooth flyaways by running it down the hair shaft.
The product is £120 which is around three-quarters of the price of similar high-end curling tools on the market, so the value for money for the look, feel and results is fantastic. All in all: the dream for curl and wave lovers. They’re easy to create and stay put as promised — and you don’t even need a deft hand.
Buy now £120.00, Hershesons
