The latest device in the search for perfectly curled hair

“If I could pop a pill to curl my hair, that’s exactly what I would do,” my grandmother used to say in her charming southern drawl. But instead she’d fix her platinum hair in spongy rollers, and sleep with them. My mom used electric curlers, a faster solution but one that lasted for a night only. Inheriting their straight hair, I’ve used it all, including curling irons of various wand sizes. Lately, I’ve even used my straightener to create ribbon-like curls (which I then tousle up) à la Sarah Jessica Parker. The high heat of the iron creates results that are quick and long lasting — but subject to error from my tired arm. Enter the Miracurl, a professional grade device by Babyliss

with three high-heat settings (450˚F, 410˚F, and 375˚F). It sucks up your hair into the machine’s Nano Titanium curl chamber, so there’s no need for manual twirling. The machine works best with small, 1 to 1½-inch hair sections.

I gave the machine a whirl. It took just over a minute to heat up, which was fairly impressive. But from the instruction manual, I wasn’t sure where to put my hair, and with the few strands I tried, results were far from miraculous.

So I consulted the Miracurl’s nine-minute instructional YouTube video. After about five minutes, I figured out what I’d done

wrong — incorrectly loading my hair. Also, the video helped explain the various settings, which weren’t clearly indicated on the sample device I’d received.

I set the machine to the highest heat (450˚F) and the longest time (intervals include 12, 10 or 8 seconds). There’s also a knob to adjust the direction of the curl (right, left or alternate), and I chose alternate, which the video says creates the most natural results.

Well, hello Shirley Temple! These curls were tight, almost too tight. Then, I noticed steam (or was it smoke?) coming out of the device, which I took as a clear indicator that I should lower the setting and the time, which I did, each by one click. Whew. No more steam, and results were far more natural and Charlie’s Angelsesque.

Final verdict: The Miracurl really does create long-lasting curls, even for straight, long hair like mine (Tip: I skipped the conditioner when washing). It’s not necessarily a time saver compared to other electric irons or curlers, since the machine works only with small hair sections, and the suggested retail of $289 price is steep. Available late September at select salons across Canada.