Beautiful curls for your hair, 'made at home'

Even if you're tempted by Gisele Bündchen's or Jennifer Aniston's curls, take heart: it's easy, and you can do it yourself. To start with, forget old-fashioned rollers: too fiddly and slow to put in, they don't hold, and you're left with a few sad curls battling it out… no point getting worked up for nothing — let's save our energy for more interesting things!

So spare yourself the ulcer and arm yourself with a professional curling tong, such as BaByliss Pro and similar. A professional tool matters: it's an investment you won't regret. You can curl as much as you like, the results last, curls relax beautifully into waves, and your style still looks decent the next morning. Look for one with adjustable temperature, a ceramic or tourmaline coating, auto shut-off and fast heat-up: newer models reach temperature in seconds, so no more endless waiting.

Alongside this basic, spiral curling wands and hot brushes are variations worth considering depending on your hair length and texture. A decent tool, stored properly, will last several years: it's an investment, not a disposable you replace every season.

Hydrate and protect before you heat — the step that changes everything. Also important: a serum that prepares hair for the tong and helps create smooth, defined curls.

Take care: curls should always be created on dry hair! Otherwise you risk burning your hair, and the damage is not pretty: dry, brittle, frazzled strands.

Take a small amount of cream or serum (a shine serum or a lightweight hair cream) in your hand, massage it into the ends and lengths, and use the moment to preheat your tongs — although professional models heat up very quickly, another advantage, so there's no need to wait half an hour to start.

Separate your hair layer by layer, starting at the nape and working towards the roots. Take section by section, no more than a centimetre thick, wrap each one around the tong and wait a few seconds (no longer — there's no need to burn your hair, and the curls won't hold any better!). Once all your sections are curled, finish with a light mist of hairspray (a gentle formula for fragile hair or the well-known Elnett by L'Oréal). Over the hours, the spirals soften and turn into waves: that's exactly the look we're after today. A serum or a light oil through the ends revives shine without weighing hair down.

But no-heat curls are still well worth trying: plaits on slightly damp hair, fabric rollers, a wrapped headband, or a twisted T-shirt for 'robe curls'. They won't last as long on straight hair, but the hair fibre can breathe!

And there you have it: beautiful curls frame your face, your hair shines (thanks to the tong smoothing the cuticle), and it feels like a lovely change! Today, with so many excellent-quality tools available, there's no need to go to the salon just to change your look or style your hair for an evening out. Lately, as you may have noticed, curls and waves are everywhere: beautiful, controlled, soft curls that soften into waves in places, for an angelic finish.

Budget

On the budget side, expect to pay around £30 to £60 for a decent curling tong with adjustable temperature and a ceramic coating, and more like £60 to £120 for a professional model such as BaByliss Pro, depending on the barrel diameter and auto shut-off. A heat protectant or smoothing serum usually costs between £10 and £25, a flexible-hold hairspray between £5 and £15, and no-heat accessories — fabric rollers, a headband, a T-shirt — cost just a few pounds. What changes the price: the brand, the barrel diameter, the finer settings, and promotions depending on the retailer.