Babyliss Pro Perfect Curl Review

The Babyliss Perfect Curl was one of the most exciting hair launches of 2013. Promising to make it simple to get effortless curls at home, it's innovative design looked like nothing else on the market, and even a little space age.

I was kindly offered the chance to test out the Pro version of the Perfect Curl* by the team at Sally's, which is a slightly more expensive version of the standard one, and is designed to be used in hair salons (but still available to buy at home!). 

The Perfect Curl is a simple way to curl your hair - it uses a cylindrical design which sort of 'sucks in' your hair, and spits it out with a perfect looking curl. The Pro version has three heat settings, 3 time settings and can also be set to curl hair left, right, or alternate, for a more natural look. It also has an auto-release function, which should stop hair getting stuck in the device, should anything get tangled.

Straight after curling

Finger combed out curls

To use the Perfect Curl, simply take a small (3cm or less) section of hair, and place this into the gap in the chamber. Clamp the Perfect Curl shut and let it work its magic. Your hair will be sucked in, and after the allotted time selected on the handle, released in a curl. You'll hear a 'beep' once the time is up, so you know it's time to move on to the next section. 

I found the Perfect Curl really simple to use. The front and sides of my head were really quick to curl, although the back was slightly more fiddly, I still found it easier than using a standard tong and without any risk of burnt fingertips! As I have quite fine hair, I used the lowest heat setting and shortest time, which produced medium-tight curls, however for tighter curls or thicker hair, you can adjust the heat and time settings accordingly. My curls lasted all day without much dropping, and I can see myself using to do my hair it for a friend's wedding next month, knowing it will stay that way all day! 

The auto-release function for me was a bit of a godsend. I was really excited when I first tested the Perfect Curl out and wasn't as rigid as I should have been when sectioning my hair off and it did lead to a few moments when it got stuck in the device. The auto-release meant that for the most part, it released and I was able to carry on as normal. I did have one unfortunate incident where the auto-release didn't work and a small clump of hair got stuck, which I had to pull out (ouch). This didn't put me off, however it did make me realise you do need to be careful when using it, and make sure you put clean sections of hair into the Perfect Curl. 

If you have medium to long hair, I think the Babyliss Pro Perfect Curl will be great for you. My hair comes to just below my shoulders, and it worked really easily, however if you have very short hair, I don't think there'll be enough hair to grab on to and curl, as the device is quite large when held against your head. 

The Pro version is a little more expensive than the regular one at £149.99, but I think it's definitely worth the investment if you regularly curl your hair. 

Are you tempted by the Babyliss Pro Perfect Curl? 

*PR sample