I received the Babyliss curl press as a Christmas present last year. I have medium to long length hair that has a bit of a natural wave in it but is neither straight nor curly. I mostly wear my hair down and straight but I occasionally like to curl my hair especially for nights out. Over the years I have tried curlers, rollers and tongs and my hair straighteners are not designed for curling so I was really pleased when I received this product. I was also pleased as the curl press was a Babyliss product and having used many Babyliss products over the years, I have always found this brand reliable.

The Babyliss curl press differs from the average curling tong. It is used in the same way as a curling tong by wrapping a section of hair around the barrel although in this case you follow the spiral guide and then clipping the hair in place. It differs as there is a button on the rear on the curl press which when pushed up also moves the spiral guide up - this is to set the curl which Babyliss claim gives you perfectly defined curls.

I have found the curl press to be the best curling product I have ever owned. My hair does tend to curl easily as I have thin hair but my hair never normally seems to retain the curls very long. When using the curl press my hair curls easily and also retains the curl with or without products. I do tend to use heat defence spray as a precaution but have never noticed this product causing damage to my hair. Every time I have used this product my hair is shiny and bouncy with really defined curls. I have also curled my hair and brushed out the curls which leaves an effective wave or by adding a product produces a lighter curl.

I know some people claim that the curls last 2 or 3 days but I have never actually tested this as my hair gets greasy easily particularly after styling. As I mentioned I tend to only curl my hair for a night out or event but I do find that the curls are always intact the day after I have curled my hair. This means they have survived a night out and a night's sleep so the effect is quite long lasting.

I find that the Babyliss curl press heats up really quickly in comparison to other curling products I own and have used in the past. This a big advantage for this product as it drives me mad waiting for an appliance to heat up before you can get started. Another advantage of this product is the thoughtful design. I find the 3m cord allows you to move around when curling your hair and although I don't have an issue with plug sockets, I think the cord is very long and wouldn't cause a problem for most people. I also like the swivel on the cord. This allows you to move and curl freely without limiting your movements or risking tangling your hair.

There are very few negatives I have found to using the curl press but I do find this product very time consuming when curling all my hair. This could be due to the length of my hair but as I said I have thin hair - this could be a real issue for people with thicker hair than mine. I also find that the clipping mechanism used to secure the hair when curling does tend to trap hairs every so often.

I received the Babyliss curl press as a present and therefore do not know the cost of the product when it was bought. I have since seen this item in the shows and I think that it is reasonably priced in comparison to similar products on the market.

Overall, I have found this product a really effective hair styling product that was a very well received present that I still use on a regular basis. I would recommend this product to anyone as it delivers exactly what it claims with very few negatives.