“I have a few things to say about the new ghd Oracle”

No doubt you’ve heard the hoopla around ghd’s newest hair tool, the ground-breaking Oracle. If not, here’s a quick rundown: A six-years-in-the-making curling tool, the ghd Oracle looks like a straightener from the outside, but thanks to its unique u-shape design on the inside, it helps you create a variety of curls simply by sliding the styling tool down a section of hair. It’s said to work on all hair types and can create a variety of curls. 

Here’s a neat little video that shows you how it’s done:

So, is it the hair curling saviour you’ve been waiting for? Will it fix your eternal problem of not being able to curl with a straightener? 

Well, I’ve been lucky enough to give the new ghd Oracle a whirl and while I’ve only used the tool a few times, I have some thoughts that may help answer your burning questions. 

So, the whole thing about the tool is that the unique shape means you can create every type of curl from loose beachy waves to bombshell Hollywood curls, all depending on how you tilt your hand. And while I get that this makes it a tool that can be used by everyone no matter your curl preference, it’s this feature that I found the hardest to wrap my head around. I know that when I use a curling wand, I’ll get a certain type of curl; I know that if I use my hair straightener, I’ll get a different kind of curl. But here, I found it quite tricky to know what I was going to get because it all depended on the angle I held the tool, the pace at which I ran it across a section of hair, and even how much I titled my wrist. The very first time I tried it (which, to be fair, was when I was just playing around with it in InStyle Magazine’s beauty cupboard with their beauty editor Bettina, and before I got the official low-down on how to use it) was somewhat unsuccessful – I had some great curls and then I had some dead-straight bits. 

Since then, I’ve had a one-on-one session with a hairstylist who actually taught me how to use it to create the perfect curl and explained the ways I need to hold the tool and tilt my hand when I slide it, and now I’ve started to see what the fuss is about. 

So far, I’ve found my groove creating a beachy wave. Here’s what I looked like stepping out on my walk to the station:

And here’s what my hair looked like hours later after having to contend with a cold and blustery winter wind:

I have to say I'm pretty stoked with the end result. While the waves here aren't as defined after my morning commute, the shape is still there (and that DEFINITELY wouldn’t have happened if I had created my curls with a hair straightener). I’ve also found in my very scientific experiment (ha!) that I’ve been more successful when I’ve used it on smooth hair rather than my rough-dried frizzy hair (I like to use the Dyson Airwrap™ with the paddle brush to smooth and dry my naturally curly hair). 

Would I say it’s worth the hype? It certainly delivers on the curling and staying-power front. Did it take a few goes and some frustration? Absolutely, but it’s been worth persevering with. As for the variety of curls thing, I’m still working on it. Right now, I’m aiming to master a consistent curl shape in one session, and then I’ll try my hand at creating the different looks. 

And now the big question most people would be asking: Is it worth the investment? Truly, I can’t definitively answer that for you. As someone who curls their hair regularly, I can personally see myself using this often enough to justify the price. If you curl your hair once in a blue moon, you may not see the same value. My advice is that you really need to try it for yourself and to book in a session at a ghd salon to learn how to manoeuvre the Oracle (which is free, by the way).

If you want to hear more about what I think about the curler, tune into the below episode of Get Lippy:

If you're set on learning how to curl your hair with a straightener, follow this tips.

Does the ghd Oracle sound like something you'd use? Please share with us in the comments section below.

Image credits: Supplied