A dead ringer for Babyliss’ £120 version but coming in at just £29.99, we find out if this more affordable model matches up to the original - and if it’s worth trading your tongs in for too
From its £1.29 take on a Tangle Teezer to its 12.99 straightening comb, Lidl is making a serious name for itself in the world of hair tool beauty dupes . And its latest launch, the Silvercrest Quick Curler, £29.99, looks set to cause similar levels of shopper hysteria.
With its distinct looking rounded curl chamber and claim to ‘create flawless natural looking curls at a push of a button,’ it immediately brings to mind the innovative Curl Secret from Babyliss which retails at almost four times the price at £119.99. Complete with six different heat settings (compared to Babyliss’ two) and audio signals to help take the guesswork out of your heated styling efforts, it aims to provide an easier, quicker alternative to a wand or pair of straighteners. Does it deliver? We put it to the test to find out.
First impressions
It takes a while to set up and get your head around its instructions, so avoid using it for the first time on a morning when you’re in a rush. Each stage is designed to make the experience all the more personalised though. Here’s a breakdown of the steps to give you an idea of what’s involved:
1) Choose a temperature. The scale ranges from 130°C (recommended for fine and damaged hair) to 230°C (for thick, wavy hair).
2) Next, set the rotation direction - right for a clockwise curl, left for an anti-clockwise one or ‘Auto’ for alternate twists.
3) Choose the number of ‘turns’ - this determines how many times your hair will be rotated in the curl chamber, five to seven for a 20 to 30 cm length strand, eight to 10 for a 30 to 50 cm one and 11 to 12 for a section that's over 50cm.
4) Lastly, set the time - three seconds for a really gentle wave and up to twelve seconds for a tighter curl. The settings can be changed at any time during the process.
Once set up, simply feed a small strand into the curl chamber, 5 cm away from the scalp, and watch as it’s slowly gobbled up and ‘baked’ for your chosen time. Three beeps signal when it’s time to release it. As for the width of the band of hair that you can feed into it at one time, it’s rather small (about half a centimetre).
The verdict
Crisp and polished, I was impressed by the quality of curls produced and the presence of so many settings meant that the experience could be made all the more bespoke.
That being said though, the word ‘Quick’ in the name is somewhat misleading due to the size of the hair section that you can feed in at a time. I’m usually able to curl a much a larger amount in the same time using a wand or a pair of straighteners. Its wire also comes up a little short which makes it a bit tricky to handle.
Personally, I don’t feel quite ready to trade in my tongs just yet. It does create a rather perfect curl though, so if that’s the look you’re after, you have some time to spare and you're lacking a Babyliss Curl Secret-esque budget, it could be for you.
Lidl Silvercrest Quick Curler, £29.99, is available in Lidl stores on a while-stocks-last basis.