About.com Rating

Automatic curling devices are all over the place. The KISS InstaWave caught my attention instantly. It wasn't scary looking, and seemed easy enough to use, so I gave it a chance.

From the Manufacturer's Web Site

The Kiss InstaWave website boasts that it's a quick and easy way to get salon-quality curls. Just push the button to style any type of hair effortlessly.

• Fully automatic, tangle-free curler
• Innovative design lets you curl from any position using either hand

• Curl Dial makes it simple to switch between left and right curl directions
• Ceramic Ionic Technology protects hair for healthy, shiny results
• Two heat settings with maximum temperature of 420° F
• Auto shutoff after 90 minutes for added safety

My Experience with the InstaWave

After reading through the directions, the InstaWave seemed easy enough to use. It did take me a few tries to figure out how to get my hair started on the machine and how much hair to section off per curl. After a few failed attempts, I got the hang of it and managed to get my hair curled successfully. The second and third attempts at the process were even better, and now it's one of my favorite ways to curl my hair. It's great curling wand results without having to hold the hair around the wand and burn your fingers. It's light weight, quiet, and works exactly the way it says it does.

While the directions on the website and the package indicate that you can achieve different size curls with the InstaWave, I've yet to figure that little trick out.

I'm not giving up, however.

Best Hair Type for the InstaWave

My hair is just passed my shoulders and average thickness. The InstaWave worked great on my hair, but I wanted to try it out on thinner, thicker, longer and shorter hair to see what kind of results I'd get. I found that the InstaWave works best on hair that's shoulder length or longer and hair that is of average thickness or thicker. Fine/thin hair was harder to wrap around the InstaWave with the automatic mechanism and the results were less than desirable.

Fear of Tangles

One of my biggest fears with automatic curling machines is getting my hair stuck on a 300+ degree piece of metal. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue? So, in the name of science I tried to get my hair caught on the machine's moving parts, and thank heavens, I failed. The design of the machine makes getting your hair caught virtually impossible, as long as you're generally following the directions.

Where to Get the InstaWave

The InstaWave is available at Target, Ulta, and Amazon.com for around $60.00.