When the TYMO CURLPRO PLUS first arrived at my door, I was absolutely certain I had been sent a magical device that only worked for other people. I watched the sleek automatic curling iron sit in its box for three days while I stared at it nervously, wondering if I would ever figure out how to get my hair into that little rotating barrel without creating a tangled disaster. Spoiler: my first attempt looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards. I nearly gave up. But here I am, a few weeks later, with the bounciest, shiniest, most defined curls of my life, and I cannot stop swishing them about like a woman in a shampoo advert.
A little backstory. For most of my life I had poker-straight hair. The kind that would not hold a curl even if you paid it. Then, like so many of us, I emerged from the Covid years with a head of hair that had decided to stage a rebellion. Suddenly, there were waves. Then ringlets. It turns out, the curls run deep in my family. My mum had them. Both my grandmas had them, beautiful black curls that I always thought had skipped a generation. They had simply been waiting for their moment. And now that they had arrived, I needed a tool that could do them justice.
Enter the TYMO CURLPRO PLUS, an automatic curling iron that promises salon-quality curls at home with just the press of a button. It has a longer barrel designed for longer or thicker hair, dual heaters for faster styling, a built-in timer that beeps when your curl is ready, and an anti-scald design to stop you from accidentally branding yourself while wrangling a toddler and a cup of tea simultaneously.
It all sounds brilliantly simple. And it is, once you know what you are doing. The problem, as I quickly discovered, is that nobody tells you about the learning curve. The angle at which you hold the tool, the size of the hair section you feed into the barrel, the way you let the machine gently draw the strand in rather than shoving it in like a ticket into a faulty Tube barrier. These things matter. My early attempts were a mess of half-curled, slightly frazzled, definitely not shiny hair. I got frustrated. I texted a friend. I almost relegated the TYMO to the back of the bathroom cupboard where old straighteners go to die.
Then I did the sensible thing. I watched the video tutorials. The brand sent me a couple of links (honestly, TikTok and YouTube shorts, nothing fancy), and I watched a very cheerful woman demonstrate the exact technique.
The key is to take smaller sections than you think you need, hold the tool at the right angle, and let the barrel rotate smoothly around the hair. The timer beeps tell you when to release. Within about ten minutes of focused practice, I had it. And the curls that emerged were genuinely gorgeous. Even, bouncy ringlets that held their shape beautifully. I danced around the bedroom. My husband looked mildly alarmed.
Since then, I have used the TYMO CURLPRO PLUS several times a week. It is genuinely fast once you have the knack. I can style my whole head in under twenty minutes, which on a busy morning with a child demanding pancakes and a missing PE kit, is nothing short of miraculous. The curls last. I am talking three days of defined, soft waves that actually survive a night’s sleep, a gym session, and a windy school run. The tourmaline ceramic barrel and negative ion technology leave my hair shiny rather than frazzled, which is a win I never thought possible with heat styling. And the anti-tangle feature has so far saved me from any traumatic knot situations, which is more than I can say for several previous curling wands I have owned.
I should note that I have thick, wavy hair, but the tool adapts to different hair types. My friend with thin, waist-length hair borrowed it and produced a cascade of mermaid waves that had her swanning around the office like a celebrity. The longer barrel is genuinely helpful for longer hair, no more struggling to fit all your hair around a tiny wand.
So, is it for everyone? If you are a complete novice with hair tools, be prepared for a small learning curve. Do not, as I did, attempt your first go ten minutes before a dinner reservation. Give yourself a quiet afternoon, watch the tutorials, and practice with small sections. Once it clicks, you will never look back. For busy mums who want a quick, reliable way to add some polish, it is a revelation. The curls look professional, the process is safe, and the result lasts long enough to get you through the working week without constant touch-ups.
I love my curls now. Deeply. They connect me to my mum and my grandmas in a way that feels both new and ancient. And the TYMO CURLPRO PLUS has become the tool that helps me make the most of them, even on chaotic mornings when I can barely find matching socks. I am a convert. Just do not ask to see photos of my first attempt. Those have been deleted.
The TYMO CURLPRO PLUS is available at www.tymobeauty.com. The tool was sent to me for review, but the curls, the swishing and the newfound hair confidence are entirely my own.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
