“Having used GHD hair straighteners for the best part of 17 years, I didn’t think anything could sway me; I’m nothing if not loyal to my beauty products and tools. However, when my stepdad treated my mum to the Dyson Corrale, I’ll admit my interest was piqued. Still, every time I made the two-hour trip from my home to hers, I always packed my GHDs out of habit. The last time I visited, however, I forgot them and had no option but to use her Dyson Corrale the morning after sleeping on—shock, horror!—a cotton pillowcase in place of my usual silk one. My hair was matted and frizzy, but it was no match for the Corrale.
“But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Initially, I was surprised by just how heavy the Corrale is. Granted, I have the older model and my colleague Eleanor has assured me the brand has made improvements in this area with its newer releases. Still, I’ll lay out my experience with the OG in case you buy a refurbished model. My best friend, who has arthritis, had warned me it was too heavy for her to hold, and she wasn’t kidding. The original Dyson Corrale straightener is significantly weightier than what I’m used to, for the reasons Eleanor has already run through above, but regardless, this specific model would be difficult for someone like my friend to use.
“Another initial observation was that it took a while to heat. Did I mention I’m impatient? I always use strong heat settings on my hair tools, and the Dyson Corrale allows you to select from three: 165, 185 and 210ºC. I chose the latter. Again, Eleanor tells me improvements have been made in terms of heat-up times with her model. Still, as I waited for the plates to heat, I sectioned my hair and spritzed it with GHD Bodyguard (£19), my ride-or-die heat protector. Eventually, they were ready, and I chose a particularly wavy section from the back to kick things off.”