Review on 🔥 Extra Long Curling Iron/Wand from Hot Tools Professional, 1 inch, 24K Gold, with Heat Resistant Mat by Amber Leigh

Long, very thick, very coarse hair. I've used every top brand, everything from Chi to GDH, and my most expensive curling iron was over $150. So I feel a bit of an idiot when I find out that the Hot Tools XL costs under $40 (including tax and shipping) considering it's the best curling iron I've ever used. Yes, it's a big statement, but it's impossible to underestimate the greatness of this curling iron for women with hair like mine. It no longer takes two attempts to curl (with regular length curls, my hair was too long to curl the entire length at once). The extra length is amazing and since I bought 1.5 inches my curls have always been loose and bouncy instead of tight. Nevertheless, I have a few tips for prospective buyers: 1. It gets very hot when set to maximum. Even if you're sure your hair can handle it, start with a cooler temperature for the first few curls to see how it really works for you. This might be the hottest curling iron I've ever used. That being said, my hair loves maximum heat, but it took me a few curls to figure out how much hair I like per curl and how long to iron my hair. Better to be on the safe side.2. Another reviewer complained that the clip didn't reach the barrel and therefore gave the curling iron 1 star. I have a question, why do you need a clip all the way up? If your technique is right, all you need is a clip at the bottom of the flat iron to hold the ends of your hair in place. When you wrap the curling iron around your hair, your hair should lie flat against the flat iron and you should pull the flat iron slightly away from your head to slightly tighten your hair. You don't need a full size clip - and at this yardage a full size clip becomes very long, very unwieldy and you risk burning yourself on it. I mean think about it. Even when using straighteners with full length clips, my hair was still wrapped on the OUTSIDE of most of the clip and only pinned at the ends.3. For the best, longest-lasting curls, remember that you can technically use a curling iron as a flat iron. This is how I used to do it before irons existed! The best curls come from straightening them HOW you curl them (which is why curls made with real straighteners last forever). Here's what I mean: take the section of hair you want to curl and use a curling iron like a flat iron to straighten the section of hair from top to bottom, starting at the top (closer to the roots). When you get to the bottom, clip the ends and then curl them with a flat iron to create a curl as usual. Since you straightened it first, your hair should be very flat and smooth when wrapped around the flat iron. Hold for as long as needed, then release. I find that if you first straighten the hair shaft from top to bottom and then curl it, the curls come out very straight, shiny and last all day - without hairspray. (If you're new to this technique, try no heat first, but this technique is a game changer.)