I Tried ghd’s Newest Tools for Summer - Here Are the 3 I’m Obsessed With
With a background in glossy mags and bylines in publications like Marie Claire, ELLE and BODY+SOUL, Francesca has turned her love of beauty into a career. Whether she's decoding buzzy ingredients or road testing lip glosses (so. many. glosses.), her approach to beauty is equal parts glamour and highly-considered. You can find her @franhartley_ on Instagram.
In Partnership with ghd
Ah, Summer! Sun-drenched beach days, balmy evenings and (if all goes to plan) effortlessly luminous strands.
Or at least, that's the dream. In reality, I find my summer hair goals and and my strands completely at odds...
Myself: Easy and breezy. Drawn to lived-in, foolproof styling. Prefers spending summer afternoons out in the sun rather than chained to a bathroom mirror.
My frizz-prone locks: Parched. Growing in volume by the hour. Demands lots of attention. Will greedily lap up any product within a five-metre radius.
So, in the interest of appeasing both parties, I’ve tested (and shortlisted!) the ultimate summer styling squad: a mini GHD capsule wardrobe, if you will.
These tools work quickly, keep your hair protected and are made with all textures in mind.
Consider this your cheat sheet to effortless summer styling; enviable shine and frizz-control guaranteed.
GHD Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener
Key features and benefits of the GHD Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener:
- ghd's first interactive styler with Heat-Adapt Technology
- Delivers up to 90% more shine
- Styles up to 5x faster
- Reduces frizz by up to 2.5x
- Automatic sleep mode with fast heat up and cool down
- Professional length 2.7m cable
We’re starting strong with ghd’s latest innovation: Sculpt. The pièce de résistance of straighteners.
I’m a firm believer that summer hot tools should do the hard work for you - and this one takes that assignment very seriously. It’s incredibly intuitive.
Powered by adaptive AI, it measures your hair thickness, styling speed, and pass angle in real time as it glides. It then continuously adjusts the power to keep temperatures strictly at an optimal 185°C - delivering a reassurance of zero (as in, zilch) heat damage.
I’ve used plenty of hair straighteners before, but none have ever promised to leave my hair completely damage-free.
In terms of actually using the styler, I was a little skeptical at first. I love wide-plates. But the slimmer 26mm infinity plates worked a treat. Thanks to the smooth, waterfall-edge design, it glided through strands with total ease and felt noticeably quicker than typical straightening sessions.
It was also lightweight (no tired arms here!) and ergonomic to hold.
And the finish? Glossy and expensive-looking. I was really impressed with just how sleek I could get my strands. For the ultimate test, I used it on puffy, air-dried hair. As you can see from the before and after pics, the results speak for themselves:
Now, is it ground-breaking enough to throw out your perfectly functioning current styler? Probably not. But if you’re starting fresh, wanting a serious tool upgrade, or investing more consciously in long-term hair health - this is the straightener for you.
Pair It With: GHD Straight On - Straight and Smooth Spray
A great precursor to styling, this lightweight mist is designed to enhance smoothness while actively reducing humidity-induced frizz.
It’s lightweight and flexible. I work two generous dollops through my mid-lengths to ends on damp or dry hair and find it disappears nicely without leaving any weighed-down residue behind. It also boasts heat protection up to 185°C for that added peace of mind.
Make Waves:
While (clearly) incredible for its ultra-sleek straight finish, Sculpt can also be used to create curls (this GHD tutorial showcases it best) and soft, idyllic waves. The latter has become somewhat of a go-to for me this season.
There’s a technique dubbed online as 'water waves'. The technique involves subtly flipping the tool back and forth in an S-bend motion as you glide down the hair shaft. It’s the perfect style for creating relaxed, cool-girl texture with maximum shine.
Appeasing to my lazy nature, it's remarkably hard to mess up. My whole head of hair was done in a matter of 7 minutes to be exact.
ghd chronos curve max curling wand
Key features and benefits of the ghd Chronos Curve Max Curling Wand:
- Creates soft waves, loose curls and gentle bends
- Wide 38mm barrel (Anodized coating for maximum shine)
- Curls in just 3-5 seconds (Heats up in 50 seconds)
- Curl-Responsive technology monitors and adapts for ideal heat and styling control
- Automatic sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity
I was completely curl-aversed before I tried this wand. You can find my full review here but to give you the shorthand - it converted me.
If you have long hair, traditional narrow curling wands can quickly turn your head into a tight, pageant-esque situation quite quickly. The 38mm extra-wide barrel on the Chronos Curve Max is specifically designed to bypass that entire nightmare; delivering loose, undone, 'just stepped off a yacht' bends instead.
Thanks to the ultra-smooth anodised coating, hair wraps and slides off without sticking. The Curl-Responsive technology ensures curls are long lasting and hold their shape nicely without any heat damage. There’s also no stiff finish, instead curls are equal parts glossy and bouncy.
Pair it with: GHD Curly Ever After - Curl Hold Heat Protect Spray
If you want your curls to last - I’m talking perfect shape and bouncy hold 2 days later - I’d implore you to enlist this bad boy.
This newbie styling spray does exactly what it promises: protects your strands from thermal heat while creating an invisible, weightless flex-shield. The ultra-fine mist is completely non-tacky and gives curls major staying power. Sans any crunchiness.
GHD duet blow dry 2-in-1 hair dryer brush
Key features and benefits of the GHD duet blow dry 2-in-1 hair dryer brush:
- Heat-Air Xchange Technology™ transforms hair from wet to blow-dried with no heat damage
- Elliptical-shaped heated barrel plate surface and snag-free heated bristles
- 2 heat sensors monitor surface temperature 400x per second
- Low styling temperature of 120°C for wet-to-dry conversion
- Delivers 3x more volume and 50% more shine
It would feel wrong writing a summer styling article without including my beloved blow-dry brush. They’re the ultimate cheat code to polished, blown-out locks minus the man power.
I live by mine; particularly in summer, when it’s hot, humid and the thought of holding a heavy hairdryer in one hand and a round brush in the other makes me break into a sweat.
This one harnesses ghd’s unique Heat-Air Xchange Technology™, which converts thermal energy from the controlled airflow into thermal energy stored in the surface of the barrel plate. Translation: consistent, damage-free drying and shaping all in one smooth motion.
The two heat sensors monitor the surface temperature 400 times per second to guarantee the barrel stays at an optimal 120°C. Combined with the snag-free heated bristles, it glides through wet hair without tangling.
I like to glide the brush down each section and slowly twist at the bottom inwards to create that flicky, bouncy effect...
Pair It With: ghd Rehab Dry Hair Nourisher - A heat-activated, leave-in treatment designed to work in conjunction with your hot tools. Simply mist onto towel-dried hair and style as usual.
There’s 4 different formulas in the range. I, for obvious parched-hair reasons, opt for the dry hair nourisher. Designed for dry, frizz prone hair, it hydrates, nourishes and revives thirsty strands. Smoothing the hair cuticle, it works to fill in surface-level damage and reduce breakage by up to 99%. It also promises to deliver up to 3x less frizz.
I’ve been using this for a few months now and have noticed an improvement to the texture (less-wirey, more manageable) and finish (smooth and healthy-looking) of my hair. An a+ in my books.
For more of the best hair tools and advice, check out the below Beauty IQ articles:
