This $40 Curling Iron Has Been My Go-To for Beachy Waves for the Past Decade

The longest relationship I've ever had is with José Eber. Well, not with the famous Hollywood hair stylist himself, but rather his undeniably perfect 25mm Curling Wand (Buy It, $40, amazon.com).

It all began approximately 10 years ago at the mall (how any true teenage love story begins), where I was coerced into a chair by an aggressive and over-complimentary kiosk employee who offered to try the wand on my hair. At the time, curling wands were still a strange, new hair tool for professional stylists.

I was fascinated as he quickly demonstrated the correct curling wand technique, which required threading your hair around the wand in a precise combination of pulling and coiling. The curling iron, which goes up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit, locked in a springy curl in just three seconds. I left empty-handed (due to the $100 price tag) and was convinced my beautiful loose waves would disappear by the end of the day like they had with every other curling iron.

To my surprise, I woke up the next morning shocked by my still-present beachy waves. For the first time, my curls not only lasted all day but an entire night, too. Needless to say, I went back and purchased the José Eber wand immediately. (

Buy It, José Eber 25mm Curling Wand, $40; amazon.com

My first time alone with the wand was a struggle—even though I used the heat-resistant glove to protect myself from burns. While the design of the curling iron is super streamlined (a power button and 360-degree swiveling cord), I struggled to find the perfect positioning and was left with half of my curls super tight, while the others were barely curled at all.

Luckily, the learning curve was short and I was a pro within a week. The clip-less design and medium-sized barrel were perfect for experimenting with both big beach waves and tighter spirals (without unwanted crimping). I was also pleasantly surprised to discover my curls could stay for days with a few spritzes of volumizing dry shampoo—even after a grueling workout. Best of all, it was fast. I could style my entire head (of extra-long hair) in just 15 minutes.

The long-lasting Korean tourmaline ceramic barrel meant I was able to use the same curling wand straight through to my high school and then college graduation—despite being dropped on my bathroom floor countless times. I even took the dual-voltage wand abroad without fear of causing a mini-fire. It has survived three moves, countless trips, and primping before plenty of events.

A whopping seven years after we met, my time with my O.G. curling wand finally came to an end. As a brand loyalist to the José Eber wand, I immediately scoured the internet for the exact same one when it was finally time for a replacement.

Not only did I find my beloved curling wand on Amazon for just $40, but I only had to go 48 hours without my holy grail for beachy waves, thanks to Prime's two-day shipping. And three years later, I'm still happily in love with my (second) José Eber curling wand.