The Beauty Diary by Rebekah Scanlan: Review of Mermade Hair Waver
Australia’s influencers can’t ge enough of this “game-changing” product — that despite being super handy as an X-rated appearance.
We've got Kim Kardashian to thank for the hair style of the moment — the “mermaid wave”, a soft beach-inspired style that if our Instagram feeds are anything to go by looks easy peasy to put together.
But don’t believe it — this look is actually really hard to create at home with a traditional curling tong or classic hair straightener. Like, really hard.
It was so tough, Perth mum and businesswoman Tara Simich decided to fix the problem and created the “Mermade Hair Waver”, a three-barrel curling wand that gives you lust-worthy waves Ariel herself would be envious of.
The result is this $89 hot pink device that is perfect for people like me who have high hopes of channelling our inner Disney idol.
“I kept seeing Kim Kardashian with these really lush effortless looking waves, but the only way my hairdresser could achieve it was sitting in the chair for three hours with a straightener,” Tara told The Beauty Diary. “With two kids, I just didn’t have the time so I knew there was going to be some serious demand if I could fix this problem.”
After doing her research, Tara created the triple-barrelled wand but said she had no idea how huge it would go.
“I never thought we would have one selling every few minutes,” she said. “I posted a photo of my hair on Instagram and was instantly inundated with hairdressers asking how I got my waves. It was crazy! At that point I knew this tool was going to be a serious game-changer.”
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PUTTING THE MERMADE HAIR WAVER TO THE TEST
While I don’t doubt how great the waves look, I still approached this with a whiff of sceptisim. If you’ve been reading TBD for a while or are a member of our Facebook group, you’ll know why.
My natural hair type is the kind hairdressers dread, especially when asking for a bouncy blow out, as it’s super fine and struggles to hold curls. The only exception to that rule has been the ghd Oracle hair curler, which you can read about here.
So would a mermaid inspired-wave be any different? There was only one way to find out, so Tara invited me to come and have a play with it and report back to you.
First impressions of the bubblegum coloured contraption were pretty funny. To be honest, it looks like a weird sex toy and I’m not the only one who thinks that — the brands Instagram feed is littered with hilarious comments about its X-rated appearance.
My other observation was how large and heavy it was, especially to hold with one hand. However, the instructions seemed pretty easy to follow.
Clamp, hold for 10 seconds, remove. Repeat over all your hair and voila!
Sounds easy right? Urrrrm, not really. Not to begin with anyway.
You see, holding onto the hot tool takes a bit of practice as it’s so big, which made my first go a little clunky.
Luckily, I had a professional on hand to show me the ropes. Enter the gorgeous Jackie, a hairstylist at Joh Bailey in Double Bay, NSW.
After sectioning my hair, he tells me to start from the back and not to get too close to my scalp which I was burning a little. Oops.
“Leave your roots straight and start clamping from the eye line down for a more effortless, natural wave,” he said. “If your hair is longer than the clamp (which mine was) then just follow the grooves it leaves in your hair to know where to place the tool next.”
Once the wave is in place, let it cool before touching or playing with it as this lets the style set in place.
“Then spritz all over with hairspray to lock it in place,” Jackie said.
I’m not going to lie, I absolutely loved the finish of this product. It looked just like it did on Instagram and was also like nothing I’ve ever rocked before.
But the real test comes outside of the salon, seeing just how well it holds up with wind, sweat and real-life.
I was headed to the races — so it was the perfect place to put my waves under some stress. And I am thrilled to report back that after hours standing outside in the elements, the waves lasted. Even the next morning they were still locked in, albeit a bit looser and softer, something I was still digging.
I’ve tried a few times at home with the Mermade Hair Waver now too and while it’s still not as easy as using a curling wand, it’s getting easier.
If you don’t have the same hair type as me, Tara suggests looking at the brand’s Instagram pages for a tutorial.
“We have inspiration for every hair type, colour, texture, length,” she said.
THREE STEPS TO THE PERFECT “MERMAID WAVE”
STEP ONE: Section the hair and spray with a good heat protector.
STEP TWO: Clamp onto hair, starting at eye level and hold for 10 seconds.
STEP THREE: Let cool before touching. Repeat across whole head of hair.
THE RESULTS:
A FEW OTHER PINK PRODUCTS I’M LOVING THIS MONTH:
LA MER THE BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN TREATMENT LOTION
Available at Mecca and cremedelamer.com.au
Price: $120
I’ll still happily always give my skin a boost of moisture and this is the most luxe and lovely way to do it. I pop a few drops into my palms and press the product gently onto my skin after toning but before applying serum. The product absorbs really quickly so it doesn’t add any extra time to my skincare routine and it smells utterly divine. Seriously, I can’t get enough of its scent, which kind of reminds me of that newborn baby smell but not in a weird way. The best part though is that this limited edition bottle is in support of breast cancer awareness month and La Mer are donating $24 from each purchase of the limited edition design to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. So not only is your skin winning, you’re also helping others too.
MCO BEAUTY SOPHIE MONK LIMITED EDITION BEAUTY EDIT PALETTE
Available at Woolworths at mcobeauty.com.au
Price: $20
After the success of her lip products, Love Island host (and Queen) Sophie Monk has extended her limited edition range with brand McoBeauty — and this palette is my top pick from the goodies. The pastel pinks are just perfect for summer and the range of shades, which are all super pigmented, are right up my street. Not to mention the price, McoBeauty has delivered once again in that department. The formula is really creamy and blends beautifully. There’s a little fallout though from the palette, but considering it’s so cheap — it’s half price at the moment in Woolworths, making it just $10 — I can’t complain. If you’re a fan of eyeshadows, I would definitely buy this before the supermarket drop expires. The packaging, a striking metallic pink case, is super cute too.
SAND & SKY AUSTRALIAN EMU APPLE SUPER BOUNCE MASK
Available at sandandsky.com
Price: $93.90
With the spotlight being on sheet masks at the moment for being bad for the environment, I’ve welcomed getting my mitts on a new pot of mask. This “Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask” is an absolute delight to use and gave my skin a lovely refreshed glow. The new Australian beauty company launched with a bang last year, going viral with its OG pink clay mask on Instagram — causing a waiting list of more than 11,000 people all desperate to get their hands on the lush treatment.
This mask has once again used native ingredients, the antioxidant-rich emu apple and the kakadu plum lights, which is supercharged with vitamin C both of which give skin an instant glow. There’s also five types of Hyaluronic Acid crammed into this little pot too, which is music to my ears as it gives my skin a super-soft finish. I also loved the little rubber applicator as it was really soothing and relaxing to use. Overall I really loved this and even though it’s definitely more on the exxy side, the pot will easily last several months so it balances out. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway ;)
REVLON ULTRA HD VINYL LIP POLISH
Available at Priceline, Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse and Myer
Price: $24.95
If you’re a lippie fan and you’ve not added at least one of Revlon’s Ultra HD lipcolors to your make-up bag, you’re actually insane. I’ve been banging on about them for a while now, especially the ‘matte mouse’ variety — but this new take on the range is my new obsession. I’m loving this hot-pink colour the ‘Rule The World’ shade and the mirror-like finish makes lips look so juicy, like you’re wearing a gorgeous gloss (a look that's making a major comeback right now) but without the icky, stucky finish. The pigment in this six colour collection are so bright and vibrant and last aaaaages, plus it smells like a delicious vanilla milkshake. Trust me, if you like to make a statement with your make-up, this is the product to do it.
This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.
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