I love my group of girlfriends, but sometimes it can be difficult for us all to get on the same page about certain things. Outfits, restaurants, vacation plans, no matter the topic, each of us are equal parts opinionated yet indecisive. But we could all unanimously agree that my new ghd Chronos styler was the best flat iron we’d all used in a long time. With my naturally coily hair, finding a straightener that gets the job done without leaving me wondering if I’ll be left with damage is a rarity. But this one was a hit, which says a lot. My group is a tough crowd to please.
The weekend of our alma mater’s homecoming, as my two best friends and I huddled in the bathroom of our Airbnb, pouring over our makeup and skincare products, everything came to a halt as I started straightening my hair. No joke, we all stood in jaw-dropping awe at how good it was. Heads turned when the styler rang to signal that it was ready to use. But when I got a sleek finish after only one pass, the questions started rolling in about my new hero hairstyling tool. Even though we all usually bring our own products to use on our girls’ trips, my friends quickly decided to cast aside their flat irons and opted for my ghd Chronos instead. Not too soon after they tried to take it back home with them.
It’s fitting that this styler was named Chronos, after the Greek god of time, as cutting down on styling time is one of the main highlights of the newest ghd hair tool. Not only does it take just 20 seconds to fully heat up to the preset temperature of 365 degrees, but the advanced HD motion technology prevents overstyling that could lead to damage. When you think of HD, you usually envision it having something to do with your TV or camera, but what about when you use it on your hair? Using this responsive technology, this straightener adapts to each motion you make as you style your hair to maintain a consistent temperature throughout your hair shaft. “When you use a heat styling tool, the moment it touches your hair, something called thermal lag happens, meaning that your hair absorbs the temperature from the plates. So as you glide down your hair, the temperature drops,” says Meredith Kirkland, hair stylist and education lead at ghd. “With Chronos, it has the ability to adapt to that temperature drop even faster, so you are able to achieve three times faster styling,” she continues.
As someone who is constantly in a rush to get somewhere, time is always of the essence, and ease is of the utmost importance. I got both of these things when I used this straightener, especially when I realized there was nowhere to change the heat setting. I liked that I didn’t have to wonder if the heat setting was too high or too low for me to get the style I wanted without risking permanent heat damage. “No matter the texture of the hair, at its core, all hair is made up of the same fundamental building blocks. It’s just shaped differently. So we all really only need that one perfect heat,” says Kirkland. At first, the thought of being unable to set the temperature myself was nerve-wracking as I’m prone to frizziness. But the minds behind Chronos styler found the perfect middle ground temperature that gives you the look you want while preventing heat and mechanical damage. “365 degrees is the sweet spot. It’s not too hot to create damage to the internal structure of the hair, but it’s not too cool where you run the risk of not being able to break down the bonds that you need to create a long-lasting style,” Kirkland adds.
When I wear my hair straight, I like to keep my routine simple to avoid access manipulation, but that doesn’t mean I’ll compromise on getting the style I want. It only took me one pass per section to get a sleek look. When I tried to add a bit of bounce to my ends, I could quickly add curls for some texture. The new Chronos styler joins a long line of innovative GHD stylers as the most advanced tool from the brand to date. Five years after the launch of the best-selling Premier + Styler, Chronos is complete with a rounded edge and the brand’s ultra-gloss plates to glide down the strands for 85 percent more shine and three times more breakage protection.
The tool makes its debut tonight at the 2024 Golden Globes Awards. Hairstylist Clayton Hawkins will use the tool on Ali Wong, while Kiley Fitzgerald will style Cailee Spaeny’s hair, so you can see how the tool gets stars red carpet ready. And to my girlfriends reading this, you don’t have to wait any longer to get your Chronos styler, so no more trying to steal mine!
Tasha Nicole Smith is ELLE Magazine’s beauty assistant. She loves all things hair, makeup, and skincare so you’ll find her talking about it here. She enjoys Marvel movies, a good pair of heels, and lemon drop martinis and also shares a birthday with Beyoncé, which is her go to fun fact.