"To say that Kristin Ess’s stellar career has been riding a wave (pun intended) in recent years would be a severe understatement. Ess is undeniably one of our favorite self-made Lady Bosses — her unstoppable determination carried her from being a 16-year-old apprentice learning the ropes in her hometown hair salons, to inspiring the biggest celebrity hair trends on our Instagram feeds for the last several years. Now, she’s expanding her ever-growing empire even further with the launch of her personalized line of hot tools — yes ma’am, you read that correctly!
Our showers and medicine cabinets have been lined with her ultra-budget friendly line of haircare and styling products since they launched at Target in January of 2017. The chic packaging paired with the line’s signature lightly-floral, super-crisp scent completely changed the way we viewed “budget” hair products. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, Ess has blessed us once more with another hair miracle. Let’s take a moment to unpack this new collection, shall we?
Girl, we’re gonna need a YouTube tutorial STAT. Ess made it big by perfecting every type of wave you can imagine, so her personally crafted Wave Wand will be at the top of my wishlist this Christmas — for real. The barrel for this wand can be used like a traditional iron, or you can alternate it to create an L-shaped tool. Why? I don’t know! But I trust Kristin will give us all of her amazing tips and tricks soon.
If you’ve followed Ess for a while, then you already know she’s pretty partial to creating waves with flat irons, as well as with curling wands. So, if you’re in the market for a more universal tool to create your daily looks, this bad boy is probably the one for you! The 3-in-One Flat Iron — and all of the hot tools in this line — boasts a one-minute heat up time and a 9-foot cord — which will make your morning multitasking that much easier.
If you’re anything like me, you struggle with styling your own hair, and need to stick to the tried-and-true basics, like a curling iron with a clamp. While I’ll definitely be trying out some of her other offerings (they’re so cheap, so why not, right?), I am also very excited to see a sleek, high-end ceramic iron on the market for only $50.
For all the ladies out there battling stubborn cowlicks or taming the frizz of natural hair, or who just need a little extra help styling their bangs, Ess has gone to bat just for you! This comb and flat iron combo heats all the way up to 430°F for customizable styling, and all of Ess’s hot tools feature an automatic shut off function — so you never have to worry about your apartment being on fire once you’ve already made it to work for the day! WHEW!
Loose, soft, glamorous curls will (thankfully) never ever go out of style, something that Ess knows and will continue to facilitate. The thicker ceramic barrel of this iron — with temperature controls that go up to 425°F — will help create the perfect cascading loose curls or long waves. You can fake a perfect blowout from home — no one has to know you don’t have a DryBar membership!
In a post-Dyson world, the need for an affordable, professional, high-end blow dryer has never been greater. I know you’re probably looking at the $100 price tag and thinking, "affordable?" The truth is, your blow dryer really needs to be the most high-quality tool in your collection. Your dryer meets your hair at its most vulnerable state; a cheap dryer produces more heat, which in turn results in more damage. Ess’s dryer combines a ratio of heat and wind power so that strands are dried quickly without too much heat stress. As an added bonus, the dryer — as well as all the new hot tools — comes with a two-year limited warranty.
I read the word “mini” and then shrieked. As someone who travels for a living, lugging around a full-sized hot tool royally sucks. I’ve often entertained the idea of investing in a mini tool, but struggled to find one that didn’t look totally dinky with a still full-sized price tag. I’m so excited to purchase this particular tool, and you don’t have to live on airplanes for a mini iron to be of massive benefit to you — this is the perfect size to keep in the office for a pre-happy-hour style refresher!
Will your gym bag ever be complete without a powerful-as-hell compact blow dryer? Kristin Ess doesn’t think so. But seriously, a kick blast to your sweaty post workout roots followed by a spritz of dry shampoo and your style can live another day — and you never have to wonder if the one rickety blow dryer from 1994 is going to be available once you’ve completed your class. The compact dryer comes with a removable smoothing nozzle, a 6-foot retractable cord, and its own soft carrying case — so it will stay nice and tidy in your purse or gym bag.
Because the launch is so new and Target stores can take up to two weeks to get them on the shelves, your best bet is to order online and have it sent to your house or choose “pickup in store”.
Kristin Ess didn’t stop there. In addition to her new line of hot tools, she’s rolled out five new gift sets with a little something special for all of the women on your holiday shopping list. She brought back her signature French Pin alongside a satin frizz-reducing pillowcase or a full-sized dry shampoo, and the Rose Gold Temporary Tint with some embellished bobby pins, (perfect for planning that NYE outfit).