Girly or Glam?

GIRLY OR GLAM: HOW TO WEAR THE PUFF SLEEVES TREND

Given that we do so much socialising on Zoom these days, it seems fitting that one of summer’s biggest trends is all about dressing from the waist up.

Perhaps that’s why puff-sleeved shirts and blouses have become so popular. After appearing on the SS20 catwalks last year at Richard Quinn, Marc Jacobs and Rejina Pyo, we’re now seeing voluminous silhouettes all over the high street.

Whether short sleeved or long, these frothy tops generally fall into one of two camps.

There are the Victoriana-inspired blouses with high necks crafted from lace or broderie anglaise fabrics in neutral and pastel hues.

Ideal for teaming with floaty midi skirts and linen shorts, these prim and proper pieces are the grown-up way to do statement sleeves.

Then there are the bright, retro-style separates that inject a bit of Eighties glam into your wardrobe.

Tick another summer trend box by choosing a pink puff-sleeved top and teaming it with faded denim jeans or that other Eighties favourite - the ra-ra skirt - for a party-ready ensemble (even if the party you’re going to is the online kind).

■ Coast - Pink Blouse £29.50; Blush Crepe Trousers, £29.50 (was £59)

FROM DEMURE TO DRAMATIC, HERE ARE THE BEST PUFF SLEEVE PIECES ON THE HIGH STREET...

■ Abbey Clancy x Lipsy Lace Puff Sleeve Blouse, £35, Next ■ Miss Selfridge - Pink Poplin 1 Shoulder Blouse, £11 (was £22); Pink Poplin Ruffle Mini Skirt, £12.50 (was £25) ■ Monsoon - Cassidy Crinkle Puff Sleeve Blouse, £25 (was £50)

■ Topshop - Lilac Gingham Puff Sleeve Blouse, £22 (was £29)

■ New Look - Pink Organza Puff Sleeve

Peplum Top, £10.49

■ Oliver Bonas - Broderie Anglaise White High Neck Blouse, £49.50; Chambray Denim Paper Bag Waist Trousers, £59.50

■ Instyler Cerasilk Woven Ceramic Curling Wand, £79.99, instyler.co.uk.

TRIED AND TESTED: INSTYLER’S NEW CERASILK WAND

SHOULD WE BELIEVE THE HYPE? CLAIRE SPREADBURY TESTS OUT THE LATEST HAIR CURLER. The new product launch from Instyler is the Cerasilk Woven Ceramic Curling Wand - a product that’s getting rave reviews from beauty vloggers because it supposedly causes 92% less hair damage than othercurl wands, because of its woven ceramiccovered barrel. The brand itself is known for using state of the art technology in its products, but they retail at relatively affordable prices - so this curler will set you back just under £80. The question is, does it deserve the hype and is it worth the money?

THE MAIN CLAIM Instyler’s curling wand has a woven ceramic-covered barrel that the company says “serves as a built-in heat protectant”. It further explains that the texture “creates micro sub-surface recesses, that generate hot air pockets with intense, radiant heat, eliminating direct contact with a harmful bare surface”.

This is interesting because, although right now we’re all styling our hair a little less often, whenever we do make the effort again, any device that offers less damage and more protection when curling, is going to be well received.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO USE? Because this product is suitable for all hair lengths, I tried it on my daughter’s long hair, and my bobbed hair. And I have to say, I think there’s a magic length in the middle that it would be better suited to. On longer-length hair, the curls worked well, but although the wave stayed put, they did drop very quickly and easily, so you’re left with a slight wave. On shorter hair, it’s much easier to burn yourself, because there’s not enough hair to wrap around the barrel many times. I jumped a few times when I accidentally caught the wand on my ears.

Another major design point is the cooltouch ‘Grip Tip’ with silicone bristles. The idea is you can wrap the hair around the barrel, pop the end of the hair into the tip and leave it there while you wait for the curl to form. I like the idea in theory, but it added an extra faff when I was styling the hair, so I suspect most people won’t use it.

VERDICT The big selling point of the Instyler wand is its heat protection. I suspect there are cheaper models which will style your hair easily as well as the Cerasilk, but if this wand causes less damage in the long-term, that for me would make paying a bit extra for it worthwhile. That said, I prefer the shape and staying power I get from curling my hair with straighteners.