You Have To See What This Weird New Curling Iron Can Do

The humble curling iron has come a long way since its groundbreaking debut some 2,000 years ago. In just the last century, it's morphed from what looks like a torture device into the electric gadget we know today, upgraded countless times with new bells and whistles.

But we bet no one in the Roman Empire could have predicted the biggest modern advancement would look quite like this. Enter: the CurlBar, Hot Tools' brand-new, L-shaped iron available at beauty supply and mass retailers, like Ulta Beauty. The design might look strange, but that unique bend is what gives it the power to style hair easier, faster, and with less arm strain.

Just ask L.A.-based celeb hairstylist Ian James, the man behind Chloë Sevigny's curls and Mila Kunis' beachy waves. For a crash course in mastering this bizarre tool, James created three everyday looks that anyone can copy — without so much as raising your arms past your shoulders.