We Tested Drew Barrymore’s Viral Toilet Paper Roll Curls: Do They Actually Work?

Is we Tested Drew Barrymore’s Viral Toilet Paper Roll Curls: Do They Actually Work a hot topic right now? Read key highlights below.

We began our test on freshly washed, towel-dried hair damp to approximately 80% dryness. Wrapping hair while soaking wet is a mistake; cardboard turns into soggy pulp when overwhelmed with water. We sectioned the hair into six distinct zones: two on top, two on each side, and two in the back.

Rolling required balance. The cardboard cylinder measures roughly 1.6 inches in diameter, mimicking a jumbo styling roller. We rolled each section from the ends inward toward the scalp, securing the cylinder with two large metal duckbill clips placed in an X pattern. The cardboard offered noticeable resistance, but lacked structural rigidity. Pulling the strand tight to ensure a crisp curl caused the tube to buckle under the tension of denser hair sections.

After letting the rolls sit for four hours indoors, we unpinned them. The results were visibly split:

• The Crown and Front Sections: These areas dried completely and unrolled into bouncy, wide spirals with substantial root lift. The diameter of the roll created a soft, brushed-out 1990s silhouette reminiscent of Barrymore’s signature look.
• The Nape and Back Sections: Because the hair was rolled thicker to accommodate the cylinder's bulk, the inner core remained slightly damp. These sections dropped into limp waves within forty minutes of removal.
• The Ends: Straight, crimped ends appeared wherever the hair failed to sit perfectly flush against the edge of the cardboard before rolling began.