# BaByliss Accessories ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 1960 | | Origin | France | | Headquarters | Boulogne-Billancourt | | Owner | Conair | | Status | Active | | Manufacturing | Chiuduno, Italy | | Website | https://www.babyliss.com | BaByliss is a French personal-care company founded in 1960 and based in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris [2]. It grew from a single invention — an early electric styling tool developed by Parisian hairdressers — into a maker of hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners and related styling appliances sold across Europe and further afield. Since 1995 the brand has been owned by the American appliance group Conair Corporation [3]. The brand remains active. Its parent continues to run a consumer line (BaByliss), a professional line (BaBylissPRO) and a men's grooming range, and reported revenue of roughly 175 million euros for 2024 [2]. ## Origin & founders The company traces its beginnings to the Montmartre district of Paris, where hairdressers René Lelièvre and Roger Lemoine worked on an early electric hair-styling tool. Lelièvre is credited with inventing the first electric hair straightener, or professional curling tong, which was released and marketed under the BaByliss name in July 1960 by Jean-Pierre Feldblum [2]. According to the brand, the tool gained popularity quickly and became a familiar name across Europe. ## Ownership In February 1995, Conair Corporation, an American company, bought a majority share in BaByliss [3]. Conair was founded in 1959 in a garage in Queens, New York, by Julian and Leandro Rizzuto, and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut; it is majority-owned by the private-equity firm American Securities, with minority stakes held by members of the founder's family [3]. Within Conair's structure, BaByliss operates as a consumer brand while the related BaBylissPRO line serves professional stylists and barbers. A men's grooming line, BaByliss for Men, followed in 2003. ## History & milestones Beyond its founding, a handful of dated milestones mark the brand's expansion. It added the BaByliss for Men line in 2003, acquired a manufacturing facility in Chiuduno, Italy, in 2009, and in 2010 began a collaboration with Ferrari on specialized hair dryers [2]. In 2024 the professional line BaBylissPRO introduced the FXONE range, a set of tools powered by a single interchangeable battery that the company describes as an industry first [1]. ## Philosophy & positioning BaByliss frames its styling tools around creativity and styling freedom. The company describes them as "designed to inspire creativity, offering you the freedom to explore endless possibilities" [1]. In practice the catalogue centers on electrical styling appliances — dryers, hot brushes, curling wands and straighteners — rather than cosmetic formulations. ## Products & innovation Several of the brand's tools have drawn editorial coverage. The BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Styler pairs a hairdryer with a rotating round bristle brush, distributing hot air from the barrel to smooth and curl in a single pass; Refinery29 reviewed it in 2020 [4]. The Style Secret Air automatically wraps hair around a heated barrel to produce tangle-free ringlets and was reviewed by Woman & Home [5]. The Titanium Brilliance Straight & Curl is designed to give both a straight finish and a curl from one tool, and a straightener in the same line was covered by Tech Advisor [8]. A BaByliss curling wand has also been reviewed by Who What Wear [7]. ## Current status BaByliss remains an active brand. Its most recent notable development is the 2024 FXONE launch under BaBylissPRO, and its products continue to be sold and reviewed in the beauty and technology press. The reported 2024 revenue of about 175 million euros reflects continuing operations under Conair ownership [2]. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1960 | BaByliss launched — the first electric hair straightener / professional curling tong, released July 1960 (invention originating in Montmartre, Paris). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss | | 1995 | Conair Corporation acquired a majority share in BaByliss (February 1995). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss | | 1995 | Acquired by Conair Corporation (majority share bought February 1995). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conair_Corporation | | 2003 | BaByliss for Men brand launched (hair and grooming products for men). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss | | 2009 | Manufacturing facility in Chiuduno, Italy acquired. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss | | 2010 | Collaboration with Ferrari began for specialized hair dryers. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss | | 2024 | BaBylissPRO introduced the FXONE range (a single-battery tool ecosystem), described as an industry first. | https://babylisspro.com.au/about | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Styler** — it's a hairdryer come round bristle brush and pressing the buttons on the side rotates the brush as hot air is distributed from the barrel, making smoothing and curling quick and easy — https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/babyliss-rotating-hot-brush-review - **BaByliss Style Secret Air** — automatically wraps hair around a heated barrel, producing fast and tangle-free ringlets — https://www.womanandhome.com/beauty/hair/babyliss-style-secret-air-review/ - **BaByliss Titanium Brilliance Straight & Curl** — https://www.babyliss.com/uk-en/titanium-brilliance-straight-and-curl-2481U.html ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **Refinery29** (2020) — Reviewed the BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Styler; called it 'another game-changer' that 'the beauty industry is waxing lyrical about'. — https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/babyliss-rotating-hot-brush-review - **Who What Wear** — Beauty editor review of the BaByliss curling wand ('perfectly voluminous waves that stayed in place all night long'). — https://www.whowhatwear.com/babyliss-curling-wand-review - **Woman & Home** — Reviewed the BaByliss Style Secret Air styler (£120). — https://www.womanandhome.com/beauty/hair/babyliss-style-secret-air-review/ - **Tech Advisor** — Reviewed the BaByliss Straight and Curl Brilliance hair straightener. — https://www.techadvisor.com/article/720923/babyliss-straight-and-curl-brilliance-hair-straightener-review.html ## Availability in the Nordics Where the brand is sold according to Glowjakt's price data, per market. | Market | products | in stock | stores | Price range | |---|---|---|---|---| | Sweden | 454 | 357 | 15 | 23.40 SEK – 1,999 SEK | | Norway | 350 | 264 | 6 | 32.54 NOK – 1,999 NOK | | Denmark | 410 | 325 | 10 | 19 DKK – 1,999 DKK | | Finland | 377 | 283 | 7 | 2.90 € – 176.50 € | ## Sources 1. (T2) https://babylisspro.com.au/about 2. (T3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BaByliss 3. (T3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conair_Corporation 4. (T3) https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/babyliss-rotating-hot-brush-review 5. (T3) https://www.womanandhome.com/beauty/hair/babyliss-style-secret-air-review/ 7. https://www.whowhatwear.com/babyliss-curling-wand-review 8. https://www.techadvisor.com/article/720923/babyliss-straight-and-curl-brilliance-hair-straightener-review.html --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-09-15 Please cite with a link to the article URL.