CHI Orbit Double Dramatics Review

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been away for so long... a lot's happened. As you might know, I'm constantly on the lookout for a job in a salon...doing hair in my kitchen isn't as lucrative as I'd like it to be. And.. it's hard to write about my love for the hair industry and review all these products while being unemployed, you know? I'll try to be more frequent with my updates, for real this time.

Anyway, today I'm reviewing the CHI Orbit Double Dramatics curling iron. It's basically a clipless waving iron. I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for a good waving iron that gives true "S" waves instead of the usual shallow crimpy waves most waving irons give. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. While the waves the iron made weren't quite as sharp as other wavers I've tried, it's still not the effect I was looking for. It reminds me of the way Madonna or Britney Spears wears their hair in those tight waves, you know? I think if the rods were spaced farther apart and were a bit thicker in diameter it would've been perfect, but oh well. I'll be returning it this weekend. But, just for fun, I waved one of my mannequin heads to show you all the effect it gives. This iron might not be what I'm looking for, but it might be for you!

See what I mean? I mean it's cute and all, but the waves aren't as deep as I want. But what do you think? If that's the effect you want, I say go for it! The iron itself takes a little getting used to because it doesn't have a clamp, but you get it after a while. Also, the red part between the iron and the switch gets VERY hot, so be careful.

The MSRP of the iron is $205.00, but I've never seen it anywhere that high. I'd guess it's somewhere around $150.00 but shop around and I'm sure you'll get a better price than that. Well that's all for now. Stay tuned!



Oh yeah, and it came with this cool thermal glove. I think it belonged to Michael Jackson.

On a completely unrelated note, go out and pick up this month's issue of ELLE magazine. Gwen Stefani, my queen, is on the cover!

...read more ⇒

HANA Pink 1" Professional Flat Iron Review+

*THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU ALL FOR ENTERING*

Hey everyone! Wellllll, I was lucky enough to be sent an awesome Hana flat iron to review, and I have to tell you... this iron is giving my GHD a run for its money. It's awesome! I was sent this iron from a representative at Misikko.com, one of the best retailers of professional flat irons I've ever seen. Misikko carries all the best flat irons: Hana, CHI, T3, GHD, you name it. They've got amazing deals, a ton of awesome products, and the best customer service I think I've ever come across. I've dealt with a lot of online retailers, and none of them have been as great as Misikko.

This iron (seen above, photo courtesy of Misikko) is in a lovely shade of pink and has 1" floating tourmaline ceramic plates with 5 different temperature settings ranging from 140-450° and it gets hot in like, 10 seconds - no joke. In case you don't know, floating plates mean the plates actually move with your hair, so you don't get those ugly creases typical flat irons can give. It also has an 8ft long swivel cord which I personally love because it's a lot less hassle, and the edges of the plates are curved! You can straighten, curl, or wave your hair with this iron! You all know how much I love versatility in my hair products. ;)

Okay, so while I was waiting for my iron to arrive, I decided to do some research on it... I can't help it, I just.. I have to. Haha, so anyway, a lot of the websites + people I've talked to who own it often compare it to the GHD IV Styler - saying it's just as good, if not better. This really made me skeptical because I L♥VE my GHD. To me, it is the best styling tool I've ever used. G H D = G O D. Can you tell I'm a fan? So when I got my Hana iron in the mail, I started using it/testing it/playing with it immediately, and I can honestly say that it is a serious contender with the GHD Styler.

So then I thought I should do some comparisons of my own with the Hana iron and the GHD. I discovered that though they are extremely similar, they both have certain strengths and weaknesses, in my own opinion, of course.

• First off, I love the way the Hana iron feels in my hand. It's very lightweight and ergonomically designed versus the very sleek look of the GHD, which isn't uncomfortable at all, but the Hana is designed better.
• A pro for the GHD, for me at least, is the constant heat setting. I think it's great because it prevents people from setting their irons to hotter temperatures than they need to.
• I think, after a LOT of testing, that I like the GHD for straightening hair a little bit better than the Hana. I noticed that the Hana requires a few passes of the iron to get it perfectly straight, versus like one or two with the GHD. But, I also noticed that the Hana works better with flat iron sprays than the GHD does.
• However, the Hana ROCKS at curling hair! You can do anything from tight sprial curls, to loose beachy waves with this iron. The GHD is good at it, but I think the Hana is better.
• As far as cost goes, I think they're both in the same league. A nice way to say it would be that these tools are investments, and they are, but to put it bluntly: they're expensive. But what I love about Hana and GHD is that they both have pretty awesome gift sets all the time, that are really worth your while, especially the Hana gift sets from Misikko. They've got a bunch and they're all really amazing deals!

In the end I was extremely impressed with my Hana flat iron. It works amazingly well on all hair types, and the price and quality is comparable with other professional flat irons. And if you're in the market for a new iron, there's good news!

I'M GIVING ONE AWAY!

ISN'T THAT AWESOME?!

My first giveaway! I'm so excited!!! The lucky winner will receive an amazing Hana 1" Pink Professional Flat Iron courtesy of Misikko.com! Just like the one in the picture! To enter, all you have to do is:

• Follow this blog using the Follow button on the right sidebar. (Required)
• Leave a comment with your name and a valid email address, and tell me what kind of iron you have now, if you do have one, and why you want the Hana Professional Flat Iron. (Required)

If you want extra bonus entries you can do any/all of these too! Please leave a comment for each individual extra entry, it's easier to count them that way.

• Follow @HeartStarBolt (me!) on Twitter! Comment this post with your username. (1 bonus entry)
• Follow @Misikko on Twitter! Comment this post with your username. (1 bonus entry)
• Tweet about the giveaway (one tweet per day): "Win a Pink Hana Professional 1" Flat Iron from @Misikko + @HeartStarBolt here: http://bit.ly/9pk55N" Comment with a link to your tweet! (1 bonus entry)
• Blog about this giveaway on your blog/website! Comment with a link to it! (3 bonus entries!!!)
• Join the Misikko Newsletter! Comment with the email you provided the newsletter. (3 bonus entries!!!)

You can enter from now until 5/16 at 11:59 PM CDT. The winner will be chosen on 5/17 via Random.org and notified the following day! I can't wait to see what happens! Good luck to you all and take care of your hair! XOXO

...read more ⇒