Don't Believe the Hype!

Hello divas of the world!

I have quite a few things to discuss today, so let's get down to business.

I have a lot of hair. Not too thick, not too thin, not too long, just...a nice amount. I do not go to hairdressers, mostly because I haven't found one that I think is reasonably priced in Detroit, and I'm VERY tenderheaded, and VERY picky about my hair. I normally don't let people touch it. And really, I'm more than qualified to do it myself, thank you State of Ohio : ) Anyhoo, I take really good care of my hair and I am always looking for something that will make the process easier, or make my hair look nicer.

That said...

I finally broke down and got a Chi Turbo 2" Ceramic flat iron. I've been lusting after this iron for quite a while but could not bring myself to drop over $100 for an iron (it's covered in red felt!). The iron is currently selling on Folica.com for $119, 65% off the list price, $130 at BeautyGalaxy.com, and $180 at Ulta.

Yeah right.

So, I got mine off of Ebay for $65. Good deal. Well, if you say so.

I normally use a Jilbere 1" tourmaline iron (also felt-covered). I shampoo my hair every 4 or 5 days or so, unless I'm really busy. I can never take it to 7. Well I could, but I don't like the smell of dirty hair. So, I shampoo, condition (more on the discontinuation of my favorite 'poo and conditioner LATER), blow dry, oil, and flat iron. I curl my whole head with the flat iron, to the point where no one can really believe I used a flat iron because it's so curly. People, it's all in the wrist! I don't curl again until I shampoo again. I can't stress this enough - if you do it right the first time, you do NOT need to curl your hair every day. I haven't done that in YEARS. I use Isoplus oil sheen and wrap it in a circle every night. The curls look better each day, they may not be as fluffy but they keep their pattern and fall into a deep wave. Beautiful and so convenient! This is just how I do it, and honestly, yes, it will work for you.

So...I used the Chi Turbo iron this past Sunday, and I was less than impressed. I don't think it got hot enough, it took forever to get hot, and my hair just looked blah. It looked very full, but I expect so much better. Truthfully, it didn't do as good as my old Gold n' Hot 2" flat irons, which I used faithfully until I got the Jilbere. Seriously, I had NO CURL. I had a lot of volume at the roots, but not a curl. That's never happened before. My hair looked like I had been wrapping it for 2 days.

I guess my point is, don't believe the hype. Chi irons are touted as the best thing since sliced bread, but I beg to differ. Mine will be on EBay this weekend. That Jilbere (and even the old Gold n' Hot) works 10 times better than that, and the Jilbere was $40 with my Sally Pro card. The Gold n' Hot as only $10.

What beauty tool failed to live up to YOUR expectations?