“HOTTER AND FASTER THAN THE BEST KNOWN STRAIGHTENERS”

( Fighting talk!!)

Having watched with sadness the tragic demise of my very pink ghd straighteners, there was panic in the house. Himself frantically tried to remedy the situation and took the things apart but it was to no avail; the pinker than a pink thing had to go.

There followed, the very next day, a desperate trip to the Metro Centre, to purchase a new pair. I must have looked more than a little confused because the very pleasant assistant started giving me lots of help and advice, and these are the ones she recommended.

Apparently, these have been featured on morning tv and are the ones most like ghd straighteners, so if you can “handle” ghd, these will be a breeze

~*~The Hype~*~

• 230 degree temperature heat up with 10 temperature settings
• Heat up in 30 seconds
• Ultra fast heat recovery for constant high heat
• Tourmaline ceramic
• 25% longer plates
• Poker straight high shine finish
• 5 year guarantee

~*~The Packaging~*~

These came in the usual type of box, and once opened, as well as the straighteners, included:
• 4 sectioning clips
• Heat protection mat on which to place the straighteners when hot but not in use or to wrap round them for storage
• Full instructions

~*~The Straighteners~*~

Take them out of the box and the straighteners are about 26cm long and about 3cm wide. I am actually giving the sizes because I noticed quite a variation in sizes and wanted some I knew I could handle!!

They aren’t pink, but are quite sleek looking- clack with a red on/off switch indicator and a dial at the side to set the temperature.

They also have a very long (3m) swivel cord, apparently for easy use but it did worry me- how would I ever get the knots out?

~*~How to use them~*~

First of all, I have to make sure that my hair is completely dry; I have been known to use straighteners on damp hair and the sizzling sound is not good.

Then, surprisingly, the appliance has to be plugged in (?) and the on/off switch set at the on position (yes…). Turn the temperature dial to the desired heat and let the straighteners heat for 30 seconds. Separate a section of hair and place it between the plates and close. Slide down the length of the hair and repeat as necessary.

After use, allow the appliance to cool down, switch to the off position, unplug, wrap in the little mat and put them away.

Great, very specific instructions, and hurray, I have been doing it correctly for years-apart from the odd wet straightening but needs must.

~*~Be Careful…~*~

• the appliance gets very hot
• Don’t immerse them in water
• Do not use if damaged
• Do not leave unattended if plugged in and switched on.

~*~Guarantee~*~

This, I think, is one of the selling points.

The appliance comes with a full 5 year guarantee and covers defects under normal use. It is not valid if the straighteners are repaired by someone unauthorised by Babyliss but if fault is found to be caused by normal use, they will be repaired or replaced.


There is a section with the instructions giving information of what to do in case of a fault, and who to send the straighteners to.

~*~ Contact~*~

Conair Customer Care Line: 0870 5133191 or ukinfo@conair.com (was there a film called Conair??)

~*~Website~*~

www.babyliss.co.uk

As expected, lots of information informing the consumer of the superb quality of their products.

~*~ Availability and price~*~

Argos, Boots and other leading retailers

These cost me £40 but at the time they were on offer- normal price £60

~*~What do I think?~*~

Given that myself and my ghd straighteners go back a long way- 3 sets/pairs of them and a number of years, these had a tough act to follow.

I do believe they passed the test with flying colours.

Handling: Great
Result: Sleek and smooth as my hair will go
Ease of use: Simple as can be

I did think that the extra long cord was going to cause me some problems, but it has actually been a bonus- I feel like a hair dresser- very professional and can swivel about the place with ease.

They do glide easily down my hair and after use it really is shiny and straight. I have even tried them after a quick burst of rain caused a major hair frizz and they performed beautifully. For this, I did find the heat setting excellent, and used a lower temperature. A word about the heat setting- have a practise until you find the best and most effective setting for your hair.

The 5 year guarantee is a bonus because I have usually had only one year guarantee and have found that I need new straighteners after the one year but before the two year mark. Hopefully I won’t need to get them repaired though, because I would have to buy new ones if I sent them away.

For me, the heat pad is a bit of a waste, but handy if you are putting them onto furniture/ carpet they could burn. Similarly, I don’t use the sectioning clips, but nice touch on Babyliss part- thanks, all freebies greatfully received.

So, all in all, a great purchase.

Remember, if they DO last 5 years, that’s only £8 a year for poker straight hair- good enough for me!!

Thanks for reading

Daniela xx (aka the straight haired one)