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Babyliss 2285U Curling Wand
by kissandmakeup
I have very thick, long hair, which can be very tricky to style, so I have tried pretty much every product and styling appliance under the sun! My hair is naturally curly, but in a horrid frizzy type of way and so I normally style it either straight or in waves / curls using my GDHs.
However, using GHDs to curl my hair can be ... quite a time consuming process so I'm always on the lookout for something new. A couple of my friends have mentioned they use the Babyliss curling wand and I liked the way their hair looked so I bought one, for £25 from Asda. What I really should have done is tried theirs first, because this appliance just did not work on my hair!
The appliance itself is a pretty basic design, a wand shaped curling tong, with no clamp, which tapers at one end. The entire thing heats up and therefore included is a glove to wear on one hand to avoid burns - not foolproof it has to be said, but it helps. The heat is variable, so you can adjust it in accordance with your hair type, it heats up to 200 degrees but for anyone with fine hair I would certainly suggest a lower heat setting. You basically wrap your hair around the barrel, lock by lock (the thicker the lock of harir the looser the curl) holding each lock for around 5-10 seconds (again depending on your hair type / thickness)until you have done all of your hair.
As my hair is so thick I used the highest heat setting, but I found that I had to hold it for longer than the recommended time, up to about 15 seconds, for it to have any impact. By the time I had done one side of my head and got round to the other side, the curls on the first side were dropping out! Not literally, I should point out! Even trying again and using hairspray as soon as I had done each curl to set it didn't help much. In addition, as my hair is thick it took me ages to do my whole head. Part of this might have been because I am new to it, I expect after a couple of go's you would get quicker.
In any case, I wasn't happy with it and won't use it again. It obviously works for some people, because I know people who have it and like it, but if you have thick, long, heavy hair then steer clear!!
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Cloud Nine O Pod
by steve4oo
I have bought countless pairs of rollers in hope that they will give me big hair with volume and curl. That had never been fulfilled as I have a lot of thick, long hair and the rollers never stay in securely enough to actually have an impression on my hair. I first came across the Cloud Nine O Pod in a local hair salon as they styled my ... hair with them and from that moment on I had fallen in love!
**The Brand **
I was not familiar with the brand Cloud Nine before coming across this product, but it seems they only came onto the scene in 2009 with their first product which was a temperature control iron, followed by the O in 2010, then a more recent product which is a curling wand. So their range of products isn't as broad as say, GHD for example, but they are relatively new so no doubt in the future they will expand and be widely recognised. Their moto is 'We are putting you back in control. This is life on Cloud Nine'. Catchy, huh? I'm sure most girls with unruly hair can relate to that statement!
** The Look **
This product is beautifully presented. I actually got it as a Christmas present, but they had produced a gift set which came in a rather large white vanity case (also available in black) that unzipped half way down, so the lid folded back, which had approximately 12 rollers and clips in it, and inside the case was the O pod, and some amplifying spray. The pod itself is quite big and has a plug attached for it to be plugged into the mains. It is black with a blue stripe around the top. Their is then an on/off switch at the back which is where all the action begins!
** Pricing and availability **
This product was purchased for me in a local salon, but it seems only selected, larger salons in cities actually stock them. After a quick look, it seems they are largely available online and you can actually buy them from Cloud Nine directly at http://www.cloudninehair.com/the-o/. The O gift set will set you back £199.95, which includes: the O pod itself, amplify spray, 12x case, the vanity case, 4x 30 mm rollers, 4x 40 mm rollers and 4x 50 mm rollers. Thereafter, the rollers alone are £17.95 for 4 rollers of which you can choose the size ranging from 20 mm to 60 mm. The pod itself is £152.95, so it is definitely worth it to buy it as a whole set and that will probably end up saving you money in the end after buying all the bits individually.
** The technology **
These rollers are very different to any you might have used before. When putting the roller into the pod, it recognises that a roller has been put in a it beeps to let you know. After 4 seconds, it double beeps and you can take the roller out, but it will still be cold. They actually heat from the core of the roller, so they are hot in your hair and not in your hand which Cloud Nine call 'unique induction heating system', which is certainly something I have never come across before. They will reach a maximum temperature of 130 degrees and at this time they will begin to cool down. Luckily for the user though, there is a red indicator on the side of each roller which goes red when they are hot and when they have cooled down it goes back to black so you know when to take them out.
** Using it! **
I was very excited when it came to using the O for the first time and it was actually more much straight forward than what I had been expecting. Before using, I had washed and blow dried my hair just so I knew there would be no products or chemicals affecting the results of the rollers. Starting the process is easy, as you literally just drop the roller into the pod and it does the rest for you. After the double beep you remove the roller, although it is probably a good idea to already have a section of hair ready and brushed, then put the roller in the top of the hair and roll downwards until it is at the root. Then, secure it will one of the clips to match the size of the roller, and repeat the process again either all over your hair, or just on the top layers. As I have a lot of hair, I used all the 12 rollers I got with mine, but you can definitely get away with using less if your hair is a bit finer. After I had put all the rollers in, which took about 10 minutes (I thought it would take longer) I got on with my make up and when I had finished, the red indicators on the roller had gone back to black so I knew they were set and ready to be removed. The heating up and cooling down process took around 20 minutes, so a lot quicker than other rollers. Taking them out was equally as easy, just remove the clip and unroll them. However they are velcro like traditional rollers, so my hair got a bit stuck to them but once I got the hang of it they came off really quickly.
** The results **
After taking the rollers out I was amazed with out it looked. Before I even took a brush to my hair I could already see the volume and curl the rollers had created. Although they had worked for me in the salon previously, I was almost shocked that I could recreate the look myself as I had never been able to before. My hair had curl on the ends, but not too much or the sort you get from using a curling tongue, but more an effortless wave that looks really stylish. The root of my hair had volume too, as I had used the bigger rollers around the top layers of my hair and it gave my hair a lot of bounce. My side fringe also sat really nicely too as I had put a roller in that section, and it had a little flick on the end but blended really nicely with the rest of my hair.
** Summary **
On the whole, these rollers are absolutely fantastic. If you want a glamorous look with volume and bounce I would 100% recommend this product. While it is expensive, they are not like normal rollers and the technology is them is essentially what you are paying for. I am yet to find another brand or product that can compete with the O. I have used them almost daily since Christmas and the results are not a fluke, they can be repeated time and after to give you so much volume. It really stops your hair from look dull and boring and it is great for both every day use, or just for special occasions and evenings. 5/5 Dooyoo stars from me, you must get some!
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