Budget

Remington Wet 2 Straight Review

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“Wet 2, well…err…kinda straight?”

I’m a suspicious kind of person. Yes, it’s my natural personality but also years of purchasing experience have made me ‘buyer-beware’. I have grown used to marketeering along with all the hype that comes with it. In other words, just because a product says it will do something, I don’t always truly believe that will be the case. So, with this is mind, I admit that I approached reviewing the Remington Wet 2 Straight with a bit of cynical trepidation. Could it really make my hair go from wet to straight? Really, really?

Ooh, I love a vent!

The Remington Wet 2 Straight comes with steam vents. These are not, as the name may suggest, something to help calm when your hair won’t style properly, but the idea is that they are drying the hair whilst the plates do their job of straightening. Think of it like someone drying the dishes while you’re still washing up. In other words, there are two things happening at once here, with the sincere intention of saving you time and making your life just that little bit easier. Unfortunately, however, my experience of such multi-functioning gadgets has not been wholly positive.

I remember the washer-dryer where the washer unit failed and so I couldn’t dry, and the TV/DVD player where, as soon as the DVD got stuck, the TV gave up also. When it comes to my gadgets, I’m a one purpose kind of gal, and the Remington Wet 2 Straight has done nothing to dispel that feeling. Yes, it dried my hair, but the straightened look was left a little frizzy at the end. In fact, I had to get out my go-to straightening iron to rectify the finished look, so saved no time whatsoever. Not impressed. Admittedly, my hair is thick (very thick) with damage and split ends, but I’ve had much better straightening results from even the cheapest of straightening irons.

Not the finest looking apple on the tree

The Remington Wet 2 Straight comes at a cheaper price point than many of its competitors. And it shows in the way it looks. For me, I don’t see that a cheaper cost equates to naff looks, but that is certainly the case here. The Wet 2 Straight logo, in an old-fashioned font, is overly large, and the numerical ‘2’ instead of its written equivalent is a little elementary school for my liking. Since when did abbreviated text talk become the next contemporary thing when it came to electrical gadget design? Grrr.

Dodgy signage aside, the Remington Wet 2 Straight just looks inferior – inferior as the materials that it’s made with look cheap, and inferior as in everything just looks a little small. I can’t put my finger on it – actually I can put my finger on it as opposed to my hand, as they just don’t seem to be as wide or as long as other straighteners I have reviewed. When it comes to comfortable handling of your straightening irons, size matters.

Ceramic…ish

Much is made nowadays of what straightening plates are made of. Are they titanium? Tourmaline-infused? Sugar-coated, frosted with a cherry on top? Or maybe just plain old ceramic? Well actually, plain old ceramic is known to give a smooth glide, adding health and shine. But as the plates of the Remington Wet 2 Straight are only ceramic-coated (so only ceramic ish), then it means that the results are only ish too. So the hair goes through the plates ish, the final result looks straight ish, and the hair looks shiny ish. But I’m a vain old goat, and always want maximum value for my hard-earned dollar. So ish simply isn’t good enough. Why did Remington not just go the whole ceramic hog? I understand that companies work to tight budgets, but customer perception of a product takes precedence.

Aha! A plus point.

Thank goodness for the auto shut-off feature! Not all is lost. The auto shut-off feature is one of those things that people don’t think they need, and may well never use, but if it isn’t there, it just makes you feel a little nervous. What if I forget to turn my straighteners off? Will I fry the dog? Will my straighteners embed into the wooden flooring? A bit like that annoying little sister that keeps borrowing your clothes, but who if she left home you’d be lost without. I believe that every set of straightening irons in the world should have an auto shut-off feature. The fact that the Remington Wet 2 Straight comes with this has made me feel that not all is lost when it comes to this brand, but with the pros and cons list looming, I still feel that these straightening irons would have to do a lot of work to leave me even slightly impressed.

PROs – the wet to straight feature would be an excellent idea if only it produced wearable results; auto shut-off feature

CONs – a cheaper-looking model with results that match; drying and straightening at the same time just didn’t work on my thick, frizzy hair; cheaper price point equates to poorer performance.

At the end of this review, I admit to feeling a little heavy-hearted. I am sure that if I bought a pair of Remington straightening irons and a Remington hairdryer, I would get better results. So I am left wondering why bother trying to bring the two together if it doesn’t work well enough. I can understand it’s a time saver on paper, but sadly the reality is very different indeed. In fact, it probably ended up taking me an extra 20 minutes by having to get my preferred brand of straighteners back out to go over the results the Remington had left me with.

Remington S5500 Digital Hair Straightener Review

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“Do I like these enough to buy the company?”

 

For those of you old enough to remember, Remington became quite famous in the 1970’s 1980’s for his men’s shavers that contained the quote “I liked it so much, I bought the company.” But as well as me using it as a witty way of starting this review, the point I’m also trying to make is that Remington were known then as a premium brand synonymous with quality goods – can we say the same for the Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straightener?

Purple Rain

It’s not often that I feel I need to start a review by mentioning the color but I am doing so here as it’s probably my favorite thing about these straightening irons. The purple is definitely ‘bang on trend’ and not tacky or forced. In fact it is almost somewhat understated and that makes it look kinda classy. As my teen daughter is always saying, “that looks so Tumblr”, and if you leave these out to cool, they look almost ornamental. I normally prefer the black, salon professional look so my love for these purple beauties has taken me back a bit, but it is definitely love – well done Remington. But now to performance …

MMM bop

Well it’s ‘MMM bop’ but without the ‘Ba Duba Dop’ for me. There’s a UK saying that goes “all fur coat and no knickers” and the Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straightener reminds me of that. The straighteners look all fantastic, but underneath that showy purple exterior a just a bit lack lustre. Sure they have all the features that a lot of the more expensive straightening irons have, like floating plates, but it’s less float and more, well, nothing actually. Of course these irons straighten as when you add high heat to hair and capture between two plates that is pretty much inevitable, but the results are not salon standard at all. But in the Remington’s defence, neither is the price tag which is almost like buying a couple of rolls of candy, so you can’t expect it to be amazing surely?

Long and slow wins the race

In order to get good enough results, I found that it was better to go really slow with your passes. The ceramic plates are fairly long and I sort of thought that by giving the heat enough time to work its straightening magic, it would counteract the Remington’s relatively weak performance. So if you’re on a budget, these straighteners can definitely do the job they are designed for, but allow yourself a lot longer to style your hair, and I do mean like double the usual time.

I’m going digital, di-digital, just watch me

Well if Justin Bieber can sing about digital, I can very definitely write about. Again, my apologies for my personality being a bit shallow when it comes to things like me liking the color purple for my straighteners, but in a similar vein, I love a digital display. I am totally aware that they do not have a direct impact on performance, other than if they are wholly accurate they will give you an excellent indicator of the temperature of the plates but I love them anyway. But assuming they are accurate, the advantage of a digital display is actually helps with a few things. Firstly, it means you can adjust the temperature depending on what your hair type is which minimizes damage.

Thinner hair is likely to need lower temperature and thicker a higher temperature. And it also helps with versatility, especially if you change your look from straight to curls and vice versa. When you find a temperature that works for you, simply file it into your memory bank then you know exactly what to aim for with the digital display next time which makes life just that little bit easier. And the digital display means that you get to your preferred heat quicker without having to ‘guess’ where you’re at. So it’s actually a useful as well as nifty bit of kit.

It all hinges on the hinge

Sometimes the smallest of details that would usually pass you by as being insignificant can make a big difference. Such is the Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straightener’s hinge lock. Being able to keep your straighteners, well, straight, is a huge bonus to me, especially for storing and when on the move. The hinge lock keeps them compact when not in use and that’s a feature I truly love.

Shut-off a your face Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straightener

What’s a matter you, hey? Gotta no respect? Well maybe you’ll respect the Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straightener’s a whole lot more when you find out that they have an auto-shut off feature. Whether you are prone to extreme or even minimal forgetfulness, this feature is always reassuring to have. These straighteners will shut off after an hour, so assuming you trust the technology, your house won’t burn down. Well not from the straighteners anyway…

So with a mixed bag of my opinions here, just what do I think are the major PROS and CONS?

PROS – love the contemporary purple color that is a touch of class as well as youthful vibrance, the digital display is a really useful addition and helps with your styling regime, the hinge lock rocks!

CONS – The Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straighteners are just not the best on performance, they take time to get a good result and not many of us have that on our hands

So in conclusion, I would sum the Remington S5500 Digital Anti-Static Ceramic Hair Straighteners up as saying they are a budget performance at a budget price, but for some that is enough. It’s just that as my hair as fairly thick, these are not really straighteners that are up to that job. If your hair is fine, then they may well be.

Infiniti Pro by Conair Flat Iron Review

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“Cheap but cheerful”

Working on the idea that not all of us are multi-millionaires (me included), as well as the thought process that why pay extra money if you can get superior results at a fraction of the cost, then reviewing the Infiniti Pro was always going to be a very interesting process. Could you really get impressive results at such a relatively low price point?

The heat is on

Many straighteners are now determined to get instant heat quicker and quicker. Now very obviously the use of the word ‘instant’ gives a connotation that it is a finger-click of time, but in the world of marketing, instant is actually instant-ISH. But instant-ISH or not, the Infiniti Pro heat up remarkably quickly. We may be getting used to this with our straighteners nowadays to the extent that if we don’t have instant heat it may even seem peculiar, but as these are not a premium price point, it’s a much appreciated feature.

Even flow

Again, I’m going to bang on about the price so bear with me. Plates that give out even heat consistently make a huge difference to the finish of your hair. The look will be straighter noticeably as well as shinier and healthier. The Infiniti Pro’s tourmaline-coated plates prevent hot spots and ensure an even distribution of heat and I will admit that I felt it was superior in this respect than some other straighteners I have used at a much higher price point. Let’s be honest, a good pair of straighteners will ultimately be judged by how good your hair looks, and these very definitely delivered a result that I was proud to walk down the street with. Even heat distribution also helps when dealing with differing hair types such as fine, thick, curly and coarse (mine is thick) so this is turning out to be an all-round straightener for everyone.

Heat Shield PROTECTOR!

It all sounds very Marvel Comics, but the Heat Shield is a really nifty little addition here. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it would potentially influence my decision as to whether to buy the Infiniti Pro or whether to bin it in favor for a different straightener. Why? I do find one of the main negatives with straighteners is putting them down. They are hot – very hot. They are not the easiest of shapes to hide away neatly as they cool. I have tripped over the things on more than one occasion and I worry that then dog will sniff them and burn his nose, or tread on them and burn his paws. Yes I am a bit of worrier, but these things worry me.

The Infiniti Pro’s Heat Shield is hardly a huge scientific breakthrough, but more common sense! The plastic (obviously heat –proofed plastic) unit is a bit like a coat for the straightener. They slip it on after a hard day’s work (well few minutes in reality) and it keeps them all protected – but actually it’s the protecting of other surfaces that is more important here. Put the shield on the straightener and you can place it on a working surface, desk, dressing table, whatever within reason while the unit cools down. So more tripping over wires, no more worrying about the dog, cat, kids, and no more scorch marks that never, ever go. Sorted!

Free as a bird

There’s been much talk in the straightening world about floating plates. In my head it conjures up visions of freedom, peace, calm, tranquility, but the actual physical notion behind this when it comes to straighteners is that the plates can adapt to your hair thickness, type etc. and trap it in one place – so the heat is exactly where it needs to be – on the hair. It also means less slipping and increased grip. The idea sounds like it would be great but I personally have never really found a straightener with this technology that has made me think ‘Wow!’. The Infiniti Pro is sadly no different. The plates don’t always seem to do what they promise and I found this annoying when it happened, although it didn’t happen all the time. I guess this is proof of the old adage you get what you pay for.

Not at the top of the good-looks pile

Now I am fully aware that everybody has different tastes, but compare this to some of the more expensive brands in terms of its look and the price difference starts to show. The deep-red, pseudo burgundy look just reminds me of a board meeting where they were trying to think of a color that made the Infiniti Pro stand out from the crowd but wasn’t in your face, and this is the decision that was made. The color actually accentuates the cheaper quality in my opinion and makes it look a bit ‘tinny’. I do like the textured silver plate but because it is silver, it makes me think it is going to be really hot for some reason. Bizarre but true.

Pros and Cons?

PROS – effective results considering the lower price point, really good heat in a flash, heat shield PROTECTOR that PROTECTS!

CONS – cheaper looking straightener, floating plates aren’t always up to the job they are supposed to do

All-in-all, the Infiniti Pro straighteners deliver amazing results for the price, but – you may want to spend more if you want beyond amazing results.

HSI Professional Tourmaline Flat Iron Review

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“Everything’s fine and dandy”

 

Straighteners and their reviews have a definite tendency to love thick and coarse hair – it’s a reviewer’s dream. Will the plates be big enough? Will it straighten in one go? Will that thick mass be transformed into poker straight hair? But what about those with thinner hair? Does everyone just assume their hair will straighten easily or just naturally be straight as a result of it being thin?

Slim Jim

Thinned hair people of the hair unite and shout ‘hoorah’! Here at last is a straightener that doesn’t just like thin hair, it LOVES it! Why? Well, it just kinda does – thin hair can get a bit ‘lost’ in straightening plates with a tendency to get caught or end up with a defined angular kink, but the HSI makes the job a breeze. It holds the hair so the heat can do its business, for want of a better expression, so the result is amazingly straight hair.

But as good as the HSI is for straight hair, it’s not such a superstar for the opposite. Yes, thick, coarse hair is straight…but not STRAIGHT. Well I suppose you can’t have everything in life.

Switch on, heat, WOW!

The gold standard that all straighteners seemingly try to achieve is instant heat. And when we mean instant, we are talking switch on and KAPPOW – Bang, bosh, ready to go! Many brands of straightener try to achieve this, yet many fail, and I’m even talking on the major big player brands too. The HSI heats in record time – it does – blink, look at your phone, shout the boyfriend, whatever you can do in a few seconds and by the time you’ve done it, the straighteners are hot, hot, hot. This is great news within the home environment, but also a real bonus for the professional hair stylist for whom time is money.

Ergonomically fab

Ergonomic is a word much banded about in marketing to a whole mixed bag of products. But here ergonomic is very important, as it means that using the straighteners is more comfortable. I don’t want to make it seem like using straighteners is a very hard job, but let’s be honest, it can be a little tricky as you are having to reach in order to get to the back of your head. We’ve all struggled to get the same results all over the hair as well as seen people who have obviously ‘missed a bit’. So the HSI’s ergonomic design IS important and IS appreciated. I am someone who does have dexterity issues so I know when a straightener is easier to use, and this one is. I especially love the texture on the straightener body that not only looks absolutely stunning in design, but also gives the hand grip when holding the irons. This gave me added confidence to really use the straighteners in a more rough and tumble way than I have with others and I even managed to flick and curl like a pro and that has not happened before. This was a huge plus point.

Temperature’s Rising

The HIS comes with adjustable temperature dial so you can control how hot you want things to get. I’m not always convinced of these things and they always make me think they are more of a marketing tactic than an actual advantage to the straightening process, but then my hair is thick so I always like things as hot as hot can be. The dial is a little flimsy and I was worried I would knock it in use as has happened with other straighteners but in all fairness to the HSI I actually didn’t.

And on the point of temperature, I feel I should mention that some users have reported inconsistent temperature on the plates (the ‘hot-spots’). This can cause a problem with inconsistent styling results and the fact styling takes longer as you have to go back over certain areas.

We all love a freebie

Now I’m a total sucker for something for nothing. In fact, a bit of a marketers dream as it can sway my ultimate purchasing decision. Mine came with a travel bag, heat glove and trial size of Argan Oil so all in all a really useful and relevant set of items to include. I’ve always thought a heat glove was pointless but in the interests of review fairness actually I used it and whether it helped protect my hand or not, what it did do is give me the confidence to use the straightener in a more ‘hard-core’ manner with no worries that I would singe my skin. It’s amazing how you can suddenly need something that you are convinced that you didn’t!

Of course the travel bag is a real bonus and the Argan Oil is ideal for straightening hair so thanks HSI.

Time for the PROS and CONS list.

PROS – Hoorah! At last a straightener that is the bees-knees for thinner hair, great little set of extra items that you will use and appreciate, ergonomic design is a real bonus as well as looking amazing

CONS – BOO! These straighteners are not as dynamic on thick, coarse hair, there is no auto shut-off facility, inconsistent heat has been reported on the plates

Weighing things up, the positives are so good that the negatives are worth putting to one side and if your hair is a bit on the thin side, give these a go!

Exact same model not available in the UK

BaByliss Pro Porcelain Plate Flat Iron Review

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“Babyliss is straightening bliss”

Mention the brand name of Babyliss and unless someone has, quite literally, been living on the moon, they are likely to be familiar with it. With an established reputation for quality, buy Babyliss and you feel pretty darn confident you are getting good value. Yet although this is just my humble opinion, they are still not seen as a brand that screams must have straighteners unlike their competitors, the kings of the hair straightening world, Chi or GHD.
But happy to be proved wrong, the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straighteners were put to the test.

Plate it Up, Baby!

The Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straighteners have plate in the name for a reason. The 4” long and 1” wide plates are made to a superior grade that makes them suitable for commercial use, so that’s a pretty good recommendation. Porcelain is not just great for an exquisite cup of tea in a quaint English style, as it is fab on a straightener plate too. I get easily confused with my IRONS and IONS, especially as both are relevant to straighteners, but the science is all to do with negative and positive ions counteracting each other which results in healthier hair by retaining the hair’s natural moisture, whilst also enhancing the texture. But whatever the science, something is working as these Babyliss straighteners definitely left the hair looking far better than before.

On a more negative note, the plate width may not suit everyone. Personally, I found it increased the straightener’s styling versatility and I was able to do things like flicks on shorter bits of hair, but that usual niggle of a lot of straighteners, as in not being able to get close enough to the hairline, was an issue here. I can’t just blame Babyliss though, as the risk of burnt scalps the world over is probably an insurance risk just not worth taking.

Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate

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Light as a feather…well sort of..

The Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straighteners are very definitely amongst the lightest straighteners around. Obviously they aren’t as light as a feather as they would be constantly just blowing away and making people with allergies sneeze, but their lightness will make them appeal to a lot of people. Lack of a heavy weight means that it can be easier to reach awkward places and it also makes them a good straightener choice for if you are traveling.

Again to balance with a bit of a negative, the straighteners are lightweight due to their ‘plastic’ exterior. This means that the straighteners don’t look as amazing as some other brands and they could crack if dropped, but as the plan is never to throw them around, it is not something that is a huge issue.

It’s Getting Hot in Here

Having plates that distribute heat evenly is not easily achieved, even in this day and age of straighteners being as common to own as a kettle or a toaster. Even heat means a superior result with minimal signs of dryness and enhanced shine. Luckily, the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straighteners have no such hot-spots and this is definitely a bonus find. Even more pricey models can’t offer this so it’s a real pat on the back moment.

The straighteners are also quick to heat up and retain the heat well, even if you get distracted and walk off for a while.

A nifty little feature is the adjustable heat dial up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This is especially perfect for those with extra fine hair or thick frizz, as it means that the straighteners will do their job without the worry of short-term and/or long-term damage.

On and on…and on…

Straighteners with a cord that’s too short can be problematic as you can’t reach around all the hair easily. Straighteners with a cord that’s too short can also be problematic as you are constantly having to whip the cord around from side to side, as well as their being a chance of tangling. The Babyliss falls in to the latter category here with its 8ft cord. Whilst there was no tangle when I used, I could see that it could happen, but as with most things, it is likely that you would find your own way of avoiding this, or it may not even bother you in the slightest of course.

What’s that smell?

A quick trawl around other reviews did bring up the issue of a weird heating kind of smell on initial use. There was definitely something in the air but as I’m not prone to panic I did just that and didn’t panic. Some electrical items can have an initial ‘burn-off’ tell-tale odor, but if this continues, then it’s probably time to take it back to the store and raise the issue with them.
Here’s a brief round-up of the Pros and Cons for the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straighteners.
Pros: Effective, commercial grade plates that leave the hair looking healthy.

Lightweight model that makes it perfect for holidays and travel.

Adjustable temperature control minimizes potential damage to the hair.
Cons: Outer casing is maybe not the best quality and makes the straightener look a little boring.

Potential of a weird burning smell when first used.

Long cord may tangle in use and you may find you need to whip it around your head and from side to side

So in conclusion, is the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Plate straightener actually straightening bliss?

Well at a relatively cheap price point you are no doubt getting value for money. It may be worth spending more on a premium brand if the look of your straightener is important, but other than that, these deliver exactly what they say they will.