On Target - Daily Makeover

So my buds over at DailyMakeover.com have hooked me up with a premium account. It's taken me a few weeks but I've finally started playing with it a bit. I'm at DM novice so it may take some time (and better quality self-portraits!) so here's a few looks I played around with on myself and a friend.

The Lauren Conrad The Alyson Hannigan - Red

The Alyson Hannigan - Dark

Tips & Trends - Pre-Fall 2009

Pre-fall is a season that only exists in the fashion world. However, the benefit of pre-fall is that it gives us a sneak peek of what's to come.

I spent the weekend going over the pre-fall collections posted on Style.com and noticed a few hair trends worth mentioning. It was glaringly obvious that simple was in, and big was nearly out. In fact, the trend I took the most note of were the long, straight, sleek, flat ironed locks with a side or middle part. A variation on this look included a severe slick backed look.

The straight style appeared in the collections of such designers as Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Doo.Ri and Roberto Cavalli. But other designers including Nicole Miller, Monique Lhullier and Narcisco Rodriguez played with shiny and straight, slicking hair back. Here's a few of the inspring images.

Alexander Wang - The Straightest of Them All

Rag & Bone - Straight Shooter

Doo.Ri - Sideways Straight

Monique Lhuillier - Shellac'd Back

Narcisco Rodriguez - Slide Back

Flat Iron Frenzy – Sedu vs. GHD

I’m going to shelve the CHI comparisons for a little while to shift my focus on to Sedu and GHD. Both irons receive high marks, so let’s see how they match up against one another based on styling, technology, material and cost. This entry serves as a shopping guide for each flat iron, rather than direct comparison.

This round features the Sedu Revolution styler vs. GHD IV styler.

Styler Defined

First off, it seems that lately most hair appliance companies are producing “stylers”. One might ask, what is a styler?

Stylers are a specific form of flat irons that are designed to not only straighten hair but also to curl, flip, wave, twist or whatever else you can imagine. Sedu features rounded plates and a rounder barrel, GHD offers a rounded barrel.

Since both the Sedu Revolution and GHD IV are stylers, one point for each.

Sedu - 1, GHD -1

Futuristic Favor

Both the Sedu and GHD claim to be the next wave of styling, but is one more technologically advanced than the other?

The Sedu Revolution’s big technology selling point is the Freestyle Guiding System, which features anti-slip edges which prevent hairs from slipping and snagging. This FGS also promotes the styling capability discussed in the section above. The Sedu also offers dual voltage for usage in a number of countries.

On the other hand, the GHD MK IV touts its safety functions, including sleep mode after 15 minutes, and automatic shut off after 30 minutes. Also, the GHD flat iron offers shiver mode to combat condensation in rooms less than 41 degrees. Plus, the GHD has universal voltage, making it ideal for heavy travelers.

The question remains, which is more advanced? The Sedu Revolution technology is more hair styling based while the GHD technology is safety-centered. Should you purchase styling over safety or safety over styling? It seems likely there’s an audience for both. This round is too close to call, another draw, and one point each.

Sedu – 2, GHD – 2

Make Up or Made Up

The materials used in flat irons seem to constantly be changing. Are the Sedu Revolution and GHD Mark IV identical, or can one outperform the other?

Both the Sedu and GHD are ceramic. However, that seems to where the similarities end.

The GHD is just ceramic, but the Sedu Revolution also includes tourmaline and nano technologies. The addition of these two other materials makes the Sedu Revolution more ionic than its GHD counterpart. Sedu wins this round.

Sedu – 3, GHD - 2

Cost and Review

I looked on Folica.com, because they sell both items as part of value packs complete with how-to DVDs and two-year warranties. The Sedu Revolution also includes a heat proof flat iron combo mat and pouch.

In terms of price, there’s about $100 dollars between both value packs. The Sedu Revolution 2009 edition retails for $139.95, while the GHD pack is going for $239.95. A pretty hefty price difference.

As far as reviews go, the Sedu Revolution pack has around 140 reviews, ranking at 4.63 out of 5. The GHD MK IV value pack has 30 reviews, and ranks 4.57 out of 5. Another close round, but this one goes to Sedu based on affordability and a slight edge in customer ranking.

Sedu – 4, GHD - 2
Final Say

Having compared the technologies, materials and cost of these stylers, I have to pick the Sedu Revolution. It seems to be more bang for your buck.

For more info on each brand, plus ordering information visit the Sedu and GHD homepages.

Flat Iron Frenzy - Sedu vs. Sedu

Sedu vs. Sedu? What?

This go-around meant to clarify the differences between the two main Sedu lines - Sedu Ionic vs. the newer Sedu Revolution. I’ve seen a lot of people questioning the difference between these two flat irons so I thought I’d shift the focus for a moment.

I emailed Sedu Beauty to get to the scoop. Click the image below to read the Sedu response:


Basically, Sedu Beauty says the main differences between the two lines include plate shape, plate size offerings, and temperature settings.

The Sedu Revolution is a styler, with rounded plates for creating curly or wavy styles, and has the ability to heat all the way up to 450 degrees. It also offers the Freestyle Guiding System which makes it possible to glide over hair in one pass, without snagging strands. BUT, the Revolution is only featured in a 1" plate size.

On the other hand, the Sedu Ionic comes in both 1" and 1-1/2" plate sizes, and offers more squared plates designed specifically for straightening hair. The temperature settings max out at 410 degrees.

So, both irons can straighten all hair types, get incredibly hot, and offer the same ceramic, ionic, and tourmaline technologies.

End result - if you just need a flat iron, both the Sedu Ionic and Sedu Revolution will get the job done. If you are more interested in creating multiple hair styles with one tool, go directly for the Sedu Revolution.

For more information, visit Sedu Beauty.

To purchase online, visit Folica.

To find out where to purchase near you, click Where to Buy.

Flat Iron Frenzy - CHI vs. Sedu

Here’s an interesting showdown between two powerhouse professional flat irons. Do you Sedu? Or CHI? Ok, so for this round it’s the CHI Ceramic Original 1” versus the Sedu Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline 1”. Up for comparison will be temperature, materials, convenience, reviews and cost.

Temperature Rising

CHI offers a set temperature of 370 degrees, which the iron achieves within a matter of seconds. At this fixed setting, CHI users get intense heat that can straighten in almost every hair type. However, some users may find the CHI temperature setting too hot for their hair and complain of damage, while other find that is not effective enough for their thick locks.

Sedu offers five variable temperature settings between 240 and 410 degrees. The lowest settings are ideal for fragile or bleached hair with the higher temperatures suitable for thicker and coarser styles. So, you get styling versatility without damage? Sedu, please. For more info on styling temperatures, refer to my last post.

CHI – 0, Sedu – 1

Material World

This post is beginning to sound a lot like the CHI vs. SOLIA comparison! Maybe I should do SOLIA vs. Sedu. Either way, CHI uses ceramic plate technology which is an improvement over tradtional metal plates, since ceramic technology provides moisturizing heat without damaging locks.

Sedu, also uses ceramic plate technology, improving it with the addition of tourmaline. Tourmaline is a mineral/semi-precious stone that emits potent negative ions to soothe the frizziest strands, infusing them with far infrared heat helping strengthen and protect hair from the inner core to outer layers.

Tourmaline helps Sedu edge out CHI, but this was a close call, ceramic technology is definitely a major asset for both styling tools. I’ll give CHI half a point for a good effort, and Sedu a full point for ceramic and tourmaline.

CHI – ½, Sedu – 2

The Greatest of Ease

Flat iron styling is both a skill and an art form. Getting sleek straight hair or voluminous curls takes practice, but having a versatile tool is the easiest place to start. With flash heating and swivel cord, the CHI is ready to go within seconds, but achieving your perfect look might take awhile. Slim, small and weighing in at two pounds, the CHI Original makes curls, waves, and flips but without the ionic boost from tourmaline styling is a slower process.

The Sedu also offers flash heating and a sleek design, but has slightly more rounded edges meant for versatile styling, giving customers greater styling ease in a third of the time. And the Sedu is about a half pound so it’s extremely lightweight, and has a 9’ swivel cord for maneuverability.
This round is a tough call, both irons straighten and style but Sedu wins for speed. So CHI gets ½ point and Sedu a full point.

CHI – 1, Sedu – 3

Judgment Day

Using the reviews on Folica.com, the CHI and Sedu get different marks. Both flat irons have almost the same number of reviews, hovering around 1300. The CHI ranks 4.14 out of 5 stars while the Sedu receives 4.53 of 5 stars.

To get to the bottom of what customers really thought, I read through the first 15 pages of reviews on both flat irons. Most CHI customers seem to either love their product or completely hate it. The top complaints on the product were durability and hair damage. Many users loved the product while others claimed it broke within a few months or damaged their hair irreparably, and with only 1-year worth of warranty coverage, CHI customers seem to be left disappointed with broken flat irons.

The reviews on the Sedu fare better, with most customers seeming thrilled with hair health and styling capabilities. There are still a few reviews complaining about mechanical problems but since the Sedu warranty covers two years there seems to be a lot more general customer satisfaction.

CHI- 1, Sedu – 4

Cost

Right now the CHI is available on Folica.com for $79.99 making it the cheaper of the two irons. The Sedu retails for $169.95 but is currently $108.95 and comes with a free iron holder (a $20 value). Both irons receive free shipping from Folica.

The CHI is available in salons and on a number of websites, while Sedu is only available through salons and online at Folica. CHI wins for cost and availability.

CHI – 2, Sedu – 4

And the Winner is…

Sedu wins for temperature settings, tourmaline plating, styling convenience, customer satisfaction and warranty coverage CHI comes in second, again.

The final score is CHI – 2, Sedu – 4.

I use Folica.com for most of my information; you can go there to purchase or go to the brand pages for a complete listing of where to buy.

http://www.chiretail.com/

http://www.sedubeauty.com/

Flat Iron Frenzy – CHI vs. SOLIA

In the ongoing battle to determine the fiercest flat iron, the CHI and SOLIA seem like closely matched opponents. These brands are considered primo by professionals, and both CHI and SOLIA offer their customers superior styling capability. But for the sake of argument, let’s do a little comparison.

For this round, the chosen competitors are the CHI Original Ceramic 1” versus the Solia Tourmaline Ceramic 1 ¼”. I’ve decided to evaluate the two flat irons based on temperature settings, materials and construction, cost and value and customer reviews.

Hot, Hot Heat!

To begin with, temperature settings are a major difference between these two flat irons. The CHI Original comes with just one temperature setting – 370 degrees. On the other hand, the SOLIA features a range of temperature settings from 140 to 450 degrees.

So, what does this matter? Well, it seems that temperature settings vary for hair type. Based on the chart below, the CHI’s set temperature of 370 degrees may prove a bit weak for coarser hair types, but it seems that if you crank the SOLIA way up you can flatten and style even the thickest mane.

CHI – 0, SOLIA - 1

Materialistic

Ceramic? Tourmaline? What does that even mean? In terms of construction and materials, the obvious difference between CHI and SOLIA is tourmaline. The CHI Original uses ceramic plate technology which is non-damaging to hair, and provides even, moist heat and negative ions.

SOLIA also uses ceramic plates, in addition to the special ingredient, tourmaline, to improve upon professional flat irons. Tourmaline , a mineral, also considered a semi-precious stone, generates high levels of negative ions which enhance hair and produce far-infrared heat to dry hair from the inside out. This means even less damage and faster styling, even when hair is styled damp.

In short, while both irons offer less-damage than traditional aluminum plated irons, SOLIA edges out the win for using tourmaline.

CHI – 0, SOLIA - 2

Weigh In

Since both flat irons use cutting edge technology and construction to provide consumers with the fastest, non-damaging styling tool possible, it’s time to look even closer. The CHI Original weighs in at two pounds and SOLIA at one pound, making both irons fairly lightweight.

The use of ceramic technology means both irons heat quickly and maintain even heat throughout styling. Yet, SOLIA offers the Dynamic Alignment System, with the plates self-adjusting to provide perfect coverage of hair eliminating damage and pressure points. As of now, CHI lacks a comparable feature. Score another point for SOLIA – lighter weight and flexibility.

CHI – 0, SOLIA-3

Cost, Value and Warranty

Both CHI and SOLIA are higher end professional brands so neither of these flat irons comes cheap.

The list price of a CHI Original is around $100-190, but a quick Google search found a variety of lower prices all ranging between $70-80. Some of the retailers included Amazon, Folica and Misikko. Also, CHI irons only work in the USA and Canada due to 110 voltage, and cannot be used in foreign countries even with converters.

According to the CHI website, there is no warranty policy on flat irons purchased through the Internet, only a 1 year warranty for products bought in professional salons. Some sites offer up to a 1 year warranty on CHI products.

The SOLIA list price is $140 but is currently available for around $85 from Amazon and Folica. Unlike the CHI, the SOLIA flat iron has variable voltage (110-120) and can be used in a variety of locations.

Meanwhile, according to Folica, SOLIA just extended their warranty to 2 years on all products purchased on or after October 3, 2008. Good deal.

Originally I was going to give this round to CHI for being less expensive and more widely available for purchase, but the lack of a warranty on such an expensive item makes me a bit nervous. SOLIA wins again; a two year warranty is peace of mind for any customer.

CHI-0, SOLIA-4

The Customers Sound Off

I chose to examine the reviews on Folica.com to see what people are saying about the CHI Original and SOLIA Tourmaline Ceramic. Folica lists over 1000 reviews for each product, so I decided it was a good place to see customer likes and gripes.

In general, the CHI receives a rating of 4.14 out of 5 stars, and the SOLIA has 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Here’s some feedback on the CHI – Having read the first 10 pages of reviews on Folica, it seems that most CHI users really like their product. But, it seems most liked it - until it started having electrical troubles, like the iron failing to turn on or heating up. The other main complaint of CHI users is the lack of temperature control; some found the iron too strong for finer hair and felt it caused damage.

For the SOLIA, most customers seem to be ex-CHI users. The 10 pages of reviews for the SOLIA seem more positive and enthusiastic for the product than the CHI reviews. In fact, there didn’t seem to be any general negative comments about SOLIA. Then again, over 64% of the reviews on Folica rate SOLIA as 5 out of 5 stars or “The Best”.

CHI – 0, SOLIA – 5

And the Winner is…

The knockout winner for this showdown is SOLIA, because of the flat iron’s multiple temperature settings, tourmaline plates, sturdy construction, two-year warranty and overall customer enthusiasm. CHI takes second place being a possibly more affordable alternative that may suit some customers and hair types better than others.

For more information on both products, and to see where I got my information, visit Folica.com where you can buy both the CHI and SOLIA, or visit the brand homepages listed below.

http://www.chiretail.com/

http://www.soliabeauty.com/