As good as my pro!
Written: Aug 21 '04 (Updated Sep 11 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: easy to use, straightens my hair well, auto off, economical, ceramic plates, 25 settings.
Cons: does not open very wide, bulky, does not last in humidity.
The Bottom Line: Great alternative to an expensive ceramic iron.
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| adamsjill's Full Review: Conair CS19CS Instant Heat Hair Straightener 2'' |
I am updating this review on August 30-2004:
How the ceramic love started
My hair is blond, bleached, damaged, very fine, and chin length. It is neither straight nor curly -not wavy either-“Lumpy” is really the word! I had been using a basic Conair straightener for a year or so...but really had not been so pleased: It never got all the lumps out, the straightening never lasted the day, it fried my hair, and it didn’t smooth frizz at all …I needed a lot of product to make my hair straight and smooth with it-which left my hair very oily looking within a couple hours….I was quite sure I was forever going to have to live with a lumpy frizzy mess or a smooth oil slick on my head, unless I shaved it. My hair ONLY looked good for about 7 minutes after styling it, or after leaving the salon.
I usually had to wear it back, with the sides around my face in a frizzy lumpy mess!
Then I read about the miracle of ceramic irons, last summer, and I had to try. At the time, only salons sold them. So I shelled out over 100$CAD for the Dannyco Ceramix Ceramic Iron. And it was love. Love love love. My bad hair days were gone forever. I will not describe it more-as it was basically the same as the iron I am reviewing here. But suffice to say, I was a Ceramic iron Loyalist forever and ever.
How I ended up with a cheap Conair Ceramic Iron
Then…
About 3 months ago, I noticed my Ceramix was slowing down. It took longer and longer to heat up the iron, and more and more run thoughts to straighten my hair, and the lumps were returning half way through the day. I ignored the problem, and in my denial started plugging it in at 6am, and straightening at 8am. I pretended this was normal…
Then…
8am, Tuesday morning. I started to straighten. Nothing. The plates were just not hot. I had a tantrum but it did not help. I threw the iron to the floor but it did not help. I begged and pleaded with the iron but it did not help. I sat in a bundle on the washroom floor and cried, and that did not help.
So off to work I went, lumpy hair in a lumpy ponytail. All the way to work I schemed and thought over how I’d get a new iron for the next morning.
I remembered half way through the day noticing that Conair now made a ceramic iron, sold at the drugstore for around 50$ CAD. The drugstore where I had enough loyalty points to get the straightener for free!!! I could not get it out of my mind. I was sceptical that it could be as good as a salon straightener, but decided to do some research. After spending my day reading reviews on many sights, I decided that it was worth a try. Many people who reviewed the straightener had used the older Conair iron and found this one much better, and a few had used professional irons and found it comparable.
My experience with the Conair Professional Instant Heat Hair Straightener CS19CS
It works!!! Just as well as the Ceramix!!!
I use this on my hair after blow-drying or air-drying my hair (if I shower the night before) and in less than 10 minutes my hair is smooth and totally lump free! I simply lift the top layers with a clip and run the iron through the bottom layers, in about 6 sections, then do the same six sections on the top. That’s all.
If I have time I go through the top layers a second time, curling the ends under, and curl the ends up on the bottom layers. If not my hair still looks good. (you just flip the iron outwards or inwards to get a curl at the bottom, but do it quickly and don't "hold" it, or you'll get a bend!)
A little pomade after straightening helps make my hair look sleek, but without my hair still looks good! I sometimes use some mousse in my hair when I blow dry it, but I don't use anything in my hair directly before straightening, as it makes a "sizzle" sound that scares me. Also, hair should be bone dry before using this iron.
If I do nothing but 12 runs through my hair-it looks good!!!
When I use this iron my hair is instantly smooth, shiny, lump and frizz free. And it lasts all day, and into the next day-unless it is super humid out (see below). I only have to do a quick run through the top layers the next day-voila, perfect hair. There have been NO BAD HAIR DAYS since I got this iron (actually since I got my first Ceramic iron until about 1 year ago, but this one, half the price, has continued the good hair days trend!)
any specifics plusses??
A few:
Heats very quickly, about 1-2 minutes. My older ceramic Iron did too, until the last few months.
The old iron I had got really really hot. This one can too-but has 25 heat settings, so it doesn’t need to if you don't need it to. I use 25 (the hottest), even thought that is for thick coarse curly hair and mine is thin and wavy. If I had started with this iron I likely would not need to, but my hair is used to the super-hot salon iron, so I do. Fine with me, as long as it works.
There is a comb (detachable) that I find really helps keep my hair taunt when I straighten it. My Ceramix had this too. This iron also comes with a boars-hair comb to switch to at the end, supposedly it adds shine. I tried it and found little difference.
This iron has auto shut off. I LOVE that. My old iron did not have it, and since it got so hot I often lived in fear of leaving it on. Now, no worries (It shuts off after about 30 minutes of non-use, so I can leave it and come back. A must with a toddler in the home).
The handle is thin and round, with grips. Very easy to hold. My old iron had a thin flat handle that was harder on the hands and wrists.
The plates are 2 inches wide, the other iron was 1 and 1/2. I find the 2 inches not at all too wide for my chin length hair, and they actually seem to straighten the back (which is longer) better than the old iron.
Any negatives?
The iron does not open as wide as some others. Not a problem with my thin wavy hair, but would maybe be a problem for thick curly hair.
It is pretty bulky and heavy. However most of the 1 and 1/2 to 2 inch ceramic irons I've seen are. This one is no heavier or bulkier than the old one, and I did manage to take that one on a few trips in my overnight bag easily.
All in all, I love the Conair Instant Heat, as much or more than my original, expensive, professional salon straightener. I must add, though, that my hair is fine and relatively easy to straighten.
Oh, there is a 2-year warranty. My Ceramix only had 1 year, and it died about a month after it’s one-year anniversary!
UPDATED INFORMATION-AUGUST 30, 2004
This iron had the poor luck of being bought the week before the most humid week ever, and when I was having PMS.
Therefore, a few days after buying this iron I started crying (yes crying) about how in the humidity the straightness and smoothness was gone in about half a day. This also happened with the ceramix last summer-however as I was on maternity leave and in and out of the home often, I could touch up mid-day so it did not bother me. Now I am working and if my hair goes bad mid-day, I am stuck with it.
I looked into styling products and modified my method as per a hairdresser's instructions (more sections, way slowed down the ironing and used a spray beforehand) and it worked even better at straightening, but continued to wear off by midday.
I was going to just deal with it until the humidity died, but then I tried out my friend's CHI one morning, and since my hair made it all day in the humidity, I needed theCHI and bought one myself the next day.
Though the CHI gets my utmost raving, I do still feel this is a great alternative to a pricier iron, especially if your straightening needs are not as serious as mine - as in I am nearly suicidal if my hair is not perfectly smooth and straight all day, and I live in a very humid area. If you need a strengthener just for a little extra smoothing (I use it for a full on hair transformation), or just for special occasions, or if you are not somewhere humid or do not go outside often (I am in and out all day in my job), this iron is still a great option that I would recommend.
As well, I still feel this iron is as good as a pro, the ceramix say. But nowhere near a CHI.
Happy smoothing!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
adamsjill
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 153
Trusted by: 55 members
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Lost my TR status...just for fun now!!!
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