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NFL Player Troy Polamalu's Hair Insured For $1 Million

NFL Player Troy Polamalu's Hair Insured For $1 Million

File this one under wacky firsts, but totally true: Head & Shoulders has just insured Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu’s hair through Lloyd’s of London for a cool one million dollars.  As the mane man repping Head & Shoulders Hair Endurance for Men collection, Polamalu’s precious curls will be protected throughout this NFL season and is ...

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Win It! Eucerin SkinFIRST Everyday Protection Giveaway

Win It! Eucerin SkinFIRST Everyday Protection Giveaway

Have you taken the Eucerin SkinFIRST pledge yet?  If you already have, please take a second to pat yourself on the back.  If not, listen up---I've got some incentive for you (and a little reward for those of you who already have). It's craziness that we often take the largest organ in our body for granted.  ...

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Dig These Digits: A Blogger's Internet Browser Inspired Nail Art

Dig These Digits: A Blogger's Internet Browser Inspired Nail Art

I must say, I think this is the coolest nail art ever for tech babes!  I apologize if I'm tardy to the party (did I just say that?), but I had to share this in case you haven't seen it yet.  Japanese blogger, Mamipeko is rocking some internet browser inspired nail art!  You must ...

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Review: LipSense by SeneGence Long Lasting Liquid Lip Color

Review: LipSense by SeneGence Long Lasting Liquid Lip Color

How many times have you purchased a lippie that promised to be long wearing, only to wind up so disappointed that it quickly found it's way to the bottom of your makeup stash or nearest trash can?  It's happened to me more times than I care to remember.  True long wearing lip colors are out ...

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Sneak Peek: Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume III

Sneak Peek: Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume III

There are about to be some VERY happy Urban Decay lovers in NYC!  1,000 New Yorkers are going to beat us all to the punch on this beautiful thing right here: The latest installment of their popular Limited Edition Book of Shadows series from the edgy west coast beauty brand proves that Urban Decay has mad ...

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An Anesthesiologist's Solution To Bikini Waxing Pain

An Anesthesiologist's Solution To Bikini Waxing Pain

Who dreads a bikini wax?  Maybe I should ask who doesn't dread a bikini wax!  I'm a true believer that if it's done correctly by a seasoned pro, the pain is definitely minimized and it's not as bad of an experience as it's feared to be.  But it still hurts!  I've had my share of ...

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What's on Lady Gaga's Nails in Vanity Fair?

What's on Lady Gaga's Nails in Vanity Fair?

What's that gray nail polish on Lady Gaga's nails on the September cover of Vanity Fair? Just in case you were wondering, it's none other than the very hot Waking Up In Vegas from celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann!  The popular gray shade is from Lippmann's spring 2010 collection (you'll find my review & swatches for Waking ...

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Review: InStyler Rotating Hot Iron Hair Straightener

by Amber on July 14, 2009

in hair products,how-tos,product reviews,tools

As embarrassing as it is to admit that I’ve fallen victim to many late-night infomercial pitches, there are a few good products to break up the monotony of ridiculous products here and there.  I didn’t need a Slap Chop, but I came *this* close to buying one on a sleepless night, and Smooth Away looked like something I couldn’t live without after the 5-minute commercial.  For about every ten products that are the epitome of all human laziness, there may be one that has potential.  It was only natural for me to be hesitant to try out the InStyler which has been in heavy rotation on late-night TV lately, but it definitely piqued my interest.

The commercials star celebrity hairstylist Dean Banowetz, the hands behind the red-carpet hair of celebs like Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Ellen DeGeneres.  He’s also worked as Leeza Gibbon’s personal hairstylist, so he’s experienced in the art of good hair!  A stylist like Dean who has such a star-studded cast of clientele has to be very careful what he attaches his name to, it’s a risky business and he’s got a lot riding on this.  But what if it actually worked?  Is it as easy as Dean Banowetz makes it look?

Yes, but not without trial and error.  Like any heat styling tool, it took me a little practice– but not for very long.  To be honest, after brushing up on a few of the techniques in the short videos on their site you would think I had been styling my hair with it for weeks with success.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was once I got the basics down and that it wasn’t a flimsy little metal & plastic combo to be used a few times and then tossed in the bin with a few of my older heat tools.  With 3 heat settings, a rotating barrel that gets seriously hot, and a comb that helps you detangle, separate, and smooth– it actually worked incredibly well.  But like I said, not without trial and error.  In the first 5 minutes, you know I had to go and burn my forehead really good because I didn’t pay attention to how close I had the barrel to my head when I was working on my bangs!  I’ve burned my forehead with many a curling iron in all of my years, so it was no big deal– but I made a mental note to myself to make sure to tell you to be careful with the barrel and not get it too close.  It seems like a no-brainer, I know–  but I did it anyway!

A few of the challenges you may have out-of-the box:

• sliding it throughout the length of your hair too quickly, or not in a smooth & steady motion

• placing too much or not enough tension up against the barrel

not using the correct size of a section of hair in the InStyler

• waking up your significant other at 7am because it’s a little on the loud side while in motion!

If you’re mindful of these important factors, it shouldn’t be too difficult to create flips, add volume and bounce, straighten, or add curls and more to your style.  With a little practice and patience, it shouldn’t end up in the cabinet next to your Ronco Food Dehydrator or your Egg Genie.  I’m keeping mine handy, I love my InStyler!

PLEASE NOTE: Beauty Junkies Unite has NO affiliation with InStyler or their infomercial marketing company and strongly encourages that you examine their pricing terms prior to purchasing.  If those terms are not acceptable to you, you may wish to purchase it from another retailer.  The purpose of this post was to share my honest opinions of my experiences with the InStyler.  As with anything, your experience may differ.

{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }

ChrissyNo Gravatar August 22, 2010 at 8:31 am

SO, my question is this : How big of a chunk of hair can you put in it? I don’t have the time to split my hair into that many pieces to straighten it. Does it work with larger chunks?

AmberNo Gravatar August 22, 2010 at 8:52 am

Hi Chrissy,

I have pretty fine hair and I still had to section it for it to work as it’s intended. It doesn’t have to be a super thin section, but I’d say no wider than about 2 inches. You’ll have to adjust the thickness of your section for your hair’s texture to find what works best. Hope that helps!

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