Vibrating Flat Irons

So I have had the 1" Brocato Vibrastrait for about a year now and I have been very happy with it. I purchased it after my hairstylist used it on my hair. She used it without warning me first and I heard the plates vibrating and was like, "uhh, what are you doing to my hair?!?!?!" haha but it worked really well. I have slippery very fine hair that with most flat irons I have tried I have had to clamp down really hard on my hair for it to work and then it snags on my hair and leaves weird crease lines and was just ineffective. And when I would try to curl my hair with other flat irons, it would either slide through without working or would snag from my clamping as hard as possible. The purpose of the vibrating flat iron is to allow hair to slide through effortlessly and without any kinks or creases. The Brocato Vibrastraight retails for $159.95 - $199.95 but I purchased it from ULTA on sale with a coupon. However, I have loved it and think it's worth the (sale) price. It has an auto-off feature after 50 minutes which is great because I am guilty of leaving a flat iron on before (eep I know) and the digital temperature settings allow me to perfectly customize for my hair in 10 degree increments between 190 and 450 degrees (and it automatically sets to the last temperature I used when it turns on). I also love the green tourmaline ceramic plates, I think it looks nice with the black of the iron. Oh, and if you really want, you have the option to turn the vibrating feature off.

Here is a description of the Vibrastrait from Brocato "It's unique combination of heat and vibration means hair glides through effortlessly between the plates for smoother, straighter locks. The oscillating movement removes kinks and creases, while tourmaline ceramic plates seal in moisture and keep hair silky smooth for days. With no pulling or tugging, hair damage is virtually non-existent! Variable temperature settings can be adjusted for fragile to thick, course hair. Rapid heat up and automatic safety shut-off feature make this flat iron a must have! Take hair beyond the ordinary...to the extraordinary! Perfect for all hair types & textures and for those that want to create smooth & shiny styles!" It also claims to shorten the time you spend straightening your hair by 30% which I would agree with since I don't end up going back over sections of hair to try and remove creases or smoothing my hair like with other irons. You can purchase it from ULTA both online and in stores or from Brocato directly or from sellers on Amazon as well, however you can only register the iron for the 3 year warranty if it is purchased from a certified Brocato dealer. In addition to the 1" size I have, the Vibrastrait also comes in a 1/2" and 1 3/4" size as well.

Now, this brings us to the potential dupe I recently stumbled upon while shopping at Target; the Revlon Style Expert 1" Vibrating Digital Flat Iron that is apparently a Target exclusive. This vibrating flat iron retails for $39.99 and is currently on sale for $35 at Target both online and in stores.

Now, this caught my eye because the body of the iron looks EXACTLY like the Brocato Vibrastrait, just without the signature green plates. Let's take a closer look side-by side with the Brocato.

 

So, as you can see the body style is the same. The buttons are the same. The clear plastic and silver window on the top is the same. From the manufacturer, "Revlon The Style Expert Introducing our 1st ever Vibrating Digital Straightener. This unit comes with mineral conditioning crystals that create healthy beautiful hair while ceramic generates a gentle heat, reversing the effects of damage.

1. 1" Vibrating Plates
2. Ceramic, Tourmaline, Ionic Technology
3. Precise Digital Temperature Display
4. 30 second heat up
5. Auto Off
6. On/Off Switch"

This does not have an auto shut off and has a maximum temperature of only 420 degrees (I am not sure what the minimum is). Also, I am not sure what " mineral conditioning crystals" are and what  they do/how they work on a flat iron haha. But it does claim to be tourmaline ceramic the like Vibrastrait. Now I considered picking it up for $35 to do a true comparison for you. However, I pulled up reviews on target.com on my phone in the store and saw it had a 1 star review and everyone that bought it returned it pretty much. In contrast, the Brocato Vibrastrait has a 4.7 star average review on Ulta.com. So, I think the Revlon  imposter version is not the same quality as the Brocato, despite the visual similarities.

So, if traditional flat irons just never work for you and you think a vibrating one may be the answer, I would recommend splurging for the real deal Brocato. If you decide to try the Revlon, let me know what you think in the comments. But hey, at least Target has a good return policy! I may go back and pick one up just to try and let you know how it compares; if I do I will edit this post.

Dupe status:  imposter. The Revlon looks the same, but is much lower quality than the original from Brocato.

Thanks for reading!

-Jessica 

Lacquered Lover Man Glaze Giveaway!!!

Quick post!

Head over to lacquered lover and check out this awesome Man Glaze polish giveaway!!!

http://www.lacqueredlover.com/2012/02/manglaze-and-lacquered-lover-giveaway.html

Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara vs Benefit They're Real!

Picked up some things with my 20% off at Ulta today and since I've been hearing some buzz about it I decided to try the new Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara. The brush reminded me of Benefit's They're Real! mascara's brush and once I tried it on I realized the formula is exactly the same too. 

It's hard to see because the Revlon wand is white but the brushes are pretty much exactly the same, rubbery, spiky and kind of narrow with what I call the "mace ball" tip (Benefit calls it a "custom-domed tip with precision bristles"). The concept of this brush is that you first apply the mascara holding the wand horizontally and then turn it vertically and use the mace ball tip to separate and define the lashes more. In my experience this usually just puts too much mascara on my lashes and I have to work extra hard to keep it from being ridiculously clumpy. But if you wipe off the bristles first (which I hate doing, makes me feel like I'm wasting product) it does a pretty good job applying mascara to the bottom lashes and outside corner.

Now on the the performance comparison.

For starters, I give you my naked eyelashes (right) vs the Revlon (2 coats on top lashes, 1 coat on bottom lashes). I used the shade blackest black and did not curl my eyelashes first.

And here we have the Revlon (still left) vs Benefit They're Real! (right). I can't tell a difference between these two both in the photo and in real life. They applied exactly the same way and feel the same way once they're dry.

Dupe status: dead ringer

Pros: the Revlon is significantly cheaper (about $9 vs $22 for the Benefit) and more easily accessible since it is a drug store brand. Plus it also comes in 3 shades (blackest black, black and blackened brown) while They're Real! only comes in one shade (black). Also, one of my biggest gripes with They're Real! is that no matter how much I tried to remove it it lingered and gave me black smudgy raccoon eyes for days after wearing it. I am happy to report that despite the formula similarities the Revlon is so much easier to remove and comes off cleanly with makeup remover and a rinse after washing your face.

Cons: The Revlon packaging is a lot cheaper looking and feeling, but really that's not an issue. Neither are available in a waterproof formula.

Overall: I'm not actually a fan of either of these mascara formulas, they're a little too goopy/clumpy for my tastes but if you have been wanting to try Benefit's They're Real! mascara, definitely save yourself some money (and frustration removing your makeup) and get the Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara instead.

Hope this helps some of you out!

OPI Katy Perry Black Shatter giveaway by Beauty By Brittany!!!!

Guys & Girls,

Head over to the blog Beauty By Brittany now and enter her awesome giveaway contest for a complete OPI Katy Perry mini set and a full-size Black Shatter!!!

http://thebeautyb.blogspot.com/2011/02/katy-perry-polish-giveaway.html

Under Construction

So I seriously doubt any one has visited this page yet, but if you happen to stumble across I apologize for the lack of posts. Things have been super hectic lately and I haven't had much time for swatching. Plus, it's been snowing on and off here for the past few weeks and the only time the sun comes out is when I'm not home to swatch and take pics *grumble*. Hopefully I'll have some content for you here soon! And if anyone does stop by and wants to see some specific comparisons, please leave a comment and I'll let you know if I have those items!

Thanks!