There’s been a myriad of articles written about ALL types of flat irons within the past few years, everything from ceramic to tourmaline to ceramic coated, etc. Since that’s already been covered, to death some may argue, there’s no need to rehash it again. Let’s just say ceramic flat irons are considered the best if you want sleek and smooth hair like you see on your favorite celebrity, model, or TV personality. Personally I grew up wanting mine to be like Lauren’s…as in Lauren Hutton, the gap-toothed model that graced all those Vogue covers for years. I’ve always wanted that look.
So as I set out looking for a flat iron to achieve that look, I diligently sought out every store and website known to man that carried them. Mind you, I did this over an extensive period of 3 years, off and on. However, every time I was about to buy a really good one I hesitated, either because I thought the price was too high or the flat iron was too small. Still I continued to read reviews and compare prices and brands ad infinitum! It became my obsession. I was on a mission for the perfect hair, I wanted that look ! What made this task especially daunting was finding one that not only suited my hair, which by the way has to be the most difficult on the planet, at least to me it is. Mine is thick, curly, frizzy and on the dry side. About the only time it ever looked (I say that in the past tense now) decent was after I left the salon, which for the last few years has been Vidal Sassoon. Fortunate for me I live in a big city, Chicago, because this salon is only in about 10 states. They really know how to cut and style hair like no one else, including mine. But before I digress further, my hair has always been and always will be a top priority for me because when I was growing up I took a lot of ribbing because of it and I’ve never really gotten over it. Sad, but unfortunately true.
To date I’ve bought 4 flat irons that were so-so, two Curlmaster’s from Sally’s, one 2″ and one 1″, plus a 1 1/4″ Solia from a website and now my favorite, a Royale from Amazon. The Curlmaster one I had the longest, about 5-6 years. Although it was ceramic plated it did get extremely hot, up to 425 degrees, which was perfect for me because it was wide and seemed to really control the frizzies and straighten my hair. On the other hand, it dried out my hair and caused the ends to break off, plus eventually the plates began to wear away and leave my hair feeling rough. Forget the 1″ one, it was too small for my thick hair. So finally I broke down and purchased a better one, a 1 1/4″ Solia with ceramic/tourmaline flat iron (after reading a few glowing reviews) with the added bonus of being relatively inexpensive, about $80. I bought it just about 4 mos. ago. All I can say is it was okay, it did the trick. At least it wasn’t breaking off my ends like the Curlmaster did. About the only drawback was it never matched what I looked like after I got out of the salon. But I could live with it….until now!
The following is my story on how I came to discover the Royale, the perfect flat iron.
One day last month I was walking through a mall and noticed a kiosk with a lady in front hawking flat irons. To tell you the truth I usually avoid them because I don’t like pushy sales people and their high pressure tactics. But on this particular day I had a lot of time on my hands and my hair was looking disheveled because it was kind of a drizzly day. So I went over and subjected myself to her spiel about Royale, a brand I had never heard of. Although I never heard of it before I kept an open mind, plus I really wanted my hair to look better that day. Almost immediately I began to feel uncomfortable, the salesperson was a fast talker and had those cold blooded eyes, two things I really dislike. Well anyways, I sat through her exhausting presentation about why this brand was different, asking questions pretending to be interested just to get my hair done. Benefits: all ceramic plates, infrared technology that seals your cuticles with your own natural moisture and protects your hair from humidity. She emphatically stated in broken English it will eliminate any frizziness, it will leave your hair soft and silky. Also, you don’t need to use as much product on your hair….. blah blah blah blah blah. As she was telling me this and doing my hair at the same time something magical began to happen….my hair suddenly became smooth and silky. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It actually worked!!
The more she was fixing my hair and showing me how to use it the better it looked. I really started to perk up and pay attention to what she was saying. Now I began to overlook her pushiness and questioned her more about this unique flat iron and the wonders it was doing on my hair. The without warning she suddenly stopped and started focusing more on the selling part than on my hair. So just as quickly I grabbed the flat iron out of the holder and began using it on my hair myself prodding her to teach me how to do it properly. I didn’t just want a few strands done I wanted my whole hair done.
Now the moment of truth. I’m thinking in the back of my head how much does this cost ? The first one, which she used on my wet hair was at least $300 and some change!!! Gulp. I knew it would be expensive, but that was way too much, plus it didn’t help I was unemployed. Then I asked her if she had any cheaper ones. She did, but not much less than the first one. There was another flat iron in the $200 range that could only be used only on dry hair. Better price, but still too expensive. Finally she just happened to have a container (with a flat iron) underneath the counter that was slightly damaged for a grand total of $175. The box was damaged, not the flat iron. At this point I’m thinking the typical salesperson’s trick, pull out something cheaper when you know the potential customer isn’t going to buy something more expensive! It didn’t sway me. I hesitated. A little voice inside my head said look for it on the internet first before buying here. So I quickly mumbled something like, I’m going on vacation (which was true) and I won’t be able to afford it until I come back. She didn’t believe me, but I didn’t care because as much as I wanted it right then and there no way could I afford it on my budget, even with her rock-bottom price of $175……even though I was tempted.
Not thinking I would get a much better deal on this amazing flat iron….as luck would have it I was wrong, dead wrong!! I checked it out on www.Amazon.com and saw it listed for the bargain price of only $119.99 and with shipping it still only came to $126.98 Wow, I just hit the jackpot ! Not only was it reasonable, the reviews excellent, it was a heck of a lot cheaper than the one in the mall. By the way, this flat iron is 1″ width, not 1 1/4″ like the box says. Other than that small quibble, it really works well on thick curly hair due I think to it being 100% ceramic. Good thing I listened to my instincts.
I can honestly say my hair looks as good as it does when I leave the salon. It completely smooths my dry ends and melds them together. The plates are a lot stronger and it grips my hair a lot better, thus providing a sleeker look. It’s better than anything I’ve ever used before. Plus, I don’t use as much product (coconut oil) on my hair as much as I use to and it doesn’t frizz up like before, just as the salesperson told me. My hair stays put longer, even if it’s humid or drizzly outside and it doesn’t take as long to use. It really does work!
Best of all I feel completely confident the moment I step out the door. Now I can say, I’ve finally achieved the look!
I hope my story inspires you to at least consider the Royale flat iron in achieving your look.
