Hana Professional 1" Flat Iron Dirt Cheap Review and Giveaway!!!

Not too long ago I received a pretty little gift in the mail. Wrapped in pink with two plastic roses was the self acclaimed "worlds best flat iron" aka Hana Profesional 1" from Misikko.com; a website that sells professional tools such as CHI straighteners and Coriollis flat irons.The flat iron came equipped with a heat proof pouch, rubber pink heat pad, and a Hana thermal heat protectant.

The first time I used the straightener I noticed how light it was. Never have I ever used a flat iron that was so light and petite, yet big enough to straighten a two or three inch section of my hair. Not only was it light, but it glided along my strands smoothly without tearing at my delicate ends. (A big plus for someone prone to split ends.)

The Hana has five temperature settings suitable for fine, medium or coarse hair. The highest temperature is hot enough to straighten curls while the lowest is great for reducing frizz or creating bounce. I must warn you however that the highest temperature, 450 degrees, is very hot and should be used with caution as fine hair can be damaged easily.

Now lets compare this Hana flatiron with a CHI flatiron.

What is the difference? Not that much of a difference except for its weight, its heat adjustments, and the fact that it contains tourmaline. According to Misikko.com, tourmaline and ceramic increase negative ions which help protect and smooth the hair cuticle. The heat adjustments are a plus compared to a classic CHI which only has one temperature. In actuality, after using both a CHI and a Hana, my hair feels pretty much the same depending on how I style it.

Overall, if you're looking for a light weight flat iron that versatile yet hot, try this one out.

In fact...do you really want to give this flat iron a run? If you answered yes, then get ready for a great giveaway opportunity! All that is required from you is three steps:

1. Follow Missiko on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/misikko
2. Blog about this giveaway on your own personal site ie. Facebook, Blogger etc
3. Post a comment including your name, email, and the link to your personal site containing the blog.

The lucky winner will be announced on May 3rd and will win a free Hana Flat Iron! Get ready, get set, and start blogging!

J.Roche

Our Friends at StyleCaster are Giving Away Spring Beauty Loot!

Want to win some serious spring beauty loot from Physicians Formula? Simply upload a pic of your best daily mirror pic on StyleCaster.com and try to rack up the most points The person with the most style points wins the entire Physicians Formula Spring 2010 collection for free! To see more details or enter the contents visit Daily Mirror Challenge.

Beauty Vibes: Do new vibrating beauty tools actually work?

I remember when I saw a vibrating mascara wand for the first time a couple of months ago. I walked right past it and shook my head. "When are they ever going to give up," I thought to myself. Looking at the vibrating wands and facial puffs made me cringe. Did they really think that vibrating make-up was going to do anything?

Yes, they did. In fact, they have some studies to prove it.

To my surprise, vibrating mascara wands and face puffs actually might have a substantial effect on the efficacy of a beauty product itself. According to Elle magazine, Lancome released their own Ossilating Mascara with supercharged vibrating wands that Lancome believes might actually aid in the absorption of conditioning agents. Lacome also claims that its Oscillation Powerfoundation, containing a vibrating powder puff, aids in evenly dispersing facial powder as well as diminishing fine lines and wrinkles due to increased circulation. While those finding are not based on fact, there is enough substantial evidence to suggest that vibrating beauty tools could provide even more benefits than previously thought.

However, some reviews speak for themselves.

When I checked out the Sephora page for the new Bliss Pore'-fector Gadget Kit, a $185 skincare regime with a techy vibrating tool that supposed to clear dirty pores, I found that the reviews on the bottom of the page were less then heart warming. One review in particular caught my eye:

(1 out of 5 ) Reviews getting deleted?

- 04.08.10

I've been watching this product since it was first introduced. First there was a 1 star review posted that more than 15 people found helpful, then the glowing 5 star review that I suspect is fake (that user's only other review is another 5 star review on a new product that also had a poor first review), then 2 more 1 star reviews. The initial 1 star review has now been removed. I have rated it one star to replace the initial review.

Was Sephora trying to cover up a less then price worthy vibrating piece of metal? Or were these ladies just being too harsh on a new innovative product? Whatever the real answers might be, it looks like vibrating beauty is apart of a new generation of tech savvy beauty tools that we can either embrace, or ignore.

What do you think? Are vibrating tools just another flashy sales pitch or do you think there might be some real scientific substance behind these new innovations?

J.Roche

Photo: Adaptation of http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippie/2450906227/