Sam Villa SLEEKR Thermo Tool

Thermal Tool is fancy-speak for "gets hot."

The SLEEKR flat iron from Sam Villa is, in a word, AWESOME!!!

I love, love, love it!!!

Ceramic plates, light, comfortable, three heat levels. incredible smoothing power.

The narrow plates and beveled edges even let me turn my hair under! This could be the thing that pushes me full-on into being a high-maintenance-type girl, except that it is super easy to use. The 1st time I used it, I straightened my whole mass of hair in about 10 minutes. It even smooths the hair in the back of my head, which has a tendency to stick straight out.

Thank you, Sam Villa. I think you are a genius.

Philip Kingsley - Straight Hair

From Nicole:

Philip Kingsley
Straight Hair

Ok, so this is the second hair straightening product I was able to test. Philip Kingsley is known around the world as the "hair doctor" and is recognized as the leading authority on hair health. After reading more about his products I was definitely interested in testing this product. Again, I tried it last week before work. Straight Hair is gel in a thin pump tube. I had a little bit of trouble getting the gel out of the tube, but soon figured out the trick. The smell is a strong botanical odor. The first time I used it, I think I used a little too much. My hair was straight all right, but kind of limp and flat. I decided to try it again the next morning, and this time I used less. My hair was straight and soft. I have no doubts that it would stay straight in humid conditions, but I fear that summer may never come. My recommendation is that you do not use conditioner in the shower if you are planning to use this product. I felt as if it made my hair way too limp and flat. Without conditioner and with a small amount of Straight Hair, my hair appeared smooth and straight, just like the tube stated. Again, I will wait until summer to retest this product. Check back at a later date!

Redken - Ultra Straight Balm

Redken 5th Avenue NYC
Align 12
Ultra-straight Balm
Medium Control

This is the first of 2 hair straightening products that I recently tried. Redken's Ultra-straight Balm is a thick, creamy balm designed to tame unruly hair. Being that my hair is fairly curly, I was excited to test this product. My first trial was before work last week. It was easy to pump the balm out of its tube. The smell is not too strong and definitely not offensive. It reminded me of being in a salon. I applied it to my damp hair and went on a straightening mission with the hairdryer. It worked great. Not too greasy, not too limp, but fairly straight without the use of a flat iron. Since it has not been hot and humid in MI yet, I am unable to determine how humidity-resistant it really is. I will be sure to try it again once summer arrives.