When I started my career in my early 20s, my colleagues often joked they could see my hair coming before they saw me.
In those days, executive grooming did not exist in my vocabulary. Thick, out-of-control curls that repelled all styling products bounced over my shoulders and fell into my face. Think former News International executive Rebecca Brooks, except I was blonde.
Then in my 30s, I discovered a blow dryer and even better, hair straighteners. Finally I could go into work looking like a proper professional. But both products are very damaging to hair, which is what makes Philips’ ActiveCare Jojoba Straightener a little different.
The idea is that as this flat iron smooths out my curls, it gives something back to the hair, effectively conditioning the follicles at the same time.
Its heating system is infused with natural and heat-resistant jojoba oil with the pads on the straighteners there to not only fight the frizz but also any damage caused by the heat. However, I’m not sure this model delivered on the final results.
When it comes to styling before work, speed is important. You want to get it done in minutes and get out of the door for the morning commute. Yes, these straighteners have the advantage of instant heat-up within 15 seconds, and, yes, they did the job. But the effect was not as long-lasting as my own straighteners with my curls starting to reappear just hours later.
There was a surprise though. When you use the straightener to style your coiffure, it vibrates – the idea being that the vibrations distributes the hair evenly over the plates.
While I’m not convinced this improved the straightening process, if you’re looking for a quick fix that is a little kinder to your tresses in the morning, then this product comes in at a very reasonable Dh299. Compare this to Ghd, which retail at £145 (Dh886) – a brand many consider the queen of flat irons – and you can see you have a bargain on the hands particularly when you consider my own Ghds broke after just six months.
arayer@thenational.ae
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