#RSVPInStyler Glam Squad Girls' Night

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

DISCLOSURE:  I received free products from Vocalpoint to facilitate this post.  All opinions are my own.

I spend a lot of time on my hair.  It's thick and has a slight wave.  It's not wavy enough, though, to style curly and it isn't straight enough to just let it air dry.  It gets so frizzy.  I usually have to blow dry it straight and then run a flat iron over it to make it smooth and less poufy.

Recently, I had the opportunity to host a Girls' Night and try out three  hair styling tools from InStyler.  I've never tried any of their products, but I have seen  the infomercials for the original InStyler Max styling tool.  I thought it looked interesting, but wasn't sure it would be something that would work for my hair.

I was sent a great package for the party that included:
  • InStyler TULIP Auto Curler
  • InStyler Max 2-Way Rotating Iron
  • InStyler Ionic Styler Pro
  • 5 makeup bags
  • 5 styling combs

I decided to hold my party on Thanksgiving.  My Aunt was hosting at her house and my two sisters and cousin were all going to be there.

After Thanksgiving dinner, I set up the products in the family room.  I had forgotten to print out the photo booth props before coming so I used my Aunt's printer.  Unfortunately, her color ink was running really low, so the colors came out all funky.


None of the guests had ever used an InStyler, though a couple had also seen the infomercials.  I hadn't had a chance to try out the styling tools before the party, so we were all figuring them out together. Before opening the boxes, we all stood around my Aunt's computer and watched videos on how to use the styling tools.  It didn't seem too hard.  My cousin was really interested in trying out the TULIP, while my one sister wanted to try the Max.


After unboxing the styling tools, my sisters and my cousin each picked up one to try, while I took pictures.  My cousin tried the TULIP.  She was hoping to get beachy waves with it.  She wasn't sure how well it would work since she had a lot of hair and the TULIP only curled a small amount of hair at a time.


The TULIP automatically curls your hair in as little as 3 seconds.  With the tap of a button, you can have perfect curls and waves. It features:

  • Ergonomic design - allows you to hold the tool vertically with a relaxed grip
  • Ceramic barrel - smooths hair as it curls, creating frizz-free shiny curls
  • Open barrel - hair is exposed, protecting it from tangling or getting jammed
  • Safety guard - prevents contact with the hot barrel
  • 2-way rotation - you can style curls away from or toward your face, without switching hands or changing position of the TULIP
  • 3 heat settings - allows you to curl fine, medium or thick hair. Heat settings range from 350 - 430 degrees F
  • 3 timer settings - choose 3 seconds for beachy waves, 8 seconds for soft loose curls, or 12 seconds for tight curls
  • 3 rotation settings -  Automatic will alternate between curling right and left for a more natural look or choose Left or Right for a more uniform look
  • Automatic Shut-Off - Turns off after 45 minutes of discontinued use
  • 6' Professional Swivel Cord - allows for mobility while styling
My cousin was a little apprehensive about using the TULIP, in fears of getting her hair tangled in it. And, in fact, she did get it tangled a couple times.


She stopped trying to curl her hair after a few tries.  We didn't have any clips to clip the hair that she had already curled, so she just curled near the front of her face.  She was happy with the results and felt it did give her the beachy waves look.


After the party, I tried the TULIP on my own hair.  There's definitely a learning curve with the tool.  It's better to use a smaller amount of hair.  There's less risk of getting your hair tangled in it, which I did end up doing a couple times.  But, I liked the curls.


At the party, one of my sisters tried the InStyler Ionic Styler Pro.  It straightens, waves/curls, adds body and shine.  It can be used as either as a flat iron or hot brush.  It features Cool Touch Ionic Bristles and multiple heat settings.


My sister tried to use it to curl her hair. There's a switch on one side of the Ionic Pro that opens and closes it.  Ours was really hard to slide. We were later told that it was a manufacturing defect and not to use the tool.  Though, you just have to use some muscle to slide the switch.


My sister got her hair tangled in it a couple times but she did end up with some nice loose waves. She has long, thick hair, so she also just styled the other layer.


My other sister was excited to try out the InStyler MAX.  She had seen it on TV before and wanted to see if it would work for her hair.


The InStyler MAX 2-Way Rotating Iron straightens, curls, adds body and shine.  It features:

  • Heated Rotating Barrel - evenly distributes heat to protect hair from damage
  • 2-Way Rotation - easily style your hair away from or toward your face
  • Ionic Bristles - add volume and shine
  • Tourmaline Ceramic Floating Plate - smooths hair and reduces frizz
  • 4 Heat Settings -  heats to 285 - 425 degrees F, making it good for all hair types
  • Removable Cool Tip - allows you to grip the barrel for better control
  • 30 Second Rapid Heat Up - heats in 30 seconds
  • Automatic Shut-Off - turns off after 45 minutes of discontinued use
  • 6' Professional Swivel Cord - allows for better mobility
My sister used it to curl her hair.  It worked really well and gave her some nice curls.  


She really liked the InStyler MAX and wanted to take it home with her.  I told her that she'd maybe get one at Christmas.


During the party, I attempted to try and curl my hair with the Ionic Styler Pro and it just looked bad. My sister then tried to curl my hair with the InStyler MAX.  I got a few loose waves with it.  My sister felt the curls didn't hold as well because I had flat ironed my hair that morning.


I didn't really get a good After shot because I only had a couple curls. At home, though, I did try to use the InStyler MAX to straighten my hair and to see how it compared to my CHI flat iron.  I found it didn't take only 30 seconds to heat up.  I used the third highest heat setting and it took several minutes to heat up.  It probably took 2-3 times longer than my CHI to heat up.  

Here's a Before/After of my hair after just blowdrying with a round brush and then after straightening with the InStyler MAX.


And this is how it looks after I use my CHI flat iron.

I felt my hair was flatter and smoother with the CHI vs the  InStyler.  Plus, it was a lot faster to straighten with.  The InStyler MAX is a lot bigger and not as easy to use.  It was harder to straighten the hair closer to the root.

After we experimented with the InStyler tools, we took some photo booth pictures.


Overall, it was a fun party!  I wish we had had more time to style all our hair and I wish I came prepared with hair clips.  The tool that came out on top during our party was the InStyler MAX.  But, after trying out the TULIP at home, I think I like it better.  I just have to play with it a little more. There's definitely a learning curve. My first couple tries didn't come at that great, but by the end, the curls were really looking nice.  I might have to curl my hair with it for the upcoming holiday parties!

If you're interested in purchasing an InStyler, they're available online at www.rsvpinstyler.com.  Use code VPSAVE40 to save 40%!  It would be a great Christmas gift!

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