Beauty Hack: Chi Flat Iron vs. GVP Flat Iron
Beauty on a Budget - GVP dupe for Chi flat iron
As a college girl on a budget, there are few things in the world I love more than beauty hacks. (Beauty hack, n. - 1. a less expensive duplicate product; 2. beauty shortcut to achieve a goal; i.e. using three drops of contact lens solution to revive mascara instead of throwing it out is a beauty hack.)
My favorite and most recent beauty hack is a flat iron I purchased on Tuesday from Sally Beauty. I was in desperate need of a new straightener because mine is several years old and it's suffered drops and falls and improper use, etc. so I went looking for a new one. I fully expected to pay a lot of money because I knew that anything of any quality wouldn't be that cheap. My first college roommate had a Chi and I was in love with it from the very first time I used it. I wanted that straightener. I found out that Sally Beauty doesn't carry Chi BUT I stumbled across an EXACT DUPE by Generic Value Products (Dupe, n. - exact or near exact match of a more expensive product for a better value).
Generic Value Products includes this message on each product:
'The Generic Story - Generic Value Products brand was formed because a group of experienced beauty professionals and marketing people knew they could produce at "Popular Prices" a product as good as the "higher priced" quality NAME BRANDS.'
I can honestly say they live up to that statement in more ways than one. I have used other GVP hair products such as shampoo and styling products and they are all great quality. They have dupes for brands like Paul Mitchell and other popular names. The two flat irons look exactly the same with all the same features, the only difference being a $50 price cut. For almost half the price, I got not only a full-sized 1" inch flat iron, but also a FREE 1-1/2" inch travel flat iron. Two flat irons for less than the price of one!
When I used the flat iron that night, I was more than impressed. The iron has a heat range from 120°-450° and it heats up really quickly. I flat ironed my hair like normal and it worked exactly like every Chi iron I've ever used. I even used it the next day to curl my hair, another feature of the Chi that I loved. I have very long, very thick, VERY curly hair and the GVP iron straightened my hair problem-free without me needing to use a hair dryer or detangling first like I would have to with any other iron. Aside from price and color options, there is no difference in the irons. Below, I have included the features of both irons (I am not reviewing the travel iron because I have not used it yet and it is just a bonus with the GVP iron).
Features of both irons:
- 1" ceramic plates
- flash heating
- high temperature abilities
- tangle-free swivel cord
- ability to both straighten and curl
- ionic technology for frizz-free, silky, shiny hair
Summary:
Cost: 5/5 - $49.99 + tax and a free travel iron with purchase
Use: 5/5 - comparable to Chi flat iron
Overall: 5/5, highly recommended