Remington Wet 2 Straight ceramic irons review

Full Review

What separates Nicole Kidman and Kylie Minogue from Jennifer Aniston and Catherine Zeta Jones? Hairstyles, of course. The first two are fashionably curly, whereas Jennifer and Catherine have dead straight hair. For the Jennifer look, the breakthrough hair gadget is undoubtedly Remington's Wet 2 Straight ceramic irons. They are the first hair straighteners to also dry wet hair. Grooves in the straightening plate channel water in wet hair so it is released safely through special vents on the side of the straightener.

We say safely, but this depends on not catching your hands anywhere near the vents where the steam escapes. The irons heat up in less than a minute. If you catch them across your forehead, you will end up with the same familiar burn as from ordinary irons. Wet 2 Straights come in two sizes - slim and wide plates. We tried wide plates on long, thick hair, which we sectioned, as they do when drying your hair in salons. The irons dried the hair almost on contact, which meant the whole process of drying and straightening hair was incredibly quick. The heat is so intense that roots dry without having to place the irons very close to your scalp. It would at least halve the time of your routine if you currently blow dry and then straighten hair. The irons were also very quiet. They made a bit of noise, like a steam iron, but nothing like the whine of a blow dryer. Missing out on blow-drying also avoids putting a lot of volume in hair when you want it to be straight. Our results were very good with hair as smooth as a mill pond and still noticeable the following day.

Remington claims that the process is quicker with Wet 2 Straights partly because of how the bonds in hair work to govern its shape. When hair is wet, the bonds change, which is why hair is usually longer and straighter when wet. Drying hair reforms bonds and hair becomes less straight. Obviously the best time to straighten hair is when it is wet. Remington also says that Wet 2 Straights cause less damage to hair because moisture is locked in. Not too sure about this one. It seems to us that any sort of irons on your hair just has to be bad for it, but worth it when you want hair that is mirror smooth.

Verdict

Innovation in beauty products can be all talk. Not so Wet 2 Straights. If you straighten your hair often, then the time saving over using a blow dryer and irons is very welcome. Expect to find them on special offer in the run up to Valentine's Day (14 February) and Mother's Day (6 March).

This product was kindly loaned to us by Boots

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