Tools
Furl Fest
Paul Mitchell frees your styling moves with the limited edition Express Ion Curl Clipless iron. The tapered barrel allows you to create natural-looking spirals, waves or ringlets. Other important features that make this clip-free wonder so…well…wonderful: solid ceramic heater for more even heat distribution, negative ion and far-infrared technologies, 9-foot swivel cord, and heats up to 400° F in five seconds flat. (Limited availability: May-June, 2011) (PaulMitchell.com)
Skip the Clip
Featuring polished barrels and ceramic heating technology for rapid heat-up times up to 350°, Sedu Revolution Clipless Curling Iron also has a digital temperature control, heat-resistant grip, 9-foot swivel cord, and an auto shut-off mechanism. Available in 1” and 3/4” barrel sizes. Comes with a heat-resistant glove and two-year warranty! (SeduBeauty.com)
Blow Away
Featuring an 18-blade, 1875-watt motor, three layers of heat protection for hand-to-barrel styling comfort, and a tourmaline/ceramic heater for strong negative-ion output, the ARROJO PX3 by IZUNAMI blow dryer makes effortless work of drying and styling routines. Intel: Weighs a mere 16 ounces and has a nifty ergonomic grip. (IZUNAMI.com)
Cut to the Quick
With quality care, your primary scissors can last up to a decade before becoming too wo to use. But this doesn’t mean that you won’t be buying several more pairs throughout the intervening years. You need to use a secondary scissor when your BFF is away for servicing. Cutting styles change. Your level of expertise grows by leaps and bounds. Scissor designs become more sophisticated. And let’s be honest: You love the rush that goes with buying, admiring and using a brand-new pair of scissors that have the look and feel of fine jewelry!
Take a Bite
With outstanding cutting performance and aggressive good looks, JAWZ Master (Model SW-55) is the newest shear in the Washi Scissor Company’s Master Scissor collection. Expertly crafted and ready to munch down hair either wet or dry, this medium-weight cutting tool possesses extreme convex edge blades and comes with free lifetime warranty and sharpening service. Forged from Japanese V-10 Cobalt Steel for durability and precision cutting power, JAWZ is available in 5.5” and 6.0” sizes. (WashiScissor.com)
Royale Hair Force
Bolster your dry-cutting moves with KARG K-Wide Royale, the first official scissor of its kind on the pro-beauty market. Featuring polished, convex cutting edges for seamless results, the K-Wide is engineered to do slicing, point-cutting and freehand cutting styles with ease. Additional features: crane handle for cutting comfort; Teflon plate at the pivot point for a smooth ride; precision-forged Japanese molybdenum alloy for strength and durability; and KARG Tension Knob System for easy blade adjustment. Bonuses! Scissors come with a black KARG zipper case and a lifetime warranty. (MikeKarg.com)
Shears 411
Cutting Resistance: Never complete a cut if the section of hair offers resistance. Forcing blades to cut thicker sections than they are designed to do can severely damage edges. Cut thinner sections instead. (Source: Advanced Sharpening)
Carbon or Titanium Scissors: “The process of making good scissor steel is the result of an exact recipe in which several ores, alloys and elements are combined in a well-balanced mixture. Cobalt and titanium are added to some steels to increase hardness and decrease weight. Adding these alloys will result in the finest scissor steel. However, there’s no such thing as 100% cobalt or 100% titanium scissors. This would be like trying to make a chocolate cake out of nothing but cocoa powder.” Caralee Dunbabin, President of Shear Technology
Clean your shears. “Hair can buildup in-between the blades, causing your shears to be out-of-balance. Solution: Use a soft cloth to wipe the blades after every use. You should also oil your shears every day by putting a drop of shear oil on the pivot (screw) area. This allows the blades to move freely when cutting.” Marc Milman, president of Washi Scissor Co., scissor sharpener
How sharp are your scissors? Find out by wetting a Sanek Neck Strip and snipping it in half without using any thumb torque (pressing the blades together). If your scissors cleanly cut the strip, they’re sharp. If they leave some frayed edges behind, they need to be sharpened. If any part of the strip simply bunches between the blades, your scissors are downright dull. (Source: Diamond Rose Shears)
Myth Buster: Despite the plethora of so-called aficionados that credit Leonardo DaVinci for creating the basic scissor design that you use today, the fabled painter and inventor isn’t responsible for this mode marvel. Rather, the honor goes to an unknown craftsman living in ancient Rome during the first century A.D. (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Shear Relief
No one should suffer for the sake of beauty, especially you! Shear Technology’s Shisato Orion scissor line embodies ergonomic designs—swivel thumb and crane candle—to help avoid stress on your hand, elbow, shoulder, and back. Fab features include Japanese S-3 cobalt stainless steel; 360° swiveling thumb ring that can be locked in any position; adjustable dial with leaf-spring tension system; and convex edge and hollow-ground blades. Range: 5”, 6” and 6.5” blade sizes (including true lefties) plus 15-teeth texturizer and 35-teeth thinner models. (ScissorMall.com)