My Chi Air

For the past few months I was obsessed with purchasing a CHI flat iron. I was recently able to afford one and even got it on sale (Tip: If you purchase it from Harmon Face Values, they allow you to use a 20% off Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon, you know, the ones that don't expire!). I paid a total of $55. (It was on sale for $69.99 + my 20% off!)

When I used it for the first time, I was a bit disappointed. It didn't straighten my hair as well as I thought it should; I had to pass it through my hair more than once to get it straight. I then began to read articles online and was convinced that it could be a fake! Apparently, even well known companies, such as Target, had been caught selling fake CHI irons. Soooo, I called Farouk Systems (the company that owns CHI) to get clarification as to whether or not mine was fake. 

There are a few ways to tell:

1, You can call the company and they will verify the model number. (The most concrete way)

2. A real CHI has the electrical information (e.g.wattage) engraved on the inside near the on/off switch.

3. Some have said that you can tell by the plug; a real CHI has a three pronged plug with a reset button and a fake Chi has a regular one. THIS IS NOT TRUE. When I spoke with a representative from Farouk Systems, she said that there are two types of CHI irons; there is CHI Home and CHI Pro. The CHI Pro irons have the three pronged plug because they are designed to be used by salon professionals and made to stay on for long periods of time, hence the power box and reset button on the plug. CHI Home products are designed to stay on for short periods of time and made for home use, hence the normal plug. I asked the rep which type was better; she said that the CHI Pro irons were a bit heavier and again are designed to be plugged in for long periods of time and to be plugged into outlets with other electronics (hair dryers, etc.). There is no difference in quality. I hope this helps someone! Some irons from the CHI Home line include: Chi Air and Chi Bling.

Anywho, back to my original dilemma. So my iron wasn't a fake...then what was the deal? When I told a friend that I wasn't impressed with the iron, she suggested I try a higher temperature setting, the one that I had been using was most likely too low. I took her advice and was very pleased with the results! I used it with Chi 44 Iron Guard.

Here is a pic of the iron I purchased; it is a CHI Air, a CHI Home product. It was a limited edition model, which is probably why it was on sale. It came with a small bottle of CHI Rx Moisture Therapy Silk Restore Serum.