I've always thought of Dyson as a luxury item, but I was determined to try out the Air Wrap 22. After reading countless reviews, I decided my hair wouldn't hold onto it - I have super hydrated and straight locks that just wouldn't cooperate. But I caved in to my desire for the product, especially since it was no longer available in Russia.
My long hair was getting old, and I wanted to be able to style it up, not just walk around with a bunch of 'rat tails'. I even chopped off 20 cm of my hair after ordering this beauty.
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How to buy? I'll walk you through the process, it's a bit of a convoluted text:
You can overcomplicate things and order it yourself from another country:Head to the international shipping section on SDEK, open the list of warehouse addressesChoose the website from the country where it's cheaper to make the purchase - right now, it's more beneficial to buy in euros, but if you go for dirhams, it'll be more expensive. You need to compare the prices.Make the purchase, specifying the SDEK warehouse address, and SDEK will deliver your purchase to Russia.You'll encounter one problem with this scheme: paying for the purchase outside of Russia (Most Dysons are shipped from Turkey) - you'll need to use PayPal. In theory, you can open a PayPal account from Russia, but I'm not sure how it works with the current sanctions. I know some friends who can make payments this way, but for me, this process is too complicated, even though it saves you around 10,000 roubles.
AvitoFirst thing that came to mind, but I decided not to risk it. Verifying authenticity remotely is tough. Many sellers were tight-lipped, responding dryly. And the key thing - checking through the warranty number on the site - no longer works, as counterfeiters have gotten good at making those certificates that pass through the original site, only to be detected at the service center. Reviews on Avito can be written by yourself from other accounts... Basically, again, too much hassle for saving 10k. Penny-pinching will cost you twice.
Per-ear or Grey MarketAsk your friends or acquaintances who deal in, you know, grey market stuff. Better to pay a bit more and have the latest tech in your hands, with the guarantee of its authenticity!
I posted a message in a restricted network saying I wanted to buy a Dyson. It turned out that many of my friends and acquaintances deal in buying these devices through grey market means, just like I mentioned in the first point. Everyone's got their own way of doing it. I bought the Styler for 55,000 rubles (I managed to catch a good exchange rate) - the next purchase would have cost 59,000 rubles. Some sellers asked for 70,000 rubles, while the price on Eldorado was around 94,000 rubles.
I was lucky and bought a Dyson that had no previous owner, and it was a LONG one! A few days later, it arrived on Russian territory, and soon enough, it was at my place. Not in the color I wanted, but we don't have much of a choice in our situation.
Well, let's just admire it!
My color option: nickel/brass. This is a silver body + gold.
It's also available in shades: blue body + gold/ gold body + silver! Update: styler in fuchsia color has appeared in the assortment!
! My friend bought a counterfeit on Yandex Market instead of the original! (I'll show you later)
The shipping box, styler box, receipt, and cord clip all have the same serial number.
I have the long attachments, which are perfect for long hair. For hair shorter than the shoulder blades, I'd recommend the standard attachments, but since it doesn't affect the price, I'd say go for the longer ones.
The case is not made with a skin texture, but rather a surface similar to that of kids' toys.
It's a bit tacky, to be honest!
The top now comes off completely, not just flips open. There's no hot tool cover anymore. Inside, the lining is velvet. It's super tacky both inside and out. I cleaned the box before taking the photos, but it's still all dusty and fluffy.
I'm glad to see that the styler won't damage our hair, thanks to Dyson's clever design:
The Dyson motor produces the Coanda effect, where a high-speed air flow glides along a surface and envelops it due to pressure differences. This means our hair won't get tangled or damaged from high temperatures.
The build quality is spot on: you can tell it's a premium product. It doesn't heat up during use, which is a big plus.
The cord is long and wraps around the body nicely.
The buttons are smooth to press and have a great layout: when you turn off the air flow, the device vibrates slightly, which is a nice touch.
Let's talk about the accessories:
The gold-tipped attachments don't heat up and now allow you to adjust the air flow direction, making it redundant to swap out attachments for different facial areas.The 30mm Airwrap™ cylindrical attachments are a game-changer.
I love using the Airwrap™ attachments to create voluminous curls or waves. The 40mm cylindrical attachments work by curling my hair clockwise and counterclockwise to achieve perfectly symmetrical locks.
40mm cylindrical Airwrap™ attachments
For a more undone look, I use the Airwrap™ attachments to create effortless curls or waves. Again, it's all about curling my hair clockwise and counterclockwise for perfect symmetry.
Hard bristle brush
For my unruly, curly hair, I swear by the hard bristle brush. It's specifically designed to smooth out even the most stubborn locks, and it does an amazing job of taming my mane.
Soft bristle brush
I also love using the round brush to smooth out my hair with the air flow. The soft bristles with a ball tip are gentle on my scalp, and they do a great job of adding volume and shine to my locks.
Round brush for adding volume
The air flow targets the strands, compacting them, while the bristles lift the hair into shape as it dries.
I'm loving this multi-functional Coanda attachment that's been getting a lot of airtime on TV. It's just as good at smoothing flyaways as it is at blasting a direct stream like a regular hair dryer - and it's adjustable, too.
It dries and smoothes hair quickly with a powerful air flow, eliminating that 'pistol' effect.
The set also includes a special brush for cleaning the filter - it gets clogged up with dust pretty quickly, so I make sure to clean it out every week.
Styling:
I'll be honest, getting a smooth finish on my hair is a challenge. Even my curling irons struggle to hold my hair in place unless I heat them up to really high temperatures - which is probably due to my love of hydrating masks and sprays. So, before using the Dyson for styling, I just use shampoo and skip the conditioner.
My go-to styling products are the OSIS thermal protectant and liquid lacquer. Both are from the same brand. 1. I applied the thermal protectant to damp hair.
2. I used a comb with stiff bristles to dry and lift my roots. The comb glides through my hair without getting tangled.
3. I took the curling attachment and divided my hair into several sections, curling each one. I cooled it down with a blast of cold air and removed it from the cool setting on my styler. If I took it off while it was still hot, it might've frizzed up.
4. I've got three sections of hair, and I'm planning to get hair clips to keep my curls in place while they cool down. That way, they'll hold their shape for longer.
5. I sprayed the comb with the fine-toothed comb with liquid lacquer and ran it through my hair. The result is this amazing style:
I wish I had that video of the girl with the buns from the sandbox: 'I was so exhausted!'
Okay, okay... it's not all bad, considering how hard it is for me to get it right. I think the clips will do the trick.
I uploaded a video with the same styling, but on a different day:
For my hair, that's a big deal.
So, what can I say about the styling? Unfortunately, healthy and thick hair is hard to style with a straightener. After a few hours, the hair will start to relax and drop back down under its own weight.
I love the effect and the fact that the styling looks effortless. The finished look is way more polished. I'm always paying attention to my hair. By the ends, you can tell if it's been styled or if I just dried it with a blow dryer. That's what the Dyson straightener gives us: the chance to look put-together at home, even if we don't have the skills. The straightener does all the work.
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UPDATE:
Now I know for sure that even healthy and thick hair can be held in place by the Dyson straightener. You just need to get used to it!
Am I happy with my purchase? Still! Every day!
I love Dyson and I've even started taking it on orders because it's one of the best inventions ever made for girls!
I've got a little secret to share with you: if you want your curls to last all day, I can give you some tips in my private messages.
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Now, the most interesting part: how to avoid getting scammed? (check out the fake Dyson on the photo below)
I recently had a situation where a girl from work bought herself a Dyson from Yandex Market. It was the previous model and cost 5,000 rubles more than mine (60,000 rubles). She brought it to work, not knowing how to use it, and asked me for help. I took her stroller in my hands, and I was speechless - she had a fake one. Checking the code is useless. It even passed the check at her place. Below, I'll show you some photos and explain how to check the device:
Since the box looks identical to the original and might even be from the original, check the stroller itself:
1. The body execution is perfect, with no crooked edges or paint seepage. The buttons switch smoothly, and the attachments clip on smoothly too.
2. When you turn off the airflow with the button, the body should vibrate slightly.
3. Remove the protective mesh near the cord and take a look at the screw. A fake one can be unscrewed with a cross-head screwdriver. You'll also see the difference in quality between the original and the fake.
4. I've gotta say, the quality of the attachments on this thing is pretty subpar. They're all sloppy and uneven, whereas the original had a really high level of craftsmanship that just didn't raise any questions. The tip of the attachment (the colored pick) doesn't even get hot on the original, but it does on the fake one.
5. The airflow on the fake one is pretty weak, and it struggled to pick up even the thinnest strands of hair. The original, on the other hand, can easily pick up a bunch of hair that's about 4 centimeters in diameter.
6. It's not always a dead giveaway, but check out what the bottom of the case is made of. Fakes usually have cardboard, while the original has this super soft velvet material. But I've seen cases where the fake was actually made to look like the original.
! YANDEX, YOU ROCK!
After I contacted them about buying a fake, they were super cool about it and processed the return:
Text from this girl: Thanks a lot! I sent them a message that day and they responded right away, sent me the address to send the Dyson back, so I'll get my money back soon.
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MY TAKEAWAYS ON HAIR CARE:
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My favorite discovery: this budget-friendly Ultra Moisturizing Mask reviewHead scalp exfoliator: reviewMy go-to moisturizing shampoo: reviewTonic for speeding up hair growth: reviewEnd-cut oil: reviewMask-cap for just 200 rubles with a WOW effect: review