Unlisted Brand • Generic Ceramic Flat Iron - Compare to Chi • Hair Styling Tools

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elgyi on 10/13/2010 7:32:00 AM more reviews by elgyi

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is a review of the T3 Tourmaline Ceramic 1" Flat Iron w/ Variable Heat control.

Had been using a friend's FHI Technique (in place of my dumpy non-ceramic ConAir flat iron) and decided I needed a quality flat iron of my own. I generally just use it to smooth my ends, already have straight hair.

Loved the strawberry color but that's about it. It felt a little wide overall (meaning when you close the plates together) and I wasn't sure what temp to put it at. I think one temperature takes the guesswork out of that. This flat iron did not glide over the hair like the FHI or make it as smooth.

Returned to Ulta and got the FHI G2 Technique and am loving it.

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nidsters19 on 3/10/2010 2:29:00 PM more reviews by nidsters19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is not as bad as the reviews I read. Then again, it's because I am comparing it to the CHI, and I do not like the CHI. This is smooth, simple, and lightweight. It straightens your hair and eliminates frizz without too much damage. I prefer it to the CHI, but then again, I'm not a CHI fan. If I needed a cheap IRON ASAP, I would buy this one again, but now that I have 2 backups, I wouldn't purchase it.

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dixonvixon on 12/22/2009 10:44:00 AM more reviews by dixonvixon

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

thanks to all of you and your reviews I purchased this flat iron....and I love it! My expensive flat iron recently broke and I wasn't in a position to spend alot of money on a new one. It works great, it's pink with rhinestones, I got it on sale AND I got a free mini (1 in' ceramic plate) that comes with a travel thermal bag.......great buy =)

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ThePrimCrow on 11/2/2009 9:25:00 PM more reviews by ThePrimCrow

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I've used a Chi for the past year and it did an adequate job. I mostly want to make my already straight, fine hair look polished and stay that way during the day. The Chi always made my hair look fine when I left the house, but it was usually stringy and separated within an hour or two.

My friend got me the snakeskin print GVP for my birthday and I have to say that it kicks the Chi's ass. My hair was smooth and shiny all day and didn't require extra brushing to stay that way!

I like the temperature control (Chi Doesn't have one). The GVP does tend to get a little warm on the outside more so that the Chi. Neither have an automatic shut off, which would be a really nice feature.

I know a lot of people with curly hair rave about the Chi, but on my straight hair, I highly recommend the GVP, especially for the price. the GVP seems like it gets hotter than the Chi, and that may be the difference? But I don't know what the temperature setting is on the Chi because it only heats up to one temperature.

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jfai701 on 6/24/2009 11:07:00 PM more reviews by jfai701

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

I had this for 3 months and the wire shorted out on me and after messing with the cord trying to do my hair it just completly stopped working. I never dropped it and I never wrapped the cord around it. I paid around $60. It was an okay iron, better than the conair I was using. I will never purchase this again. I have never liked the GVP products sold from Sallys. The only reason I got it was because it said compare to Chi. After this failed me I rushed out and purchased the i-Chi. GVP should not be allowed to compare with Chi, because Chi is soooooo much better.

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aythwonder on 4/2/2009 3:55:00 PM more reviews by aythwonder

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I tried the chi without a temperature setting and it completely fried my hair. When I first bought this gvp brand from Sally's, I loved it. My hair was a couple inches shorter and it get into the roots like I needed. It still does but the width is a bit too small for me to bump it the way I like. I also have the IQ 1" flat iron from Sally's and I think I like that one more. Same results as this but the plates are longer and the handle is wider. I said I wouldn't buy the gvp again because flat irons tend to last me a really long time and I don't see me having to replace this one. If that changes anytime soon, my rating would definitely decrease.

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krista187 on 3/30/2009 9:52:00 AM more reviews by krista187

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

MY FAVORITE FLAT IRON OF ALL TIME!!!!
I Have bought at least 6 flat Irons sin the last 3 years!!
I Have Medium-Thick Wavy hair, and It cut down 1/2 tthe time of what it usually takes me to straighten my hair. Plus it makes it SMOOTH and SHINY!! ALWAYS USE A HEAT PROTECTANT SPRAY!!! IT DOES NOT MATTER how CHEAP or EXPENSIVE a flat iron is, cuz over time it will kill your hair alot quicker! And there are people who don't use the protectant and complain about FLAT IRONS "damageing" there hair. Other then that its WORTH IT!!
I got it on sale at SALLY'S for $49.99 (original $69.99)
and it works wonders!!!! It works just AS GOOD as ANY CHI
or more expensive flat irons! It's Made the Exact same way as the CHI but just a lower price. Also comes with a warranty.

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glitterspritz on 3/10/2009 3:21:00 PM more reviews by glitterspritz

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I love this flat iron. I own the 1" pink one. It's actually more comparable to a Good Hair Day than a Chi because you can adjust the temp setting. I have thick, wavy-ish hair and with this iron, I rarely have to go over an section of my hair more than once. My hair never smells burnt, although the iron sometimes smells like it is burning off something as it heats up. I've used it about every other day for two years and I love it.

Negatives: Does not automatically shut-off if left on too long. As mentioned before, it sometimes smells as it heats up. My sister also owned one and the color on the plates wore off as she used it at higher temps (this has not happened to me).

Extra plus: The cord is long and swivels as you use it. It also comes with an okay warranty.

Would definitely purchase again.

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scarletspidertn on 2/23/2009 2:34:00 PM more reviews by scarletspidertn

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly   Eyes: Blue    

I've attempted many times over the years to straighten my curly curly hair. Of course, I used drugstore straighteners & thought it just couldn't be done. There was no way I was going to spend $100 on something I wasn't sure would even work.

Then I stole my sister's Plugged In flat iron from Sallys. I loved it, But it only had 2 temps & got way too hot-not to mention I cared nothing for the pink & 'diamonds' look.

After reading reviews I figured this would be a good one to try. I love it! It flattens well, you can adjust the temp from 140-410 for your needs. It's rounded enough to be used for curling ends, as well as making waves. I only gave it a 4 because occasionally it will snag & pull my hair towards the end of the iron. But for 1/2 the cost of the CHI, when I only occupationally straighten anyways, I'd buy again in a heartbeat.

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kmdigian on 2/23/2009 1:58:00 PM more reviews by kmdigian

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I recently purchased this flat iron over the weekend and I must say, so far so good. It heats up quickly and leaves my medium thick, super layered hair shiny and silky. The iron curls my many layers under nicely as well. My friend has a CHI that I tried, we have similar hair texture, and I must say I am NOT IMPRESSED with the CHI for the price they are. This flat iron is more than comparable, its great! I would reccomend one but I would watch the heat settings. I would never expose my hair to the highest setting, I am a freak about damage to my hair.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mam311 on 1/15/2009 11:51:00 PM more reviews by mam311

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This review is for the GVP ceramic flat iron. First let me say I bought this flat iron to make loose curls/waves on my naturally curly hair. I have a SEDU iron and love it for straightening but it's 2" and is to wide to make curls and such. Anyway I bought the purple snake skin colored one, in the 1" size, got it at Sally's for a pretty good price $60.00. I went home and tried it out, and was disappointed. The heat settings are great, it gets VERY hot!!!! It does straighten pretty well for a generic flat iron, BUT the damn purple coloring on the outside melted off into my hair!!! I was wrapping my hair the way you do to make waves, and started to notice the edge near the plates was turning white, so I looked at my hair and sure enough I had little streaks of purple stuff in my hair.Also noticed a horrible smell with this flat iron when it's getting hot, never had that happen with my SEDU flat iron. Needless to say it went back the next day. I would recommend getting this in a non-painted version, maybe the pink one or something, but I just ended up getting a curling iron when I took this back.

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anmurrell on 9/27/2008 6:43:00 PM more reviews by anmurrell

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I have very fine, thin, wavy hair and I really needed a flat iron that would diguise how awful the ends of my hair get when I straighten it with my blowdryer, and my $20 Conair was just not doing the job - not the way I've seen other people's hair look after flatironing it. At the same time, I couldn't begin to justify $100 on one of the high-end uberpopular varieties. So after some research I decided to give Sally's GVP flatiron a shot, for $60.

I totally believe I got my money's worth and then some. I love that I have control of the heat, I love that my hair doesn't snag on the plates, I love how glossy and shiny my hair looks when I'm done flatironing. It totally looks like I just walked out of the salon. I genuinely don't understand what a Sedu can do that this little baby can't.

So if you're looking to upgrade your flatiron and don't want to part with a ridiculous sum of money, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this one a shot.

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binjoo on 8/22/2008 1:02:00 AM more reviews by binjoo

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Black    

I bought this straight iron because I was sick of my $20 Revlon one which, frankly, sucked. Compared to that one, this is so much better! I bought it on sale at Sally's for $60 (it works a lot better than it looks; the packaging is ugly).


I love the fact that it heats up quickly and straigtens/curls my hair a lot faster than my previous one (it used to take an hour and a half, but now it takes less than an hour). And mind you that my hair is really thick and wavy/curly. I also like that it doesn't make my hair look fried, even at a high temperature (I usually keep it at 330 degrees).


The only downside is that the tip of the iron gets really hot and the plates are close to the outside of the plastic that you could easily burn your skin.

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GARockin on 7/16/2008 4:28:00 PM more reviews by GARockin

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've tried a chi iron and i feel that it damages the hair more. to me it seems that the plates are a little more glossy than others. I've had mine for a few years now and dropped it about a little over a month and it still kicks butt!!! well worth the price!

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*TOP REVIEWER* CoconutBreeze on 7/14/2008 3:27:00 PM more reviews by CoconutBreeze

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I decided to try a more professional flat iron, and honestly wasn't going to pay $ 100.00 for one, so this was the next best thing. I haven't used a chi, but I really think this works great. It heats up fast, leaves my hair shiny and smooth and really does make my hair super straight. My hair is course, curly and frizzy usually and this just makes my hair healthier looking. I got mine for 50.00 at Sally's. I think they are usually more than that, but I guess it was on sale that day. Anyway, I have tried other flat irons out there and I am definitly most satisfied with this GVP iron. Why pay more when you can get the exact results for alot less? Really, try it even if you are skeptical....I was too, but very happy now!

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Molls214 on 5/31/2008 8:07:00 PM more reviews by Molls214

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Funny how being called generic (GVP = Generic Value Product) can affect how people might like something. After a lot of research, I decided to buy this flat iron. I've been using my teenage daughter's "hand-me-downs", lol. This one is so worth the $59. It got my hair done in half the time it used to take me. AND - it's made by Beauty Max - the same company that makes FHI. But they have to use a disclaimer, I guess, and that must be why they compare it to a CHI.
I love it...

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bluegreeneyes2001 on 4/26/2008 12:13:00 AM more reviews by bluegreeneyes2001

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

k i have thick thick curly long hair. and it usually takes me about 3 hourse to straighten my hair start to finish bt with this straightener i finished in 1 hour! i was so excited with the outcome of this after reading the terrible reviews. for someone with super thick coarse hair this is perrrrrfect. my hair is now soft, smooth, SHINY and absolutely (and this neva happens for my hair) FRIZZ-FREE! am very very pleased with this product and hope it lasts a long time.

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mary_ln on 3/16/2008 5:30:00 PM more reviews by mary_ln

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I purchased this on sale (originally $80 reduced to $60) at Sally's to replace my Andis iron which was beginning to show signs of wear. Since this was supposed to be comparable to CHI, was on sale, and was lavender for gosh sakes, I succumbed to the temptation to give it a try. Big mistake! Here are the pros: 1. Comes in neat colors. 2. Has a super long swivel cord. Now for the cons (big ones imo): 1. The instruction book advises that the iron reaches a very hot temperature of 410 degrees, but that even very coarse and resistant hair should only be exposed to temperatures exceeding 370 degrees very sparingly (why give us this extra heat to potentially damage our hair?) 2. The print on the temperature dial is so exceeding tiny that I had to grab a magnifying glass to be sure that I wouldn't fry my hair. 3. No auto shut-off. 4. I wasn't able to hold onto the tip ends of the iron as I passed it through each section of hair because the outer plates get excessively hot.
I can't attest to this being comparable to a CHI as I've never owned one. I wouldn't recommend this brand, but if you're looking for a flat iron that does a decent job, is user friendly (has none of the cons described above) and is economical, check out the reviews on the Andis.

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tashabella on 12/27/2007 10:12:00 AM more reviews by tashabella

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have not tried the Chi flat iron yet, so I can not compare the two, however I can describe my experience with GVP. Positives are, a heat setting( I do well with 370, but it goes to 410), heats quickly, comfortalbe grip, fun colors, and glides easily through hair. Also it gives off a very nice shine. Over time you may even be able to use a lower heat setting, because I have noticed my hair becoming straighter with use. I got mine on sale during the holidays for 49.99, usually it's 79.99, the latter being way to much to pay for the product, you may as well buy the Chi if you are going to pay that much.
I haven't found any cons as of yet. Well maybe one, sometimes the plates get so hot you can feel them through the protective outer covering while you are holding it at the "tip", other than that I am pleased with my GVP.

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spaceadditude on 7/27/2006 7:02:00 PM more reviews by spaceadditude

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I have had the Turbo CHI 1" straigtening iron for a year and a half and I LOVE it. I have had other, cheaper ones before this that would break and fry my hair. Then I got this is a gift and I love it because 1. It heats up in less than a minute. 2. My hair looks so silky after using it. I put I wouldn't buy it again because I am convinced it will last forever. I have dropped it several times and it's still fine!

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