Farouk CHI • Chi Ceramic Flat Iron by Farouk • Hair Styling Tools

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iloveyourstory on 2/19/2012 10:25:00 PM more reviews by iloveyourstory

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

I finally ditched this for the GHD. I used my CHI for 7 years and was just tired of the snagging and lifeless hair I got from it. Plus my hair would break more easily. I honestly can't stand the entire CHI line, very overrated.

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kapapathanasiou2002 on 1/31/2012 6:59:00 AM more reviews by kapapathanasiou2002

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is classic.Although it's been a while since i've used it,i am grateful that purchased it!It leaves my hair straight,smoooth and it looks as if i've had my hair done by a profesional. It is pricy ,but you save so much money by not having to go to the hairdresser.

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daisylonglegs on 1/9/2012 11:32:00 AM more reviews by daisylonglegs

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Bought these from the US...had high hopes as they have heat control but the lower heat did nothing for my hair...they do a nice fringe but on my long hair, they just do not have the right kind of shape and using high heat is as bad as my GHD's so another waste of money...

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csquared14 on 1/1/2012 11:49:00 AM more reviews by csquared14

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Heated tools for your hair are one of those things where you really do usually get what you pay for. I have very, very thick hair that usually decides whether or not it wants to be curly or wavy for the day. I was hesitant to spend a lot of money on a hair product, when I had a $25 straightening iron that worked okay.


I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. I finally broke down and bought the CHI, and--okay, this sounds ridiculous, but whatever--it changed my life. It turns my mind-of-its-own hair into straight, silky locks that stay that way for days and avoid frizz entirely. I LOVE IT. It's amazing. And wonderful. And perfect. It doesn't have a heat setting, but I've never had a problem with how hot it gets (again, this is coming from someone with very thick hair), and neither have any of my friends who have borrowed it. I've had mine for 2 years and have never had any sort of problems with it. It doesn't necessarily look pretty, like some of their other models, or have lots of flashy things like a digital temperature readout, but I really don't care because my hair looks better than it has in my life.


The basics--it heats up very quickly (less than a minute) and can straighten a section of hair with one slow pass. People sometimes complain that CHI products straighten a little too well and don't look natural, but this does come with a beveled edge, which means that if you want to make the ends wavy for a more natural look, you can (this also means that it doubles as a curling iron). I highly, highly recommend this product--it's completely changed the way that I handle my hair, and it is well worth the money.

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*TOP REVIEWER* pmburk on 12/21/2011 11:37:00 AM more reviews by pmburk

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

First off, I want to say that I agree with these 2 statements from previous reviewers:
1. Probably the best man made creation since the Brazilian keratin treatment.
2. It's like it doesn't need a temperature setting because it's permanently set on BAD ASS.
My hair is coarse, very thick, naturally wavy, and tends to be dry. I have naturally big "Texas" hair, which I wear in a chin-length straightened bob that requires a lot of effort. I blowdry it straight with a round brush and argan oil, then flat iron the heck out of it. Previously I had used a Conair Nano tourmaline straightener and a Hot Tools ceramic iron. Both worked okay and did get my hair straight, but after using the Chi, I'm very impressed. It completely straightens and smooths my hair - and I mean *completely* - in one pass. Previously I might have to hit my hair a 2nd time, or go back over a weird "bendy" spot. With the Hot Tools I would have straight hair, but sometimes still underlying body or wave that wouldn't quite come out. Not with the Chi. It removes all traces of wave and bendy spots, so my hair is completely sleek and straight. It doesn't have a heat control, but it works so well that I honestly don't care. Because of my hair type and texture, I keep my flat irons on the hottest possible setting anyway. This heats up super fast and does an amazing job. I wash my hair probably twice per week and flat iron on those days, and my hair stays straight for close to 5 days after using this. I sometimes may have to do a light touch up with the Chi, but not much. I love this flat iron and if anything happens to it I will definitely repurchase.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

alibrett16 on 12/8/2011 3:27:00 PM more reviews by alibrett16

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Probably the greatest man made creation besides the brazilian hair keratin treatment. I have naturally curly extremely thick hair so it's not easily tamed. The old school hot tools huge iron worked on my hair, but fried it. This was the only other iron to straighten my hair, and it stayed healthy. OBSESSED WITH CHI.

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pnnylne on 12/6/2011 1:58:00 PM more reviews by pnnylne

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed   Eyes: Brown    

I've had the Chi Iron for about 2yrs now. It has 1 inch ceramic plates and it heats up to 405 degrees Farenheit/207 degress celsius. I think I paid around $ 108-120 USD ($99 USD + Shipping) It works wonders on straightening out the curly/kinky-ness that is my hair in between my relaxers, however if you have straight hair (whether naturally straight or newly- relaxed) the heat may be a bit too much. This iron does not have a temperature adjustment dial (which I took a lippie off for), It has a little LED light which will blink when the iron is fully heated. I don't like the fact that I can't adjust the heat, because sometimes, depending on the state of my hair, I don't need that much heat. If in the future, something happens to my Chi, I would probably repurchase another form of a Chi with a temp. adjustment, but not the Original Chi. I would only recommend this to someone with seriously unruly hair. For those who may be natural (no relaxers), or someone with straight hair (naturally or relaxed), it may be too much to expose your hair to that extreme temp. of heat since relaxed hair has already been significantly altered by chemicals and natural hair is already prone to dryness.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* italiana800 on 11/30/2011 11:49:00 AM more reviews by italiana800

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

The Chi sucks. Enough said. You really don't realize how much it sucks until you use something better. Sedu is 100000X better.

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Musoukakitty on 11/12/2011 6:27:00 PM more reviews by Musoukakitty

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this flat iron, I have curly/wavy fine hair that is nearly impossible to straighten with most flat irons. Its to the point that at a salon they've had to actually go over some areas up to 4 times to get my hair straight. But something about this flat iron is just different, after having a lady straighten my hair at a cheap hair cutting place and having her go through my hair effortlessly I noticed it was a chi. Needless to say 5 months later I finally bought one and am very very happy. Smooth and silky hair I can get now.

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Kaydee1983 on 10/23/2011 5:12:00 PM more reviews by Kaydee1983

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I've had my Chi for over 6years and still love it as much as the first time I used it. I have thin, limp frizzy hair, so I use it to add volume and smoothness. It also gives me super great curls (after much practice). I've dropped it a million times, and it seems to have forgivin me for it since it continues to work great.

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echamier on 10/20/2011 4:41:00 PM more reviews by echamier

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have had my CHI straightener for about 3 years now. I do not have a single complaint about it. It has been through hell and back, but still seems to work just like the day I got it. It is fabulous for straightening, curling, creating waves, and even crimping my hair. It is a pretty expensive tool, but definitely worth the price! I expect to have this straightener for years to come.

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Janet72285 on 10/16/2011 1:34:00 AM more reviews by Janet72285

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I had my CHI for about 6 months before it died. It just would not turn on anymore. I was devastated. When I took it in to Ulta to exchange it the SA told me it was a common issue with this brand. So I purchased a T3 iron instead and have had no issues so far and its been over a year. Back to the CHI- while I had it I was very happy with the performance. My hair was silky and beautiful, I got alot of compliments. When visiting my hometown a guy friend asked what had happened to my "poofy" hair. Lol! I guess before my chi my hair was a mess! I would not repurchase only because of it dying so quickly. If they get that figured out I'd be in line to purchase another.

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Beachluvr on 9/22/2011 10:40:00 AM more reviews by Beachluvr

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I used brand X inexpensive flat iron on my very curly hair and never achieved the silky, straight hair as my hair stylist. She told me the only difference was her Chi. (I use the same products as my hair stylist). Of course I was thrilled my hair stylist offered to get me a Chi at her cost. Wow, what a difference! Since my change of flat iron many years ago, I love how my hair turns out - straight and silky, without losing the body. I still have my original Chi and it works great. Since I am so dependent on my Chi I recently purchased a backup for $100 with coupon. When I receive compliments on my hair, people are shocked I have curly hair, LOVE MY CHI!

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nicoles620 on 9/16/2011 7:56:00 PM more reviews by nicoles620

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

On my 3rd CHI. First one i dropped and broke (whoops), second was the pink breast cancer CHI.. I had that one for over 6 years. It still actually works.. just not as great. So I bought a new one recently. Works great as ever.. Still wondering if I should have gave GHD a try. Considering that I only paid $80 for my CHI, I'm pretty content. My CHI dryer is also the pink turbo and has lasted 6 years. Looking into a new CHI dryer as well. Great products!

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*TOP REVIEWER* linet182 on 9/16/2011 4:44:00 PM more reviews by linet182

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

I have tried soooo many hair straighteners out there. Everything from the expensive stuff down to what you buy at the drug store, I can honestly tell you Chi is by far my absolute favorite. Sure it's a bit on the pricey side, but this is your hair we're talking about. I love this iron because it is ceramic, which means it doesn't damage your hair as much as the regular kind of irons. it gives you beautiful silky straight hair. I always get compliments on my hair style and really it only takes me 25 min to straighten. I say splurge on this iron it's well worth it.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

tightkitty on 8/30/2011 6:13:00 PM more reviews by tightkitty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brunette, Coarse   Eyes: Grey    

GOT IT FOUR SUMMERS AGO AND IS STILL GOING STRONG!!! I didnt start to use it often until 2 years ago though but anyway. I have had my chi for a while without a problem. I am bi-racial and after I blow dry my hair my hair is so huge almost like an afro lol but after I am done my hair is straightened beautifully. I have a pink one with crystals around where it says chi. I don't remember what it cost I think around 120.Usually,a flat iron doesn't last me over a year.Well, this is just THE best! I went thru 2 Jilbere flat irons,a Solia or something,and others before this one and they did not last nearly as long as my CHI. I finally got smart and shelled out the extra cash for the Chi and I'm not looking back. It takes less than half the time to do my hair now. It gives me a great hair day every day. I'll never buy another brand. It seems to heat up pretty fast and get hot enough for my hair. I don't mind that it doesn't have a dial setting for the heat,since I always have to put my hair tools on the highest setting for my hair type anyway. I also mastered the art of curling my hair with it to. The plates make my hair super shiny. I would defiantly repurchase. I don't mind paying a little more for a quality flat iron for the type of hair I have I feel like it is a necessity not an option. Don't forget your heat protectant :)
UPDATE 3/6/12

So after years of abuse,dropping it ect the other day if dropped and the box that gets plugged into the wall shattered and broke. I couldn't seem to find all the little screws and all of the small pieces. So I went to JC PENNY to purchase another one. Pennies and ULTA are supposed to be a reputable dealer of Chi's. Well it turned out that the new Chi I purchased had chipping paint in different places and it looked really sketchy. Honestly it had some flaws appearance wise that even my old Chi did not even have after years. Out of curiosity and the fact that I had to it least get my hair somewhat decent just to get out of the house to return it.(since without flat iron use my hair resembles Chaka Khan and did not want to go into a salon with an afro). Well anyway my hair kept getting stuck in the new Chi so bad as if the plates were off or not aligned correctly so after my hair got caught twice I realized wow I really have to slow down and be more careful (something I was not used to doing with my old one) It also was not as hot as my old one (which also was more time consuming). I had to go over the same piece so many times and very slow "to try" to get my hair how it normally would look after using my old one again (more time consuming). So after go over the pieces several times much slower and getting my hair caught in it several times when my hair was done I had a few pieces that still had some wave in it and had a little bit of frizz as if I was out while it was sprinkling outside. So it took longer,ripped hair out,and didn't look up to my standards. So after that I immediately returned it and was leery about repurchasing another one since I'm not sure if they are making them so fast from being in such high demand that they have defects or if even reputable dealers are selling refurbished ones without knowing since over the years so many people have send/exchange their non working ones in under warranty and had replaced it for a new one. I'm sure all those go somewhere and get fixed very cheaply and maybe even get a tacky little paint job that will chip off.

My fiance ended up replacing the plug on my old beloved Chi for me and I'm happy that I can still use it until it dies. But when it does I will not be repurchasing another one since I suspect my Chi that was made many years ago is much better quality. It gets the perfect temp without frying my hair,quick and easy to use,and my hair has never got caught or snagged like that before even with cheap irons I used to get at Sally's when I was a teen. My opinion is Chi has went downhill and I don't think I will be able to find the one I had that I bought many years ago that isn't refurbished being passed off as new in a shiny new box with free serum. After this goes which I fear the end is near I will certainly upgrade I will probably be interested in FHI Revolution Professional, some other professional irons,or maybe I will even try out ones that have all the bells and whistles that aren't so well known yet and completely mass produced and ran through like Chi. Chi is like a slut at this point that everyone ran through. I would not recommended buying one now. It's old and outdated there is better out there and newer technology. Expand your horizons. And this is coming from someone that always boasted about my Chi so this was a hard review to write. I am lowering my lippie from a 5 to a 2 for how terrible the Chi's are now and would I buy again from yes to no. tears*

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zoeybear20 on 8/19/2011 6:54:00 PM more reviews by zoeybear20

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

When I started going to a new salon, the girl used a chi on my hair and my hair was so nice and straight and shiny afterwards. I went out and bought one shortly after learning that's what she was using, and I love my chi. I've had mine for 3 or 4 years now and it's still going strong. When it decides to not work on me anymore I will probably try out something else even though I love the chi, but it looks like there are even better straighteners out there that I would like to try. But I can't complain about my chi. It has helped me not have bad hair days.
I used to use it pretty much everyday, but now I try to only use it if I'm going out somewhere nice. I try to let my hair air dry so I don't damage it as much.

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jcont1234 on 8/18/2011 1:45:00 PM more reviews by jcont1234

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Other, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Other    

I bought the 1" Chi cermaic flat iron after reading all the positive reviews. Here are some comments:

Pros
-digital thermometer allows you to set the temperature up to 400 degrees
- heats up fast
- straightens my long, thick hair quickly
-ceramic plates did not do a lot of damage

Cons
- not dual voltage so you can't take this outside of 110v areas (a huge bummer for those of us who travel a lot)
- died after 1 year of use

I bought this off Costco.com for a under $80 so I can't complain too much. I have since puchased at T3 flat iron and like it a lot more.

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Versailles on 8/16/2011 5:26:00 PM more reviews by Versailles

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I got this flat iron as a gift for Christmas two years ago and it's still going strong! I've used three other cheaper brands off and on for about six years now and this gives better results by far. My naturally frizzy, not-quite-straight-but-not-curly-either hair is silky and soft from my CHI until the next time I wash it. I'd definitely recommend getting one if you're not worried about spending the money, but if mine ever breaks I'd probably search around for a cheaper alternative since I've seen quite a few suggested.

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Jasmine19 on 8/14/2011 3:32:00 AM more reviews by Jasmine19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Brown    

Love my chi. Don't love the price though :/

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