I have been straightening my hair ever since Babyliss made what looked like a hair crimper yet was in fact a straightener; it was big, bulky and basically didn't do that much so when GHD came to the forefront back in 2001, they changed our lives forever hence they have been by my side until this very day. I have always been loyal to the brand yet I can't say my hair has thanked me for the overuse of them over the years!
My hair has always been a thing for me; it's something I like to be right and when it's not I don't feel right either. I spend money on good haircare and looking after it the best I can but we all know that frequent heat styling kills your hair, but it doesn't stop us doing it hey? My fine highlighted hair has been straightened to within an inch of its life over the years, even though my hair is, in fact, poker straight, but you can bever go back to life before styling.
So when DysonHair released the news that they had in fact created a new generation of hair straightener that promises to reduce the amount of hair damage by 50% and leave you with the best hair of your life .. I was in. Although with a hefty £400 price tag, it had a lot of convincing to do first to make me part with the cash.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
My Dyson History
I own the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer and that has been one of my best beauty purchases ever. Every friend that has ever used mine, has then gone and bought their own. Now the Dyson Airwrap; this I didn't get along with. I didn't feel I could justify spending that amount on what for me was ultimately a hot brush. The curls/volume just didn't hold in my hair yet I am sure that if someone professional used it on me and taught me how to use it better then maybe it would be a different story but first impression for me was that it wasn't a must-have. Now this is where the Corrale effectively is a 'best of three' and a real gamble to see what side it belongs to; the love or not for me side?
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
THE DYSON CORRALE | £399.99 / €499 / (buy here)
Apparently, this has been 7 years in the making promising enhanced styling with the option to use corded or cord-less. The only straightener with flexing plates that shape to gather hair using flexing manganese copper alloy plates that in fact shape around your hair. This extra control allows you to create the same style but with less heat - and half the damage. By gathering the hair, the flexing plates enable shiny, straight results with less heat, less frizz and fewer flyaways. The integrated sensor system regulates the temperature of the plates 100 times a second, ensuring constant power so the heat never exceeds your chosen setting. Obviously, there is a whole load more tech involved here but these are the basics you'd want to know.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Key Features:
- OLED Screen which displays battery level and temperature control and charging status.- Suitable for all hair types!
- Three heat settings; 165°C, 185°C and 210°C to suit your hair type, length and desired style.
- Regulates plate temperature 100 times a second.
- Up to 30 minutes cordless styling. Fully recharges in 70 minutes.
- Style corded, for longer run time.
- Switches off after 10 minutes of inactivity.
- Safety lock for immediate storage after use.
- 0.561kg
- Universal Voltage 200 W / 10.8V-16.8V
Accessories Included:
Charging Dock, Heat Resistant Travel Pouch, Magnetic 360deg charging cable.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Charging Stand
The colour coordinated Corrale stand (above) also acts as a charging point so it will charge as it sits whether it's in use or not, with the cable plugged into the back. Alternatively, should you need to use the Corrale corded then you can simply magnetise the cord to the end of the styler.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Flexi Plates
I love the copper/rose gold touches (obviously) and you can see above the plates that magically shape to gather the hair using flexing manganese copper alloy plates that very cleverly shape around your hair hence you only need to hold the styler one-handed as the plates really do grip the hair securely and do all the work for you! You are navigated by the styler to choose your heat setting and it heats up in seconds ... faster than any other styler I have used I will say.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
All Hair Types
This is why you get a choice of heat setting because the heat all depends on your hair type. The plates control the hair when it’s clamped in so the hair is controlled and smoothed whatever your texture. So thin hair, thick hair, afro hair, curly hair and so on .... should have no trouble.
My Hair
As I mentioned, my hair is naturally straight, yet very fine and highlighted and I like to wear it straight and waved so having one tool that can do both just as I like is important to me as it saves on hair tools when travelling anywhere, plus it's just easier! I use my beloved Dyson Supersonic every time I wash my hair (about twice a week) with a barrel brush and this helps to keep it sleek and smooth so less more styling is actually needed. You can read that review here.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
My Initial Thoughts
I was as excited as a child at Christmas to set this up and try it out because let's face it, it's very aesthetically pleasing and the fact that it had its own stand was the cherry on the cake. The fact that this was cordless was a big selling point as I like that you can use this mobile and not have to be at a PowerPoint that may not be in front of the mirror that you want to use for instance. There is nothing worse than staying over somewhere and the PowerPoint being nowhere near where you need it, plus you go from room to room no problem!
I have been using the Corrale now for over a month, enough time to have got to grips with it and make a list of pointers that I think will be of help should you be considering the buy. My very first thought after using this just one time was that my hair didn't look that much different than if I had used a GHD. It looked the same, felt basically the same but it wasn't until I continued to use it that I noticed significant changes so this is why you need to stick with it. You will get the same sleek looks you are used to, just much improved.
Below is my hair straightened after my first initial Corralle use set to 185C ...
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Big Pros!
• The biggest selling point for me was it being less damaging on the hair. I tend to use mine on a 185C heat setting and my hair doesn't ever feel hot after styling, only warm to the touch then it is instantly cool within seconds. It never feels 'fried'.
• Having the option to use this cord-ed or cord-less is genius! This makes going from room to room actually possible as I like to sit at my dresser and do my hair yet I like to finish it off in the bathroom and before I would have to unplug my styler then replug, wait for it to heat up etc... this cuts out all that faff.
• The special Flexi plates glide down your hair so smoothly with no snagging whatsoever and you can do this one-handed. I also noticed no broken hairs on my lap; win! The styling results last for days, hence the plates really do make a huge difference.
• The mechanics are superb. The fact that you can choose a heat setting is fantastic and it heats up in seconds as well as being so easy to operate.
• I love the fact that it shuts itself off after a time and has a locking mechanism to keep the styler closed as you feel it's protected being that it is very expensive.
• The stand is just brilliant. I love having easy access to my styler should I need to quickly use it and it be charging at the same time so it is always ready to use!
• For me, this is the best hair styler by far at curling/waving hair. I never liked the way a GHD curled my hair even though I have tried every way but the Corrale makes it so easy and your waves hold. I would 100% recommend this for waving your hair; it is insanely good!
.... I LOVE IT.
Ultimately the results this styler has given my hair are incredible. By some magic, it actually keeps the volume in your root area and even though you may are creating sleekness, you still get to keep all the body which is game-changing. When waving it, you can get such gorgeous results with little effort needed. I also notice how sleek and smooth my hair stays the next day and that is never usually the case. The Corrale most definitely keeps your hair results for longer, which means, in turn, you don't need to do as much heat styling thereon which contributes to the less heat damage factor.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The (Minor) Cons.
• It's very pricey. I know you are paying for the tech here but let's face it, this isn't in everyone's budget. You can of course get the same results with many other less expensive tools and still those hair tools that are still on the luxury spend side. It's just the added benefits that you lose out on here.
• 30 mins of uncharged use is not that much to be fair meaning you do need to keep it charged. I keep mine on the stand then put it away in the travel case if I won't be using it. It takes roughly 40 mins to recharge it back to 100%. When it dies entirely, you can use it corded but you will have to wait about 10 mins before you get about 10 mins of usage. So my advice is, just keep it charged up on the stand.
• It is heavy and a tad bulky. It is not the smallest styler, bulkier than a GHD and around 100g heavier (0.46kg Ghd vs 0.56kg Dyson). Saying this though, the weight goes in your favour by keeping it sturdy when styling. Even though the concept is 'you can take it out with you' there is no way you would take this in the car or on a night out; plus being so expensive, I wouldn't take the risk!
The pros definitely outweigh the Cons in my opinion but I feel the biggest hurdle for most will be cost.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
Ready to Travel!
An extra bonus is a universal voltage and a Flight-ready feature that lets you travel abroad with your straightener. You simply pop out the battery tab which is a bit like a SIM card then pop into the plane logo pocket and your battery is then disconnected and safe. I think this is a great handy feature.
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
.... is it really worth the spend?
In my always honest opinion, I love it ... but we all know the deciding factor here will be cost.
Yet it isn't perfect, but maybe in time, it will be even better! If they maybe take this design and make it lighter with a longer charge (possibly less expensive!) then it will tick all boxes. It is very hard to justify spending £400/€500 on a hair straightener ..... but the claims it makes are in fact all true. Not many other brands can say that! It does, without a doubt, cause less damage to your hair than a regular styling tool so that is what you are paying for. If you are a straightening or curling addict and you do it several times a week and you know it's doing your hair no good then this is worth you investing in. It is not an essential buy and other brands will do the job just fine but 50% less hair damage is still a big selling point here plus it is a really good hair styler that gives you longer-lasting results. If you are a Dyson Hair fan and it's within your budget, you'll surely love it, but if it's not, don't get into debt over a hair tool. Maybe throw some very big hints around!
The Dyson Corrale, Hair Straightener |
*FYI, I did, in fact, purchase mine from QCV Beauty UK who offer a 60-day money-back guarantee and
monthly payments which is a huge safety net should you be half tempted*
I hope this is the new benchmark and we will see more hair tools giving us less damage with cordless options. The Dyson Supersonic is still that one tool I will say is worth every single penny but I am however keen to see what Dyson do next!
Hope this was helpful ....
What do you think? Do you own anything from DysonHair?