Is it worth the money spent?
In Oscar Wilde’s words, men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious; both are disappointed.
With the price point at where it is, owning a Dyson Corrale feels like a commitment that will last longer than some marriages.
When I decided to buy the Dyson Corrale hair straightener, I was both tired and curious. I was tired of my lifelong struggle with frizzy, wavy hair but no longer wanted to deal with regrowth after spending hours on a salon chair getting my hair chemically straightened. I was tired of spending quality time crimping my hair straight only to have the curls return in an hour. And I was curious whether the most expensive hair straightener that was widely reported to be a game changer could keep my hair straight for a day.
First impressions. It is the Ferrari of hair straighteners. It is desirable, it is a sexy, sleek, shiny thing of undeniable beauty, it feels well made. The lock satisfyingly slides and clicks into place for storage or usage. It has some quirks that you will lovingly forgive because it feels good to own. It is heavy, but not enough to cause a problem. The magnetic connection to the cord is cool but not helpful if you want to use it with the cord. But who uses a Corrale with the cord when you can go cordless, you say? I had to give up my usage preference. Once I let go of this inhibition, using a cordless straightener is liberating. I’m quite handy with a straightener with a cord, so I didn’t feel that I did a better job of straightening my hair with the Dyson. But it is a greater joy to use.
The actual task of crimping my hair. I noticed that its flexing plates have a stronger grip on my hair than the conventional straighteners. I did not need to redo the same area multiple times to get my hair straight, compared to my old straightener. But it could be because with a maximum temperature of 210 degree Celsius, it is 10 degrees hotter than my previous straightener. I can believe that the Dyson Corrale causes less heat damage than the average straightener. But hair damage also comes in the form of breakage. Its weight may lead to more hair breakages. The Dyson website is silent on its straightener’s effects on this potential problem. But to be fair, I didn’t lose more hair today.
How about its performance? My hair stayed straight all day after setting it with hairspray. A disclaimer: I stayed indoors all day, unexposed to humidity and rain. But I would imagine it is the work of the hairspray that will do the protection from the elements, rather than the straightener itself.
So is it worth the price? To me, it is like asking whether a limousine or sports car is worth its price. The answer is yes, if you can afford it. At the end of the day, a non-Dyson hair straightener is also a good hair styling tool if it can help you achieve the look you want. Look at its temperature range and the material of its plates. A sports car may be out of reach, a saloon car or hatchback can also bring you to the stylish places you want to go.
Final words. Due to a bug in the app I’m using to publish this post, I am unable to upload my before and after photos. Or any photos.