Beauty – at what price? Via Shutterstock
In my twenties, I spent countless hours grooming. At one point, I even had a short stint as a hair model. But as a mom, there are many days where I’m just throwing my unwashed hair back in a ponytail. Of course I still blow dry my hair and straighten it when I can, but it’s harder to squeeze in the time. That’s why, when my hairdresser recommended a high-end hair dryer, telling me it would save me time and eliminate the need of flat ironing so frequently, I thought the extra expense might save me money in the long run, by saving me time. So I went to the beauty supply store and splurged.
Are pricey hair dryers worth the expense?
Did you know that there’s a designer hairdryer that costs $300? Seriously. How much better could a $300 hairdryer be than the $15 ones you can get at Target? Or is the sky high price tag part of a marketing industry that wants women to believe that the more money they shell out for a beauty item, the more effective it will be?
I find that concept so irritating.
The Andis Pro Dry
That high-end department store make-up is better than the drugstore versions. That $150 eye cream is more effective at keeping wrinkles at bay than an economical brand with some sunscreen in it.
I didn’t pay $300 for a hairdryer, but I did go against my frugal instincts and paid fifty-something bucks for the fancy hairdryer my stylist recommended. Had to pass up a pink leopard-spotted dryer that was on sale at Target.
I wanted my pricey hairdryer to do a better job. With its negative ions and 1875 wattage, I wanted the Andis Pro Dry Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer
I even envisioned throwing away my ponytail holders.
The Conair Iconic Cordkeeper
Alas, it was not meant to be. The dryer does its job, but nothing more. I’ve been using it for a year now, and it’s not made my hair or my life even one percent better. In fact, it recently started smelling bad and smoking, despite my cleaning the “lint trap” in the back.
Cheaper hair dryers I have bought in the past have lasted considerably longer. Oh sure, they told me at the store that the dryer contained a warranty, but it’s been a year — I have no idea where the receipt is! And I no longer have the box, either.
Recently, I picked up the Conair 1875 Ionic Cordkeeper
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
Thanks, that’s nice to know! I’ll keep buying the cheaper ones.
I blowdry my hair pretty frequently and I’ve used dryers around the $25-$30 range. I find that they do a pretty good job taming my hair. I’ve actually talked to one of the hair stylists I’ve gone to for a haircut and she told me that those high end blowdryers are probably good if you have a salon where it gets a lot of usage. Unless you’re a model who constantly has to do blowouts for a photo shoot, I think the cheaper blowdryers are probably your best bet. Also, it probably depends on what kind of hair you have. I have your run-of-the-mill Asian hair, slightly wavy, so it’s not that hard to style my hair. Maybe for people who have unruly or super curly hair, they might want to splurge on a high-end blowdryer.
Hi,
im andrea from mexico…here the conir is cheaper…i dont know why but there are a grat price differences…i think that some of thems are not originals…
kisses!!
Hair dryers are NOT created equally. Yes they dry your hair, but the wattage, intensity of heat can make a difference. I’ve used a blow dryer everyday for atleast 25 years, and by far the best dryer I’ve ever used is Rusk w8less. About $90, purchased mine from Ulta. This dryer is lightweight, powerful and my hair looks shines and smooth when done. Highly recommend it.
I have a $300 hairdryer, but only because I won it about 4 years ago. I loved it immediately and still do. I have very thick hair and it truly does save me a ton of time drying my hair and really reduces the frizz (it has T3 ions). I have no idea how long it will last, but when it dies I’ll spend that much for a new one.
I recently purchased the Karmin hair dryer, pricey stuff but well worth it! It comes with 3 attachments so no matter how I want to style my hair, its made simple with these. I love the diffuser for when I want to wear my hair naturally curly and it also works great for adding volume. My hair dries in half the time compared to my old dryer and the result is softer, shinier hair. I sooo love it! <3
Best I have ever used is the Karmin 🙂
Karmin makes the best in my opinion 😉
I’ve never heard of Karmin before, but it looks like it gets great reviews. Why do you like it?
Karmin is my preference