HAIR | ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler

In the early 2000s, having sleek and straight hair was very in, but growing up with relatively strict Asian parents meant that beauty and makeup items weren't exactly a priority. Even though my hair at the time was wavy and always had a layer of frizz on top, there was nothing I could do except tie it back in a soft scrunchie and hope for the best. I would honestly pray to God the night before for a good hair day because my hair was always such a gamble! In my first year at UBC, I had my first job which meant a little bit of my own money to spend so I bought my first straightener! I was scared of ceramic plates or anything scary and damaging-sounding so I bought a steam-based straightener that I had to fill with water and for once my hair was finally STRAIGHT. 

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review
 PR gifted

Over the years, I refused to spend more than $50 on a flat iron and went through a number as they died, but I finally splurged (well, my husband got it for me as an anniversary gift!) six years ago on the ghd Classic 1" Inch Styler as I wanted something that could both straighten and curl my hair. The thought of curling my hair with something like a flat iron was such a new concept to me, but I had just gotten my first balayage done and my hair just looked so fancy all curled up. I was also feeling more comfortable with makeup and feeling prettier in my skin after going through a tough, but necessary career change so my six year old ghd has a lot of sentimental value attached to it AND it still works!

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

Now, we get to the Platinum+ and how this one is a little different and a level up from the Classic. The main difference with the Platinum+ is that it is a "smart styler" which "guarantees homogenous heat" across the whole plate for smoother hair in one pass. It uses "ultra-zone predictive technology" which monitors heat 250x/second so that the temperature stays at the optimal 365°F. This predictive technology can apparently recognize the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you are gliding the plates to adjust the heat output accordingly. This is something I found VERY cool as I never like going to super high temperatures to curl my coarse hair as heat can strip colour on colour-treated hair. My hair costs $600 to balayage so I want it to last for as long as possible! Some flat irons I have used either had temperatures that were too low or too high, but because my hair wouldn't curl well with lower temperatures, I had to opt for high which in the long run didn't make my hair feel great. The end results that ghd predicts is hair that breaks less 70% of the time and 2x more colour protection. I have been using it twice a week since June with so far positive results as I have not seen any colour stripping as evidenced by looking at my Instagram selfies.

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

Quick stats:

  • Precision milled plates with an ultra glossy coating for frizz free and 20% shinier hair
  • Sleek design and modernized rounded barrel so that your hair doesn't get caught at the edges of the plates! I used to HATE it when that happened with my old flat irons!
  • Wishbone hinge that pivots easily so that the plates remain in perfect alignment and I am not awkwardly holding the styler when I do my left side
  • Sleep mode that engages when not used for 30 minutes
  • 20 second heat up time with a little *chime* that lets you know it's ready and another *chime* when you have safely turned it off (I find the chime quite loud...)

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

The other feature I loved about the Platinum+ was the inclusion of a perfectly fitting heat-resistant plate guard which I suspect is just silicone, but it is just so satisfying to know that I can cover the styler up when it's still a little warm and not have it hurt myself or my husband. I style my hair in the morning and usually I'm in a mad rush so I used to place my heat tools on a silicone mat to cool off after I had left for work. This took up precious counter space so the fact that I can put on a little protective cap and then put it away is great. I still wait a few minutes so that the styler isn't piping hot, but once it's warmish, I put it away.

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

The most important thing is the before and after so have a look! I found that second day hair looks best with the Platinum+, but that could just be my hair. I don't think my hair looks as nice as what shows up on the ghd Instagram feed, but short of having it done at the salon, this is as close as I am going to get!

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler Review

Final verdict: I love this little guy, but my only qualms with it are the really loud chime that I want to lower the volume on and the matte and sleek feeling finish of the whole styler. While I do love the look of it, my hands are often dry in the mornings and the styler sometime slips in my hands because I feel like there is no grip so I have to make a conscious effort to grip harder. In terms of results, I do feel like the temperature of the Platinum+ is more consistent than my Classic and my curls seem to last longer AND stay more defined for longer. Is that result worth an extra $100 for the Platinum+? Maybe for some the small details and the smart styling technology might be worth it, but I am still really happy with my ghd Classic so if I had to do it all again, I would still opt for the Classic over the Platinum+ just because there is such a large price difference for what I feel are subtle differences in results. You can't go wrong with either of them, but as someone who has been fortunate enough to have been able to try both, I gotta go with the Classic!

You can find the ghd Platinum+ Professional Performance 1'' Styler at www.sephora.com

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