Caruso questions

[julliams]

Hello,
I have had my eye on one of these for ages now and have just found an Australian site that will ship one of these to me, presumably from the US.

So I have some questions:

1. This is the unit http://www.fishpond.com.au/Health_Beauty/CARUSO-Molecular-Steam-Hairsetter-30-Rollers/0097954979537

I don't see the word ION so how is this unit different to the ION one?

2. It mentions dual voltage but I have read one review on Amazon that said they couldn't see a switch for dual voltage and that it said in the instructions that it only worked on 120 volts. My hubby says I just use an adapter and it will work here on 240 volts. Anyone know?

3. Is $67 AUD too much to spend on it with shipping? I think it's a good deal considering the $30 units from the US are at least $40 to ship here...



OOPS = just realised they do sell the Ionic one as well http://www.fishpond.com.au/Health_Beauty/Caruso-Ion-Steam-Professional-Hairsetter-Model-No-C97958/0097954979582?cf=3&rid=1581296111&i=1&keywords=caruso

Do I want the Ionic one or non Ionic one given I have just past waist-length hair and it's pretty thick?

[xoerincolleen]

To answer #3: You can get one MUCH cheaper off of eBay! That's what I did, I got the machine off eBay for less than $10 and bought a pack of the curlers from Sally's.

[Buggheart]

#2 - I believe your hubby is correct. My curling iron says dual voltage but there is no switch. It just means you can still use it elsewhere, you just have to get the adapter. Should work fine after that.

Sorry I cannot help with the other questions as I have no idea about the ion thing. I can tell you that I bought my first Caruso when they first came out (probably in 1990-ish) and I paid a fortune for it from an infomercial. But honestly, it was well worth it. I still have my original and it works to this day. I've used it hundreds of times and I love it.

[UltraBella]

I have three of them. One for me, one for daughter plus my old one. I can not tell one single bit of difference between the Ion one and the regular. I even did my head half and half one time, no difference AT ALL.
The dual voltage is with an adapter and it works just fine that way.

[julliams]

Thanks guys. xoerincollen, whilst it is most usually cheaper on ebay, it doesn't work out that way with these units because they are wanting to charge around $40 US to ship to Australia so it's cheaper for me to do it through this company. Also the company have contacted me to say that they will stand by the product if I have any problems with the voltage and I wont' have to return all the way to the US.

Ultrabella, I have asked you this before so please forgive me but what size roller gives you the best curl? I'm guessing the jumbo ones might give me a more straighter look as the curl drops?

[UltraBella]

Thanks guys. xoerincollen, whilst it is most usually cheaper on ebay, it doesn't work out that way with these units because they are wanting to charge around $40 US to ship to Australia so it's cheaper for me to do it through this company. Also the company have contacted me to say that they will stand by the product if I have any problems with the voltage and I wont' have to return all the way to the US.

Ultrabella, I have asked you this before so please forgive me but what size roller gives you the best curl? I'm guessing the jumbo ones might give me a more straighter look as the curl drops?

I prefer the large rollers. The jumbos do not give me quite enough curl and the smaller ones are just too time consuming, I would have to use way too many of them.

[julliams]

Ok great. I think I'll try it out and see what works for me before I buy the extra rollers. I'm just so glad to finally find somewhere that will ship here "for free". From what I have read from you and from others, it sounds like something that will be well worth it for my hair.

[GaJunebug]

They truly are wonderful units and, I think you'll really love having one.

A couple of tricks I've learned over the years with mine- make sure your hair is completely dry before rolling and allow the curls a few moments to cool/dry out after you take them down before you do your styling.

You may like the smaller size roller for tendrils on your updos but I agree with the others that the medium size roller gives longer hair a good amount of curl.

(I've read about piggy backing two rollers on extra long hair to make sure the entire length gets the curl.)

[amantha]

I've been coveting one of these sets for a while. When I've used curling irons in the past, my hair was very hard to curl...which is weird because my hair slightly wavy. I had to put it the iron on the hottest setting. Do the caruso steam rollers work well on hard to curl hair?

[Kyla]

I've been wanting one of these for so long. The info here is awesome, thank you everyone. :)

[GaJunebug]

amantha,
I would consider my hair difficult to curl and it creates a good, lasting curl for me. I have never been one to be able to get a sustainable curl from a curling iron or hot rollers- I'm of the era of the pink sponge rollers at night.

So, to be able to get a good curl without resorting to nightly pink sponge rollers has been a wonderful option for me. I don't curl very often these days, but if I get a whim to I know I can pull the Caruso unit out and get them.

As for the steam unit damaging your hair, I'd love to hear what UltraBella thinks. UB, would you consider this a kinder way to curl?

[julliams]

From what I'm understanding of the process, it's actually moisturising...

[julliams]

Here is the best explanation of how it all works - takes 9 minutes though and it's basically an infomercial but it's all explained by Richard Caruso's daughter who has gorgeous long hair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgUVTa0mA1A

[amantha]

amantha,
I would consider my hair difficult to curl and it creates a good, lasting curl for me. I have never been one to be able to get a sustainable curl from a curling iron or hot rollers- I'm of the era of the pink sponge rollers at night.

So, to be able to get a good curl without resorting to nightly pink sponge rollers has been a wonderful option for me. I don't curl very often these days, but if I get a whim to I know I can pull the Caruso unit out and get them.

As for the steam unit damaging your hair, I'd love to hear what UltraBella thinks. UB, would you consider this a kinder way to curl?

Thanks GaJuneBug! Yeah when I use a curling iron my curls are just loose waves within an hour or two. I'm glad to hear that this works better. I think I'm going to add this to my xmas wishlist. :)

[UltraBella]

amantha,
I would consider my hair difficult to curl and it creates a good, lasting curl for me. I have never been one to be able to get a sustainable curl from a curling iron or hot rollers- I'm of the era of the pink sponge rollers at night.

So, to be able to get a good curl without resorting to nightly pink sponge rollers has been a wonderful option for me. I don't curl very often these days, but if I get a whim to I know I can pull the Caruso unit out and get them.

As for the steam unit damaging your hair, I'd love to hear what UltraBella thinks. UB, would you consider this a kinder way to curl?

Yes, although steam is what heats the sponge, this is considered a "non-heat" method of curling. Steam dissipates so quickly that your hair is only exposed to warmth and moisture, which leaves the hair super soft.

[Buggheart]

It's definitely a kinder way to curl. My hair is very straight and ornery. It has a mind of its own and will often uncurl within minutes of my curling it regardless of how much product or heat or time spent. My mother used to say that it's very much like Asian hair in how straight and wild it is. But when I curl with the Caruso, it curls like mad and stays that way for a very long time.

Back after I first got mine in the early 90s, my friend and I curled her hair. She has very thick, healthy, waist length hair with very little layering in it. We used the large rollers and spiraled them. We left them in for a good 30 minutes to make sure they were totally cool and dry. When we took them out, the spiral curls literally sprung up to about APL. We screamed and giggled when we saw the result as we could hardly believe it. I remember her mom and sister came running into the bathroom to find out what the excitement was about and they couldn't believe it either.

Of all the styling products I've ever tried, Caruso is my all time favorite.

[amantha]

How long do you have to leave the rollers in your hair? Is it like a regular set of rollers where you leave them in about 20-30 mins? In some of the tutorial videos that I watched, one girl blow dried her hair to make them set faster. Another woman left them in for about 4 hours.

[GaJunebug]

Thanks for all the info and the confirmation that this is the way to go for curls. Makes me feel even better about using the rollers!

I never feel the need to leave mine in longer than say, 20 or so minutes. I try to roll my hair first thing while I'm getting ready and then leave them in while I do my makeup, etc. Then, I take them out...and make sure the hair is totally cooled off before I finger break the curls and finish styling.

[Buggheart]

How long do you have to leave the rollers in your hair? Is it like a regular set of rollers where you leave them in about 20-30 mins? In some of the tutorial videos that I watched, one girl blow dried her hair to make them set faster. Another woman left them in for about 4 hours.

I also try to roll mine first thing after drying my hair so it has time to dry and cool down whilst I do my makeup, get dressed, etc. So they're usually in about 15-20 minutes. If I'm in a rush or decide to curl at the last minute I'll hit them briefly with the hair dryer to dry up any parts that may be wet.

[amantha]

I also try to roll mine first thing after drying my hair so it has time to dry and cool down whilst I do my makeup, get dressed, etc. So they're usually in about 15-20 minutes. If I'm in a rush or decide to curl at the last minute I'll hit them briefly with the hair dryer to dry up any parts that may be wet.

Whew! Anything under 30 mins sounds good to me. 4 hours would be WAY too long.