Hot Tools | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Here we are again at the end of the year, which means it is time for the best of the year posts! Below are Beauty and Fashion Tech’s best beauty product for 2011. The list includes the best makeup, best skin care, hair care, and best beauty gadgets that we tried this year. The items are in no particular order, although I tried to keep absolute favorites near the top. There are also a few items at the end of the list that I tried in 2011, but have not written the review of the item yet.

Best Beauty Products of 2011

(1) Ott Lite Makeup Mirror: This is a great makeup mirror that provides natural light in a highly adjustable and attractive package. Forget the cheap drugstore lighted mirrors an get the real deal with this one! I adore mine. Learn more in our initial review here: OttLite Makeup Mirror Review .

(2) Lancome Bi-Facil: When your dog eats a hot pink lipstick on the carpet, you will be glad if you have have some of this around. Oh, and it removes makeup from your eyes and face very well too! For more and for the story of the lipstick eating corgi, look here: Lancome Bi-Facil Review

(3) Skinsonic: The Skinsonic is a sonic skin cleansing system, similar to the popular Clarisonic, but much cheaper. Sonic cleansing is great for overall skin care and exfoliation. You can read more in our at home microdermabrasion guide.

(4) Iswas Handbag organizer: This is the best purse organizer on the market and it comes in several nice shades. Read our report: Iswas Handbag Report

(5) Sedu Revolution 4000i: Sedu makes great products, and the Revolution 4000i dryer is no exception. Learn more about the top hair dryers here: Best Hair Dryers

(6) Verseo eGlide: The Verseo eGlide is an interesting permanent hair removal device that uses a galvanic current instead of a lasers, which makes it great for those with darker skin or who want to remove facial hair, since a laser is not safe for either of those. I personally prefer my Tria Laser, but the eGlide did work for me to remove some facial hair. For more on the eGlide, see our Verseo eGlide review or our laser hair removal at home guide.

(7) Tokidoki Soda Shop Palette: This limited edition item is getting hard to find, but if you look at Sephora, there are multiple Tokidoki palettes and all are packed full of really well pigmented makeup. Learn more here: Tokidoki Soda Shop Swatches and Review

(8) Hot Tools Pink Titanium Curling Iron: Hot tools makes a number of great curling irons. To learn more see our report: Best Curling Irons

(9) MAC Me Over Fall Collection: MAC’s fall collection was particularly impressive this year. See more here: MAC Me Over Swatches

(10) MAC Bloggers Obsessions: the MAC Blogger’s Obsessions colelction was really fun because fellow beauty bloggers designed it! You can see photos here: MAC Bloggers Obsessions Photos

(11) Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron: I love Sedu irons and this one it right up there at the top. Learn about the top Flat Irons here: The Best Flat Irons

(12) Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Palette: Laura Mercier has been putting out a number of neat palettes lately and this set is particularly nice.

(13) Brazilian Peel: This 30% glycolic peel works wonders for dull and acne prone skin. I used it weekly for four weeks with excellent results!

(14) Stila Dream in Color Palette: The best makeup palette of the holiday season. Get a large number of Stila shades in a single pretty palette!

Interested in the best products from past years? Look here:

Best Beauty Products of 2010

Best of 2009

Best of 2008

Best of 2007

How To Find The Best Curling Iron For You

Curling irons are a hair styling tool used to turn strait hair into curly hair in a short amount of time. Before choosing what people claim to be the best curling iron available, you must know that curling irons come in different shapes and sizes to fit your hair requirements. In the world of curling irons there are two different types: the spring and the marcel. The spring curling iron is the least expensive of the two and is more suited for the normal person. On the other hand the marcel curling iron is more expensive and is often better suited for professionals.

In recent times, the technology of the actual barrel inside of the curling iron has become popular with options such as teflon, ceramic, and titanium to name a few. The teflon barrel evenly distributes heat across the entire barrel allowing for frizz to be stopped while the ceramic barrel is known for creating silky and shiny hair in the shortest amount of time.

There are different recommendations for the best curling irons that are specific for each individual. For example, for thin hair it is recommended that the individual use a smaller iron; one having around a one inch barrel that allows for hair to be curled the longest. For normal hair, it is recommended to have a one to two inch barrel and for thicker hair it is recommended use a one and a half to two and a half inch barrel. The type of curling iron that an individual should use also has to do with occasion and goal as well. If one is looking to get spiral curls for occasions such as proms and wedding then the 3/4 inch curling iron would do the best job. If one is looking to create loose and curly waves, know as the casual appearance, then a one and one-fourth inch curling iron is recommended. Finally, to attain the most loose curls it is recommended to use a one and a half to two inch curling iron.

The Best Curling Irons

There are many high quality curling irons on the market today, but a few different makes and models stand out among the best. Here are our top five curling irons:

The Hot Tools Pink Titanium Curling Iron is an excellent curling iron for those who don’t have a large amount of time. The Hot Tools Pink Titanium Curling Iron comes in multiple sizes, has a titanium coated barrel, and features temperatures up to 450 degrees, with an extra long cool tip.

The Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron comes with superior Mica Technology that allows constant heat to flow from the time to curling iron is turned on and comes with ten different heat settings.

The Hot Tools Blue Ice Titanium Waver is an interesting iron that has three barrels for quickly creating waves. It comes with one of the most powerful spring clamps on the market today. It also comes with variable heating settings and a state of the art titanium barrel aimed to create shiny hair.

The Hot Tools Professional Marcel Curling Iron is made for professionals with ten unique heat settings. The marcel on some versions also includes a 24 K gold plated barrel for elegance and efficiency.

The Cricket 7000 Series Curling Iron comes with ten specific settings for any hair types. This model also includes a ceramic coated barrel that is used to produce the shiniest hair possible.

It is important to look at curling iron reviews before making any purchases. You can see a great top ten list and specific consumer reviews here at Folica.com: Top 10 Curling Irons. It is evident that specific irons are tailored for specific types of hair. Before buying any curling irons, ask yourself what type of hair you have and what your goals are for the curling iron and go from there.