VS Sassoon Steam Straight Brilliance

I was super excited to trial these straighteners and even more curious to put them to the test when I learned the brand! Now these are an expensive item so I intend to be open, honest and critical.

My first impression was “wow these are quite heavy”. I am used to my GHDs which are much slimmer and lighter. However I didn’t find them overly heavy when using them, especially because they really did straighten my whole head super quickly, like five minutes quickly!

I found the instructions on using the steam pod a little intimidating but they are actually really easy to use. I also really enjoy that you can use them with or without the steam. The instructions talk a lot about how to refill the water reservoir during use, but I actually never needed to. I’d place them on to the filling base stand once before I started and that would last me my whole head (hair sits just below shoulders). The straighteners come with a detachable comb element, I found the comb really made a huge difference. I have wavy/curly hair and the comb helped to straighten it out in one pass. Very rarely did I go back over an area, although they are quite wide plates and this meant I couldn’t get in to my roots as precisely as with smaller plates. I would also still definitely comb pre straightening even with the comb attachment as it’s pretty unforgiving. The plates themselves glide really nicely without drag. My hair did look shinier after use and my hair absolutely lasted a full day straight.

One thing I’d like to mention, the product boasts that you can fill them for steaming via the base station or directly in to the water reservoir on the straighteners. The later was far fiddlier and I can’t imagine ever wanting to do this. They mention this being great for when you want to ‘leave the base station at home’ but I wouldn’t consider these the most portable straighteners as they are quite big. The automatic water fill on the base station reservoir is great though!

There are 5 heat settings, I only used the one recommended for my hair type in the instructions (180°C). In the box there is a heat resistant glove, it’s kind of a fun addition but I didn’t find a need for it to be honest.

Overall the wide straightening plates made for super quick styling but they aren’t as versatile as smaller ones so it’s a trade off for what’s more important! Would I ditch my GHDs to race out and buy these.. probably not because my shorter hair and my like for curling with my straighteners makes them a good fit. However! For longer hair, thicker hair, people who only want to straighten, people who want a quick straighten… these should definitely be in the mix as a serious contender!

I've used cheap straighteners that had no business existing. I have used GHDs. I have used more department brand straighteners that have been as good as GHDs... this offering from VS Sassoon blows them all away.

First of all... the packaging is super luxurious. Sturdy, attractive, in line with the straighteners, which are also sturdy (heavier than my usuals) and really luxe with black and rose gold touches. Inside the packaging is the heat glove (which is fine, but I did without it well enough), a dropper to fill the water station in the straightener if you didn't want to use the automatic filler, and instructions. The instructions are super comprehensive, which was great, as this technology needed them.

First of all - you have a standing water station. It has suckers on the bottom so that it's safe to use. You fill it with water then set the straighteners onto it to get the water into the straighteners. At first I was worried I'd done it wrong, but the moment I used the straighteners (at 180 degrees, with the steam button on) the clicking the instructions said would happen, happened and steam came whooshing out. I was on my way.

I can unequivocally say these are the fastest straighteners ever. I can get my wavy hair poker straight in five minutes. The plates are larger, which I found handy for speed, and they glide through the hair... once you take the comb off. Which I did after one go. I did not care for the comb as it tugged at my already brushed hair. Using the straighteners sans steam was also good, but not as good. The steam left my hair straighter, shinier, smoother, less split-ends looking, and 24 hours later it was still straight. I only needed to refill the straightener once per use. (I used the dropper once, but wouldn't bother with it unless I was travelling).

I can't recommend these highly enough. There's no way I'd ever go back to my old straighteners, and if anyone asked for a recommendation, these would be my go to.

Oh boy was I excited when I got invited to this trial. Thanks so much BR for the opportunity! I eagerly checked the doorstep each day and when I saw a box sitting there I ripped into it like a kid at Christmas. It comes in a sturdy box which has heaps of information on it. Inside is the straightener, instruction manual, a little turkey baster looking gadget and a heat resistant glove.

A little bit about my hair, it is very long and I would say semi thick. I have been dying it for over 20 years so it is a bit dry and is definitely frizzy. I also have a natural wave, I usually use Ghd's which do a pretty good job but they are about 5 years old now so I feel are getting less effective.

I actually never read the instructions for anything but I had to for this as I didn't know what I was doing. First off there is a separate water reservoir which you fill up, it suctions onto the surface so it doesn't move. Then you align the straightener onto it and it fills the bottom with water and it is ready to use the steam function, when the water runs out you simply place the straightener back on and it refills it.

You can also fill up the straightener directly using the little turkey baster, there is a small reservoir on the bottom. I have used it this way which is good but you have to fill it a few times if you have long hair as it runs out fast so it is probably easier filling up the freestanding reservoir and less fiddly.

The buttons are on the inside so you need to turn it on then press the steam button and select the temperature, I use it on 180° then it is ready to go when the light stops flashing. It heats up super fast....I'd say 10 seconds which is awesome. There is one glove to protect against heat. I kinda feel like Michael Jackson wearing this and I actually broke out into a song the first time I put it on lol good times.

It is much bigger than my Ghd's so it took me a little bit to get used to plus the glove was making it slippery so I ended up putting it on the other hand. I probably won't bother with the glove much. The first time I used it I wanted to really give it a hard test....my hair had been in a braid the day before so when I brushed it I turned it into a frizzy, curly mess. I thought no way it would make it straight.

I sectioned my hair and started at the front and omg it made it poker straight! I could not believe my eyes! Not only was it straight but super shiny. Pretty impressive indeed! Continued below.....

My hair is an awkward in between of wavy, but not wavy enough to look cute, so I either style it by straightening it or curling it myself. I have fine hair, but there is a lot of it, so I needed a straightener that made styling less of a process. This straightener did exactly that. For starters, the straightener itself honestly feels very luxury. It’s solid, a beautiful matte black, and you can tell from the feel alone that it’s great quality. The base station works great to refill the straightener, simply push the straightener into place and it fills automatically. I like that you have the option to use either steam or not, so you can take the straightener with you and not have to worry about carrying around the base as well. You can also refill the straightener manually so you still have the option to use steam without the base. The straightener does come with a detachable little comb that intends to detangle your hair while you’re running the straightener through, but even with my fine hair I found that this would catch and not actually detangle, so I removed it and prefer it much more that way. It heats up super quickly and also has an auto-shut off time of 30 mins which is SO important to me as I’m as forgetful as they come.. I initially started off by sectioning my hair into small pieces and running a brush through each section before straightening, but I quickly found this wasn’t even necessary. I can brush my hair before I start, and then literally just run the straightener over my hair a few times and get a flawless result. Honestly, I was so impressed, and even more excited because I am too lazy in the mornings to section everything perfectly. I took my hair out of a braid this morning, so it was very wavy, brushed it through and spent less than 5 minutes straightening my hair and it was absolutely perfect. I didn’t find much difference in result between using steam vs no steam, both result in lovely straight hair and I didn’t have a preference. But, I imagine if you have particularly dry hair then the steam function would be a great option. Honestly, I can’t fault this straightener. It does such a fantastic job even with the most minimal effort, it’s beautiful, great quality and has adjustable heat settings. It’s everything I could want in a straightener, and it easily rivals similar popular brands in performance and quality. Obsessed!

I had never used a Steam Straightener before so giving this one a go was definitely a different experience for me. My hair is naturally Wavy/Curly and quiet thick it can also tend to be very dull, and lacking that finesse touch, so having a great straightener has always been a must have for me especially as a ON THE GO MUM, needing that little bit of a boost occasionally to making me feel a bit glamourous very quickly.

My favourite quality about this straightener is it's Versatility. I did find it to be quiet straight forward and easy to use for a beginner, just plug in, attach to the water tank vessel (Making sure the tank is filled with water), place the straightener on to the holder and give it time to allow the steam to come through and away you go. Just making sure each time placing it back on to the stand to then refuel and be ready to re use again, simple!.

There is also that function you do not need to use the steam function and can use the standard straightening technique if need be and also has a detachable tank that you can you can fill instead of using the water stand, which I personally found to be handy for when I'm running late on doing errands.

The straightener has a adjustable comb that you can slide on or off depending on how it suits.I did find it to be more or a hassle for my hair style so I left the comb off.

Temperatures can range between 5 different heat settings, highest reaching up to 220 degrees which is perfect for me as I do like the higher heat setting option and find that it makes my hair much more silky smooth and giving it a healthier glow.

I love its very sleek and modern design, the wider iron plates suit my hair style and makes it much more faster to straighten, the colours are beautiful and very elegant,

I really think this straightener is Amazing and is definitely worth the investment as it's worked wonders on my hair providing a very sleek, smooth and silky finish to my hair including the use of steam which makes it very hydrating and provides much more health benefits compared to the standard straightening iron tools.

I was so excited to be chosen for this trial team - I was intrigued by the idea of stream straighteners. I have very long and very, very thick hair which doesn't stay straight for longer than 24 hours after being straightened with my usual straighteners.

My first impressions were that the VS Sassoon Steam Straight Brilliance were beautifully packaged, with lots of information to read through.

I opted to fill from the station rather than the on-unit reservoir. That seemed much more fiddly and who has the time when they want to crack into a new toy?!

The straighteners felt much more clumsy when I was using them, I love the wide plates but the whole appliance feels somewhat heavy and clunky. You do get used to it though!

I only had to run over each section once, and I was able to straightener much thicker/wider sections than I usually would.

The steam function didn't steam like I thought it would (I was picturing a steam iron, which thinking about it would be a bit gnarly around the face!) but it did feel / sound different than the steam function being off.

There's a good choice of temperatures, I went for my usual 220 deg and felt it the right choice for my hair.

I will admit that after use I was, not underwhelmed as such, just not wowed. My hair was straight, but no straighter than it usually would be. And then I woke up the next day and realized just how amazing this product is.

I plait my hair before bed into pigtails - when I woke up the day after using this my hair was still straight. Like actually straight, not a hint of a wave. This was the case on day 2 and day 3. On day 4 my hair began to wave after sleeping in plaits.

So in a nutshell, 1 faster-than-usual straightener session gave 3 days of poker straight hair! It's actually an amazing time saver and my hair feels incredible - soft, smooth and so, so shiny!

First of all, I have long, thick and very frizzy hair. So I was excited to try this new straightener! Let’s not even talk about the fact that the straightener I had been using was about 13 years old at this point! Aside from the excitement of having a brand new straightener to try, I’ve got to admit that I was sceptical of adding steam to my frizzy and hard to control hair, as normally any moisture or humidity will just make my hair super frizzy! First up, I found the straightener easy to use and the water refill station easy to use and set up. Once I’d dried my hair and added some heat protection spray to my hair, I tried out the straightener with the steam function. But the first time I used it I didn’t quite get the result that I was hoping for. I tried again the next day after washing and drying my hair and this time, I used it on the highest temperature, as my hair is very thick. That made all the difference! This straightener is definitely easy to use on long, thick hair as the plates are nice and big. But it’s still easy to use and not too bulky! I found that it didn’t dry my hair out like my GHDs do. It does add moisture while straightening and taking away the frizz. It doesn’t have the super sleek and super straight end result as the GHD but my hair looked in better condition after using this straightener. It’s noticeable that my hair looked healthier and not dried out after using this straightener. It’s absolutely better for my hair health and made my hair feel so soft instead of just straight and dry! It doesn’t take all the volume out of my hair and does make it look more natural but not frizzy, so that’s a win. Will I sometimes want to use it without the steam function to get that super straight and thinned out look, yes. But most of the time I see the benefit of the steam function as it’s a bit gentler on the hair. Overall it’s a really good straightener. I may have gotten too used to the effect the drying and damaging old GHDs had on my hair, but in the long run this is much better. Once I put a bit of hair product in my hair, the style held for a few days and still looked great with no frizz!

Thank you Beauty Review and VS Sassoon for affording me the opportunity to test this new straightener. What an amazing product!!!! I am absolutely in love with it.

Lovely black and gold design. The tank holds ample water and has suction caps to adhere to the surface so it doesnt move around. The transfer system for water is innovative, effective and easy to use. The reservoir holds quite a bit of water and goes a long way before you need to refill again.

With my usual straightener it takes me 30 to 45 minutes to fully straighten my thick, unruly hair. With this product, 15 minutes and all sorted.

I was worried that the steam/dampness will cause frizz but not the case at all. Love the fact that my hair is shiny afterwards and softer than ever before. My hair stays straight until my next wash which is also an added bonus.

I got compliments everywhere I go and I will be recommending this product to everyone I know. Worth every cent!!!

I was lucky enough to get this from the beauty vault. This has various temperatures though I wouldn't go higher than 180 degrees or you risk damaging your hair. It comes with a comb to help straighten your hair as you go but I found it just as easy without it.

This comes with a stand that holds water and you can fill the little reservoir attached to the iron. I did however find that this didn't always work so opted to use the pipette to fill it instead. For this reason I took off one kiss. The stands tank has to be emptied after each use to avoid scale buildup which I found to be a nuisance. The steam setting does really work at straightening your hair and does last longer than using it dry. The stand is good for resting the iron on without the worry of burning anything.

My hair is thick and shoulder length and the result was poker straight hair. This sits happily on my dresser :-)

Very excited to try these. So much so that I tried them on my daughters rogue hair first so I could see how good they really were from the back. It was nice being able to see the action unfold right in front of my eyes as if I usually straighten my hair its hard to do as well as see how well I have done at the back.

Being on one income, I have a cheap pair that has personally been seeing me through after the death of my good straighteners. If I ever wanted to do a good job I usually have to call in my mums.. but now I no longer have to. I have a good pair - and they are so pretty.

I think my favourite feature is the water reservoir stand that acts as a holder... this is hands down is one of my favourite features especially with kids around. I can set it on the stand in the bathroom or bedroom and know its not going to flop around, fall or move where my kids can touch it.

The heat is great its not burning hot and doesn't torch my hair to a crisp.. which might be because of the way it heats.. I feel like its steaming hair into place with a better heat - more like how a blow-out works, rather than baking the hair into place like my old straighteners.. I also don't get that burning hot smell and feel like the hair is too hot. So I think this is also why the look achieved is also more a glossy, soft, straight look than a clumpy, dry, straight look.. this achieves a very glossy mane.

Depending on the hair I left the comb attachment on or off.. so mine is wavy and fine and I left the comb on no issues. My daughters hair is curly, long and thick and I took the attachment off and used a normal comb as its quite thick to get through initially and then at the end I added it back on.

It also seems a lot less frizzy so I think the moisture might make it less static or something?? Somehow it holds the hair down much better - my current ones straighten but I have this halo of fly-aways that always need hairspray or a smoothing oil to weigh them down with this its very much smoother and glossier from the get go so I have had less fly away issues.

My fine hair also used a lower setting than my daughters thicker hair which is nice to have that control over... mine is still quite quick to straighten even at the lower setting which is nice to have that option so i'm not frying my hair as damaged enough from colouring etc.

Definitely a favourite new hair friend.

Thank you BR for the opportunity xx