Sultra Limited Edition The Wicked Gold Decadence 1" Iron Holiday 2011 Review

Looking for good gift ideas for the beauty addict in your life? Or even gift ideas for yourself... that's fine too. Behold the Sultra Limited Edition Wicked Gold Decadence iron. Now this is something that would make an amazing gift. If I had someone to give it to, I'd love to give this as a gift myself. No one I know uses a flat iron, otherwise I'd be seriously considering putting this little gold gem under the tree. It seems so glam and luxurious!

It's a Sultra The Wicked iron, but it's special because it's all shiny and golden.

The shiny gold bag included with the Wicked Gold Decadence is a heat-resistant iron clutch.



The thing that makes the Wicked different from other irons I've used is that it has no settings. Just an on/off switch. It heats to 375º, so all you need to do is turn it on.


When you flip the switch, a red light indicates that the power is on, but what's cool about this is that you'll also hear a little tone to alert you as well. As the iron reaches full temperature, the indicator light blinks and you hear another tone that lets you know it's ready to use. The sound it makes sounds like one of those Tamagotchi digi pets I had in the 90s. Highly amusing.

The Wicked Gold Decadence features "Kyocera® Ceramic Technology (provides 375°F heat), infrared rays that repair the hair while you style, rapid heat-up satisfies your need for immediate gratification, single pass technology" and the Sultra Standards:

• rapid heat up
• auto shut off safety feature
• durable, heat resistant, lightweight body
• 9 ft, no tangle swivel cord
• complimentary iron pad
• two year warranty

My hair is fine and thin and has an annoying half-wavy texture. Some parts are very wavy, some are completely straight, and it's not even all the way around. My hair is not difficult to straighten, but it does have a tendency to get very, very flat if I over-iron it.

This is my natural texture at the waviest part of my hair.


This is how it looks with one pass of the Wicked iron.

I've been using a Wicked iron (the pink one) for a few months, and the Gold Decadence seems to be exactly the same except for the color. So, after a good, thorough testing, here's what I think about the Sultra Wicked:

What I liked:

• It looks great on my bathroom counter.
• It straightens my hair in one pass.
• It doesn't pinch, snag, pull, burn or otherwise hurt my hair.
• Heats very quickly, lets you know it's ready with visual and audible indicators and retains heat well.
• Leaves my hair shiny, not fried or dry.
• It's less than half the price of my previous iron, the Hana Elite. It's also slightly less expensive than a comparable iron like the ghd 1" Classic, and about the same price as a T3 1" iron or a Chi 1" iron.
  
• Can be used as a curling iron, so it's a multi-tasker.
• It's smooth and easy to clean.

What I didn't like:

• Occasionally the iron would glitch out after powering on and continuously beep and not fully heat. Not sure what caused this, but turning it off, unplugging it and plugging it back in fixed the problem.
• It could be a little more gold. I'm serious! If it looked more foil-like and glossy like the bag that comes with it, it would be amazing.
  
• People with very thick hair may need a higher temperature than 375º to be able to straighten in one pass.
• It's not a solid gold telephone.
  
• Really having a hard time finding any flaws with this iron; it works extremely well for me and there's not actually anything I dislike about it.
  

Honestly, I think this iron is practically perfect. It straightens my hair in one pass. It only over-flattens my hair if I overdo it on styling product. 375º seems to be the perfect temperature for my hair because it straightens it quickly but doesn't sizzle or make my hair feel fried or dry or rough. It doesn't have any bells or whistles like the other irons I've used, but the price is right and it works. I would definitely pay $165 for one of these. I'm not crazy about the pink one, but if I had the choice, I'd buy the gold or the black without hesitation.

The Limited Edition Sultra Wicked Gold Decadence 1" Iron is available from Nordstrom or directly from Sultra.

(This was sent for review.)