Axe and BaByliss in the Bathroom
BaByliss PRO Nano Titanium hair dryers are made with titanium, making the hair dryer lighter while still being very sturdy. This hair dryer series is part of the trend towards emitting “negative ions”. Most dryers emit positive ions and that is supposedly one of the causes of frizzy hair. The main other innovation is that they dry hair more quickly than many other dryers, reducing your hair’s exposure to damaging high heat.
We looked at both the sexily-named BABNT052 and the BABNT052T. Though both of them seem ideal for traveling because of their slight size and light weight, the BABNT052T is intended specifically for travelers (hence the “T”). Both include a pistol grip handle, but the BABNT052 has a cool shot button, while the traveling version instead has a foldable handle, making it more compact. Both contain a detachable filter on the back, but the traveling one also has a plastic “stand”, providing a barrier between you and the water you have splashed on the hotel counter. Both dryers also have just two settings — high and low.
The design is simple, but clearly a good amount of thought was put into the details. Though the smaller size allows more space in your already crowded bathroom, it also means that it dries a smaller surface area of hair, making it a slightly more tedious process. These small devices don’t come with a lot of attachments, so if you wanted a diffuser in addition to your concentrator, you’ll need to spend a bit extra. And the easy-travel capability we liked more than the “cool shot” function. The BaByliss PRO Nano Titanium hairdryers sell for around $30 each, and are widely available online.
We’ve also been testing out Axe’s new line of men’s hair care products. And while we had quite a bit to say about the hair dryer, there is much less to tell about the shampoos, conditioners, and pomades from Axe. The male staff here offered up their scalps, sensitive and not, but to no great effect. The anti-dandruff “Armor” seemed to work well, but the conditioner “Lure” didn’t impart much of the claimed softness, and the de-poof “Construct” shampoo smelled unattractive to 4 of the 5 people we asked. Further, the outlandish colors and over-masculine packaging, and the oddly difficult-to-open lids with their non-obvious button dimmed some initial enthusiasm. Certainly, they work alright. But even compared with some other Axe products, these don’t make the grade, and just are not anything special. $6, available widely.
