SwirliDo or SwirliDon't?

A few months ago I contacted Lindo, makers of the Lindo Twist-n-Roll Tweezers, about obtaining their product for review (click here for my full review of the Twist-n-Roll Tweezers). After I wrote that review, the folks at Lindo asked me if I'd like to receive another one of their beauty products for review, and that is when I first became acquainted with SwirliDo Hair Ties.

When I received the samples, I have to admit that my first thought was, "These look like little telephone cords!" But the fun colors and the idea of using something other than my usual ponytail holders made me want to seriously give these a try.

The set of SwirliDos above is the "Neutral Colors" collection, however I also received the "Hawaii Colors" collection, of which my 2-yr-old niece quickly claimed ownership (in addition to putting them in her hair, I discovered that she also likes to wear SwirliDos as bracelets and anklets. :) SwirliDos also come in "Jelly Colors" and "Caribbean Colors". The regular retail price is $9.99 per set of eight, but they are currently on sale for $6.99 per set.

As you can see in the images above, SwirliDos make a lot of claims. No ponytail lines, no headaches, a tight hold and smooth removal. So, did they live up to their claims? For me, I'd say they lived up to three of the four.

First off, application is a breeze. If you know how to put on a regular rubber-band-type of ponytail holder, you can put a SwirliDo in your hair. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see that you can get a uniform look when you wear a SwirliDo. I was afraid that when I put one in my hair, it was going to look like a tangled telephone cord, but it actually looked more like this:

And if you wrap it more tightly, you can get an even cleaner look, like this:

So here are my thoughts after using this in both my niece's hair, and my own hair, for about two weeks:

1) Tight hold: CHECK! I am the type of person who likes a very tight ponytail with no chance of loosening up through the course of the day. So I was very pleased to discover that these hair ties hold the hair tightly and they definitely stay put. Also, I love that I can push these to the limit and go around my ponytail three or even four times without the fear of "snap". If you use traditional ponytail holders, you know that if you wrap your hair just one more time, sometimes the rubber band will snap and you're out of luck. With SwirliDos, this is way less likely to happen because they're made of coiled plastic, not rubber or cloth.

2) No ponytail lines: NO! I'm afraid that these did leave a slight dent in my hair, as well as my niece's, after a few hours of wear, so this is the one area in which SwirliDos failed me.

3) Easy removal: CHECK! These babies glide off the hair pretty darn easily, I am happy to report.

4) No headaches: CHECK! I am a person who gets a headache almost every time I wear my hair in a ponytail. I owe a lot of this to the fact that, like I mentioned earlier, I like my ponytails very tight. But I think that the problem with traditional ponytail holders is that they tend to pull the hair inconsistently. In my experience, I always tend to get a headache on one certain spot on my head, which means that the hair is being pulled tighter there than at other points on my head. But with SwirliDos, the tension seems to be distributed much more evenly, and I haven't gotten a headache once while wearing them. SwirliDos feel extremely comfortable to wear when compared to my usual ponytail holders.

A few more thoughts about SwirliDos: If you purchase a set, keep the packaging! After you use a SwirliDo, you'll notice that it will look stretched out. So I started to put my SwirliDos back in their original packaging when I'm not using them, and I swear it makes them go right back to their original shape. If you keep them in the packaging, they'll be good as new every single time you use them. Lastly, another great thing about these hair ties is that you can wash them with ease if they get dirty. A quick rinse under water and they'll look clean again (which is more than I can say about traditional ponytail holders).

Do you already own SwirliDos? If not, would you consider ordering some? What do you currently use when you wear your hair in a ponytail? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.