This Straightening Brush Has Totally Changed My Beauty Routine

The hype is real.

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I'm Hannah — and I straighten my hair almost every single day.

Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

It's basically become as much of a part of my morning routine as brushing my teeth or walking my dog.

And I've done this since middle school. Here's a photo of me in seventh grade. The first thing you will notice (besides my family's very cute puppy), is that my hair is a bit ~crazy~.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

My hair is naturally wavy...but not in that cute, beach-waves kinda way. It often dries to be pretty frizzy, especially in the summer, which is why I usually pull it up into a messy bun or into a braid.

My straightener of choice has always been the CHI Original Ceramic Iron. But recently, I decided to give another straightening tool a go — the Amika Polished Perfection Straightening Brush.

The Amika brush initially caught my eye because it had such amazing reviews on Sephora.

Sephora / Via sephora.com, Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

They were pretty much unanimous: Buyers were skeptical at first, but then they were blown away by how well the brush worked.

The Amika is a brush that heats up to 450°F, and as you glide it through your hair, it smoothes and straightens, tames fly-aways, and maintains volume. The kicker? It costs $120.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

I know. :/ And while there aren't many beauty products I spend a lot of money on, finding a really reliable straightening product that will work for a long time is worth shelling out the extra bucks, IMO. I've tried affordable straightening irons in the $50-60 range before, but I find they're just not the same as competing products that are slightly more expensive. I've had cheaper models completely stop working after just a few months, and I end up spending more just to buy a replacement anyway.

Here's how it works:

First, let your hair dry.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

You could blow-dry your hair or let it air-dry, but just make sure it's dry! Putting any hot straightening appliance on wet hair could totally fry it.

Then, select your preferred temperature and start brushing.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

I just plug in the Amika and let it heat up to 450°F while I get dressed for work. The temperature rises in 50-degree intervals so you can set it to whatever works best for your hair type. The flat part of the brush gets hot, but the bristles don't. As you glide the brush slowly from your roots to the tip of your hair, it acts the same as a flat iron would.

My verdict, after a ton of uses? I think I've found my new favorite beauty appliance.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

The Amika brush left my hair smooth and silky, but it still had some volume, which I like compared to the pin-straight hair I get from my straightening iron. Also, the Amika felt much more gentle on my hair than my straightening iron, which — while it gets the job done — can sometimes feel like it's burning my hair.

Also important: Using this brush was a much faster process than using my flat iron. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to straighten my whole head with an iron, but with this, it only took about half that time to become straight and frizz-free. (Obviously, if you have super curly or thick hair, it might take you a bit longer — but again, the fact that it cut my routine in half was a big plus for me.)

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Here's who I'd recommend this product to:

• People who want to straighten their hair while still maintaining volume. I can't guarantee that this product will work the same way for people with very curly hair, but I can say that for those with wavy or frizzy hair like mine, the Amika was perfect. Especially because it straightened, but still left volume at the roots. (Which straighteners, in my experience, don't often do.)

• People in search of a new daily straightening appliance. Finding the right flat iron or heated brush is tough, and it often takes some trial and error. For me, the Amika totally lived up to its promises.

• People who don't mind the price tag. As a person who has tried many straightening irons, I know these appliances aren't always cheap. But if you're looking for a high-quality product that won't fall apart after a couple months of use, this is a great one to consider.

Get the Amika Polished Perfection Straightening Brush from Sephora for $120.