Y.S. Park Curl Shine Styler Super G Series: Hairbrush. 200 francs. Wait... what?
23.6.2020
The 200-franc hairbrush from Y.S. Park brushes your hair. What's the difference to the 20 francs brush and what does it do? Hairdresser Azaria explains and tests.
"That's complete bullshit. I would never work with that thing," says Azaria Carfora. The blue-haired woman is a hairdresser at the Zurich studio HaarRock and is holding a hairbrush in her hand. Not just any hairbrush, but the wooden brush 227×70 mm no. 66 GW0 from Y.S. Park, a manufacturer of brushes, combs, clips and furniture for hair care professionals.
In layman's terms, the thing looks like any other brush, except that the brush - officially named "Y.S. Park Curl Shine Styler Super G Series" by the manufacturer - cost around 200 francs when I ordered the test object.
Typically, the price has now dropped. As always, when you buy something expensive. Merci, Galaxus suppliers.
What you get for 200 or 125 Stutz
A brush arrives in a transparent box. The labelling on the box is bilingual: Japanese kanji and hiragana alternate with poor English.
Otherwise, the wood structure may happen to expand and end up with broken problem.
Otherwise, the wood structure may happen to expand and end up with broken problem.
And the brush also has something to do with Gemini. Okay, cool. The completely overloaded packaging has more text on it than the average iPhone instruction manual. But at least we now know that the brush is a "Stylist's [sic] Favourite!". Fortunately, however, the Swiss supplier has put a stop to the torrent of words from packaging designer Y.S. Parks by adding a sticker. It warns that the brush should be kept away from water. The English explains that the natural African wood from which the handle is made could deform when wet. The thing must also not come too close to the hairdryer, otherwise the plastic bristles will melt.
The bristle test
Two types of bristles are used on the Y.S. Park Curl Shine Styler Super G Series. There are polyamide pins and bristles. White boar bristles
"Boar bristles are good for the hair, not too coarse and do not charge the hair electrically," says Azaria. Boar bristles also degrease your hair better.
She grabs a pair of scissors and a lighter. "If you want to know if it's natural bristles or plastic, all you need is a lighter."
She cuts a bristle, lights it on fire
"Natural bristles disintegrate into ash and reek of burnt hair, artificial bristles clump together and reek of burnt plastic," she says. So if you're not sure whether your brush actually has natural bristles or not, you can test it this way.
Why the brush is "bullshit"
"Boar bristles are used because they don't charge the hair electrically," says Azaria, looking questioningly at the plastic bristles of Y.S. Park's brush. Because plastic bristles run the risk of making your hair stand on end due to electricity.
Or stick to your cheek.
The Y.S. Park Curl Shine Styler Super G Series may have great grip, curl the hair beautifully and fit extremely well in the hand, but at this point, the brush dies for Azaria as a tool on the job. Because after pulling the hair through a few times, the long blue hairs of the brush follow suit: static electricity. And if they don't stick to the brush, they stick to the cheek.
"That's bullshit. I would never work with that," she says.
Because her customers have expectations. Not just for the hairstyle. She can also conjure up a good hairstyle with or despite static electricity, no problem: "But when you're at the hairdresser, you want to relax. A hairdresser who gets on your nerves because of a brush is not relaxing," she says and laughs.
The professional's brush
The tool is at least as important to Azaria as the craft. Dull scissors make even the most skilful hands look incompetent. Poor brushes also make her hairstyle look amateurish despite her skilful hands. That's why, over the course of her career, she has collected tools that allow her to do the best possible job. When it comes to brushes, there is only one for her:
"I rely on my good old Alexandre," she says, pulling out a black brush from a small trolley. The brush looks used, only the hairs between the bristles are missing. She removes these after every customer. Part of the job.
"The Alexandre is not only cheaper, it feels at least as good in the hand and I'm not electric."
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