The Burden of Truth: Review of the GIMME Beauty Hair Bands
There are so many “viral products” in cyber space that it is often difficult to know which products are actually worth it. I am a hard nut to crack, so I generally see a product hundreds of times before I finally GIVE in (like the Billie Razor). I am NOT short on hair, so I was super intrigued by the GIMME beauty hair bands.
What is the GIMME brand?
Gimme Beauty is a brand of hair accessories owned by the Durham Brands line of consumer products. The line contains products such as hair bands, scrunchies, headwraps, and more recently, brushes and shower caps. When I purchased the hair bands in August, they were not yet selling the hair brushes, headwraps, or shower caps. Therefore, I have not had a chance to try those products (but I have been thinking about it!).
What kind of hair bands do they have?
The hair bands come in several different fits for different hair types. There is a FINE hair band, the ANY (universal) hair band, the THICK hair band, and a LONG hair band. My hair is thick and long, but I wanted to try each of the bands so I could provide a comprehensive review. Luckily, GIMME sells a fitting kit that comes with each of the four hair band types. It is only $8. Since my order, they have also added an x-fine fit band to their lineup. It is not included in the fitting kit.
In addition to the fitting kit, I purchased a pack of thick fit bands (6 for $12) and a pack of long fit bands (6 for $12). I purchased these in black, but most of the bands have other colors available. The fine fit comes in a set of neutrals. The any fit comes in chestnut, neutrals, and blondie. The thick fit comes in choco (neutrals plus black and grey), chestnut, blondie, cover your basics (bold fall colors), beach, balance, electric (bright), berry, and rustic (rustic fall colors). The long fit comes in neutrals.
What are the hair bands like?
The fine fit hair band is the thinnest of the 4 bands in my pack. I was not sure if I would be able to use this band (hello, heavy hair), but it is perfect for half up styles. The universal band is the typical hair band size in width and also ability to stretch. This worked for me for low ponytail styles, but it does not hold my hair in a high ponytail. The fine fit and universal fit bands are perfect for children’s hair.
The long fit hair band is about the same width as the universal fit band, but OH MY GOODNESS the stretch. This hair band stretches SO MUCH. I can wrap it around my ponytail several times, which is rare. With a normal hair band I can only wrap it around twice (three times if it is really stretched out…which is not that useful for holding power).
My FAVORITE hair band is the thick fit hair band. It is much wider than the other bands, and has a different texture too. The other bands feel like stretchy elastic, whereas the thick fit band has a webbed, soft texture. It looks and feels like the ribbed cuff of a sweatshirt sleeve (weird description, but accurate!). I think this hair band would work for normal to thick hair types if you want a strong hold, a high ponytail, and/or the perfect high messy bun.
What’s the hype?
I saw the GIMME beauty hair bands advertised and promoted all over social media. I was most intrigued by the claims that they “stay in place”, “don’t pull out your hair”, and “don’t leave creases.” If you have EVER used a hair band, this sounds like the perfect recipe, right?
Are they worth it?
For me, YES, they are worth it. It is true that I have long and thick hair, and that might not be your hair profile. However, these hair bands provide so many benefits aside from just being suitable to hold up heavy hair. My favorite attribute is that they do not stretch out. The traditional hair ties are cheaper, but they stretch out after one or two wears and have to be tossed. I HATE reaching for hair band after hair band just to throw them away because they are stretched out.
Ok, I have two favorite attributes…these do NOT pull out my hair. I assume you know what it’s like to pull a hair band out of your hair (especially after a messy bun) and have your hair wrapped around it…ya know, hair that it pulled right out of your head! I LOVE that these bands do not pull hair out (they honestly look less gross too!).
Creasing
With regard to creasing, I can’t say that they 100% did not leave a mark in my hair. However, my hair is rarely ever all the way dry when I put it up. The two times they did leave a mark, I assume it was because my hair was not actually dry all the way.
Hold
As far as no slipping and hold, as I said above, some of the bands did not hold my hair, but that is because they were not designed for my hair type. The long and thick fit bands DO hold my hair the way they should. I do have to say that the thick fit band is much more comfortable than the long fit band. The long fit band wraps around so many times and is so secure that it is a little tight for my sensitive head.
Overall, I love the hair bands. I continuously reach for them day after day. I ended up using the four bands from the fit pack for the entire 4 months I have been using them. At first, I was not sure if I would use them so I wanted to save the other packs in case I wanted to gift them. I quickly realized that they were holding my hair and NOT stretching out, so I continued to use them and put them to the test. The website indicates that they retain elasticity for 6 months+, and SO FAR, SO GOOD!
Other Information
The hair bands can also be purchased on a subscription basis. If you subscribe, you save 20% on the hair bands. You can receive a delivery every 1, 2, 3, or 6 months.
The company has a rewards program where you can earn “Karma Bucks” for completing certain tasks and purchasing products.
You have thirty days from the date of purchase to return your purchase for a refund.
What products have you added to your cart, but still haven’t tried?
Katie G.