SICKA THAN AVERAGE

Zebras, basketball referee uniforms, nautical buoys, classic Adidas Superstar sneakers, Op Art pieces, harlequin clown uniforms, Beetlejuice's threads, barcodes, piano keys, Mod fashions… The list of objects, creatures, and icons bearing distinctive black-and-white stripes seems endless. For beauty junkies like myself, this age-old pattern instantly signifies Sephora, the largest cosmetics retailer in the nation, with over 20 store locations in New York City alone. After all, it's easy to spot a Sephora store thanks to the horizontal black-and-white stripes on the walls constituting its façade and covering the columns in its interior space.

Fittingly, then, hair styling tool company Amika chose this very same pattern when designing its limited-edition "I Love New York" Styler, available for $135 exclusively at Sephora stores and on Sephora.com. In addition to the horizontal black-and-white stripes covering its top surface, this professional styling tool features the phrase "I <3 New York" in clear and red crystals close to the hinged edge, atop one of the black stripes to give the crystals a bit more pop and make them worthy of a Broadway marquis. 

Like all of Amika's top-notch ceramic stylers, the Amika  "I Love New York" Styler features 100% ceramic plates that emit far-infrared heat, allowing you to create your ideal hairstyle while also protecting the hair cuticle from damage by sealing moisture in the hair shaft (thereby making this a much safer alternative than traditional flat irons and curling irons that wreak havoc on your tresses). The 1.25" floating plate design, meanwhile, offers you the opportunity to create a broader range of looks — from pin-straight 'dos to soft waves and loose curls. 

And, since time waits for no woman, the ceramic styler heats up to the desired temperature within 10 seconds, so that you can be out the door in record time. What's more New York than that type of efficiency?