Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this after a failed experiment with the BeDazzler - my poor niece was so excited to bling out her wardrobe, but even I couldn't make the BeDazzler work :( So, I shipped it back to Amazon and ordered this, instead. It's pretty basic - just the hotfix tool, three rhinestone tips and three stud tips, and a cheap metal stand - but it gets the job done well. It took us 30 seconds to set it up and start adhering rhinestones to stuff. In less than an hour, we blinged out a dress, a t-shirt and two pairs of sneakers. After showing my 9-year-old niece how to use is and reinforcing never to touch the copper tip, I let her have a go. She successfully "crystallized" a handful of hairbows in less than 20 minutes with little help from me. She was thrilled with the results and declared me the best aunt ever - score! I loved it so much, I promptly ordered a second one for myself. The best part? Two of these + the hotfix crystals I ordered still cost less than one BeDazzler. I've ordered the Swarovski hotfix crystals and the Thread Art-brand crystals. The Swarovski crystals are notably prettier and have more sparkle, but the Thread Art ones are nice and a half the price for a helluva lot more bling. I haven't tried the Darice brand rhinestones, but the tool works equally well with the other two brands. I have noticed that when using the Thread Art crystals, I have to use tweezers to release the stone every 4-5th time. This is pretty easy to do; I watched a YouTube video to learn the technique. This seems more like a flaw on the part of the crystal than the hotfix tool, though. I've never used a hotfix applicator tool before and I was able to bling out 1/3 of my wardrobe within minutes of opening the package. If I - and my 9-year-old niece - can do this, just about anyone can!