There’s a blowout joint on every city corner, but wouldn’t it be nice to take matters into your own hands? Armed with these new DIY appliances and control products (and tips from a New York Fashion Week superstylist), you can easily mimic that fresh-from-the-salon look you’re after.
Expert at-home results boil down to four key steps: splashing-out on a high-tech pro dryer, prepping your tresses with the right products, locking in your style via that “cool shot” button you never use and spritzing a powerful but light hairspray.
First, nab the best dryer your budget will allow. According to Tim Moore, Ph.D., who leads a team of engineers for GHD tools, one hallmark of a superior dryer is a brushless AC motor. “They’re lightweight, but powerful,” Moore says. “It’s about pressure and flow-rate. When you turn a dryer on, you want to feel it really blasting your hand.”
Also important: nozzles with ultrathin openings. “The more blade-like,” says Moore, “the more professional the dryer.”
Two tricked-out numbers worth the investment: the extra-durable T3 PROi, backed by a four-year warranty, and the Rowenta Inspiration, which stops blowing the second you put it down. Both are crafted with tourmaline particles and emit infrared heat, reducing potential damage.
And about that damage: Stop it before it starts, first by shampooing and conditioning with heat-protecting brews (like Pureology Smooth Perfection), then slathering on a multitasking blowout cream. Laced with humectants and essential fatty acids, Oribe Imperial Blowout Transformative Styling Crème borrows from skin-care technology to plump strands, while Oscar Blandi Polish Blow Out Crème is formulated with lush floral ingredients.
New York salon owner and backstage ’do guru Rodney Cutler recommends toweling hair about 40 percent dry before applying prep products.
Now for the blast of hot air. If you’re after long-lasting volume, focus your efforts on “root direction” by gently lifting and angling with your brush. Want bouncy waves and curls? Use a round brush. (The buzzy, ball-shaped Twirler lets you style from any angle.) For sleeker looks and straight ends, opt for a paddle brush.
Just be sure to aim the nozzle down. “The hair cuticle is like a blade of grass,” says Cutler. “If you run the air the other way, it sits right up.”
Once you’ve dried a section, let it de-simmer while still woven through your brush. Or better yet, blast it with a cool shot.
After you’ve methodically worked your way through every last strand, take out an extra insurance policy by spritzing on a halo of weatherproofing. Redken Triple Take delivers a “tri-mist” spray from three separate actuators, and R+Co Foil Frizz + Static keeps those pesky flyaways at bay. After all, when you’ve toiled this hard for tress perfection, you want your look to last.
