InstagramYou know that top-of-the-world feeling you get when you leave the salon right after a professional blowout? Yeah, us too.
It's true, few things make you feel as fierce as a smooth-as-silk blowout courtesy of your mane tamer. Sadly though, that voluminous ‘do, try as we might, is just not easily recreated at home. So what gives?
To get to the bottom of what we're doing wrong under our own supervision, we tapped celeb stylist Florido Basallo to walk us through it. If you're ready to swap sub-par, lackluster blowouts for a celeb-status style worthy of Shay Mitchell (whose hair here comes courtesy of hairstylist Chad Wood), Lauren Conrad and other celebs, read on.
Protect Damp Strands: "Before blowing your hair out, it's best to prep the hair with great products for a couple reasons; to protect the hair from the heat and to add extra volume to your sexy blowout," shared the pro. The celeb stylist likes to go in on damp hair with an all-over spritz of Unite's 7 Seconds Leave In Detangler that serves a dual purpose of detangling and preventing fried ends. Another must-use product is Oribe's Split End Seal, which Florido uses before and after blowouts to keep ends hydrated.
Lift at the Roots: It's important to remember that the how part of drying your hair will determine the voluminous, but still sleek, look that you're after. "I like to dry the roots first by flipping the hair over…to give it more volume," noted the pro. Florido next sprays Unite's Boosta into damp roots for lift. Once the roots are heat dried upside down for that extra volume, the pro's rule of thumb is to continue drying the rest of damp strands in sections that are separated to match the width of your brush.
It's All About That Round Brush: For your brush, Florido recommended a ceramic round brush, his favorite being by Cricket. "Their friction-free brush almost doubles as a curling iron if you heat up and smooth the hair, and then, with hair in the brush, hit it with cool air before letting the hair go," shared the pro.
Make It Sleek and Smooth: Once roots have been blasted, the pro instructed to smooth hair by following your round brush from roots to ends. His best tip for sleek strands? "Pull the hair down gently with tension so that you really work the hair and smooth it down," elaborated the stylist. Additionally, to cut drying time in half and to boost shine, Florido's go-to gadget is the T3 PROi Professional Hair Dryer.
Use Nozzle Attachments Accordingly: As for those tricky nozzle attachments, it depends on personal preference, noted Florido. If you want to accentuate curly texture, use the diffuser attachment. "I like using the thin nozzle to smooth the hair out and style with volume, (but) use whatever is easiest for you, nozzle or not," advised the stylist.
Let Your Hair Cool: Letting your hair cool after you blow it dry will ensure that the style lasts. For just the right amount of volume, Florido recommended using an old-school Velcro roller in a clip or just a good, old-fashioned round brush to set the style. "You don't necessarily need to put your whole head in rollers, I normally do two at the crown of the head rolling it towards the back," advised the expert.
Set the Look: Once you've let hair cool in the rollers or round brush, it's crucial to use a setting product to keep the style silky and in place. "After you're done blowing it out, Oribe's Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray is great for locking the frizz out, and protecting your sleek blowout," said the mane expert as a final note.