How To: Achieve A Salon-Quality Blowdry At Home

Nothing makes you feel (*insert 100 emoji*) quite like walking out of the salon with a fresh blow out, but at home, blow-drying feels like the ultimate beauty chore. It doesn’t have to – arm yourself with a little know-how and the right tools, and you’ll be creating a salon quality blow dry in no time.

We tapped experts from the country’s top salons for their top tips on how to up your blow dry game.

THE PREP

According to Rodney Wayne’s Richard Kavanagh, your blow dry starts with your shampoo and conditioner. “Choose a professional quality shampoo and conditioner recommended by your stylist, that suits your hair and the season,” he says. Your hair needs change a lot depending on the season, so Richard recommends asking your stylist if your routine needs a switch up during every salon visit.

If you forget everything else from this article, remember this: before you pick up the blow dryer, applying heat styling product is a must. Not only will these ensure your hair is primed for blow drying, but will offer a level of heat protection, too, Richard explains. “If you want to add volume, choose a lightweight, volumizing product. If you want to decrease volume choose a heavier creamy product or oil,” he says.

According to Servilles Newmarket Manager, Olivia Davies, and Servilles Takapuna Manager, Emma Bleackley, applying a volume product to the roots beforehand will help to add extra lift. 

THE BLOW DRY

When it comes to hairdryers, big is always better. Look for a high-powered, lightweight professional hairdryer to speed up drying time, and make your hair look great. “Flip your head forward and blast dry until your hair is about 50% dry,” says Mana Dave from BLAZE. “Then flip upright and use a boar bristle paddle brush to reduce flyaways and polish the hair,” he explains. “To create more lift at the scalp area, elevate the hair directly upward away from your scalp.” The golden rule here: the more lift at your scalp, the more lift in your blow dry. And to finish? Mana recommends using a sectioning clip to help work through each section with ease.

Investing in good brushes will make a world of difference to your blow dry. Olivia and Emma advise using two brushes throughout your blow dry, a good paddle brush to stretch and add volume to the roots, as well as a mid-size round brush to finish and smooth the ends. Generally, ceramic brushes with nylon bristles help create more curl and bend, says Richard.

THE TEXTURE

When your locks are completely dry, it’s time to create soft waves to finish your look. The easiest way to achieve this is with a conical styling wand, says Mana, widest near the handle and narrow at the end. But before you start, you’ll need to add extra hold or control and another level of heat protection. “You’re going to mist each section lightly (section by section as you work) with product before you apply the heat styling tool,” Richard says.

Grab your styling wand and start wrapping sections of hair away from your face. “It will open up your face area and create a much softer look,” Mana says. “Keep the wave starting on the sides of your head, to create a drop wave… this keeps the texture looking on trend. Take large vertical sections to create a soft wave, and wrap down the length of the wand holding the handle in one hand, and the tip of the hair with the other hand.”

THE HOLD

To finish, loosely rake your open fingers through your hair to break up any tighter curls. Flip your hair upside down and spray with hairspray to give long-lasting hold. Richard recommends matte pastes, creams and sea salt spray if you’re after a lived-in, rock-n-roll texture, oils and serums for shine and smoothness, or hairspray to hold the style in shape, as well as locking out humidity.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
Bio Ionic Blue Wave Brush
Joico Heat Set Blowout Perfecting Crème
Evo Bruce 28 Natural Bristle Radial Brush
Evo Root Canal Volumising Salt Spray
Goldwell Stylesign Just Smooth Protect & Shine Spray
Goldwell Kerasilk Repower Volume Blow-Dry Spray
KMS Therma Shape Quick Blow Dry
Redken Diamond Oil Glow Dry Gloss Shampoo
Redken Diamond Oil Glow Dry Detangling Conditioner
Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer
Redken Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray
Davines Your Hair Assistant Prep Mild Cream
Davines Your Hair Assistant Prep Rich Balm