Happy Thursday guys! I just got home from account meetings in Pennsylvania this afternoon. It was a productive trip but two days away from Juliana was tough; my trips are usually just over 24 hours so this one felt long. With a customer conference starting at 7:30am (ya’ll get this–breakfast was 6:30-7:30…I’m not big on skipping meals, but sleep wins in cases like this!) I was extra pressed for time. Luckily I’ve honed my makeup routine to under five minutes and have a blow dry method that takes about the same.
Before going into a step-by-step, I want to say that learning to dry my hair correctly and efficiently took a little time, research and practice to master. Some of the things I read were helpful and some weren’t. If you’ve struggled to style your hair when blowing it out, know this is very common (and the reason blow dry bars charge $40). I’ve found there are a couple key things, bolded below, that make the difference between a decent dry job and a bombshell blow out.
Step One: Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo like this and follow up with a highly moisturizing conditioner. Clarifying shampoo raises the cuticles, making hair better able to absorb moisture from the conditioner. Once a week, use a mask in place of conditioner. There are lots of great options in various price ranges (my favorite budget one here, mid-price one here and splurge here). The directions will usually say to leave in for five minutes, but ten to fifteen is ideal. I put the mask in and clip my hair up, then wash my face, shave, etc. before washing it out.
Step Two: Comb your hair and while still soaking wet follow up with a silicone defrizzer, focusing on the lower half and avoiding the roots. I love this one because it doubles as a heat protectant. Less is more with this stuff; squeeze a small pump into your palm, rub your hands together, and lightly gloss over hair.
Step Three: Let your hair air dry until about 65% dry. If you have to be somewhere soon, grab Bounty paper towels and blot your hair dry. Paper towels are much more absorbent than regular towels, but more importantly they don’t “rough up” your hair (raise the cuticle), adding frizz the way a regular towel does.
Step Four: Spray your roots with a volumizing salt spray, then proceed to blow dry. The brush and dryer you use make all the difference. If there is one styling tool to invest in, it’s a blow dryer. A quality one makes a huge difference not only with eliminating frizz/adding shine but also in reducing drying time. When shopping, look for an ionic blow dryer with ceramic or tourmaline. An ionic dryer produces negative ions that surround your hair, cutting frizz and pulling the water out faster. I’ve had this one for four years and absolutely love it! When drying, make sure to use the nozzle attachment to direct heat properly. As far as what round brush to use, I’ve found a tourmaline brush with a hollow center is best for quick drying and added shine. Heat essentially turns a metal brush into a loose curling wand–perfect for adding bombshell waves to your blow out. To blow dry, grab a section of hair the size that fits on the brush. Put the brush in at the root, then pull it down to the ends and start to dry as you roll it back up, concentrating from roots to halfway down. Start to unroll the brush back to the ends, twisting as you pull it out. This creates a spiral curl:
(As you guys can tell, that’s someone else, not me in this picture :).)
If your hair is naturally curly and/or frizzy, maintain tension with the brush the whole time heat is on it. If you lose your brush’s grip, direct the dryer away for a second until you can regain that tension. Section by section, dry the rest of your hair. Tip: start with face-framing sections in the front; your arms may be tired by the time you get to the back and this way your effort is where it matters most.
Step Five: When done, run a Mason-Pearson style brush through your hair and style with fingers as needed. Take a tiny pump of shine serum in your palm, rub hands together, and lightly feather into hair. A little goes a long way; to make your blowout last three days, go lightly on product so it doesn’t weigh your hair down.
And there you have it! My five step, five minute blow out. It may take a couple times to perfect, but learning to blow your hair out is like learning to ride a bike–once it clicks, it’s a skill you’ve got your whole life 🙂
XOXO,
Terra