The humble hair dryer (along with a few of its friends), transforms your hair from ‘just fine’ to FABULOUS thanks to the power of heat and air. From smooth and straight to textured and voluminous, your hair dryer is a foundational element for constructing great looking hair - and by employing a few salon techniques and taking a little extra time, A-class hair can be your everyday look!
Key styling tools
- Hairdryer- ideally with a diffuser and concentrator nozzle attachment
- Curling iron
- Straightening iron
- Round brush
- Paddle brush
- Wide tooth comb
- Volumising mousse
- Hairspray
- Sectioning clips
- Hairpins/curl clips
Dishevelled beach-babe
- Run a small handful of volumising mousse through your hair (from roots to ends), making sure it’s evenly distributed (you can use a wide tooth comb to do this).
- Using the diffuser attachment with your hairdryer on a medium heat and airflow lift sections of hair and place them in the diffuser, gently scrunching your hair until it’s about 80% dry (for extra lift, chuck your hair upside down to dry).
- Finish off by drying the roots, holding the hairdryer close to your head and twisting the diffuser in circular motions.
- Add a spritz of hair spray and a few final scrunches to complete a cool ‘undone’ look.
Tip: A diffuser distributes a consistent airflow so that your hair dries evenly and creates additional volume.
Straight and sleek strands
- Blow-dry your hair until it’s a little more than towel dry.
- Divide and clip your hair into sections (consider where you want your hair parting and section accordingly).
- Using the concentrator nozzle attachment and starting with the underneath sections, dry your hair using a round brush.
- Starting at the roots, follow your brush with the dryer to the ends continually brushing each section before moving on to the next.
- Once your hair is dry, re-section your hair and use straightening irons for an extra slick finish.
- Hairspray to set your style in place.
Tip: A concentrator nozzle attachment directly targets air, drying your hair faster and smoother (not to mention making brushing easier!).
Voluminous waves
- Blow-dry your hair until it’s a little more than towel dry.
- Run a small handful of volumising mousse through your hair (from roots to ends).
- Divide and clip your hair into sections
- Starting with the underneath sections, dry your locks using a round brush to roll your hair from the ends to the roots (similar to how you would use rollers).
- Work the brush upwards and away from your head or curl under and towards your head, holding and drying for a few seconds before releasing (try not to play with each section at this stage).
- Use your hairdryer’s cool setting, to give your hair a final blast to set the style.
- Run your fingers through your locks to loosen and lift the look.
Alternative: Consider using rollers for added volume. Roll and secure sections of your hair in rollers (the bigger the rollers the bigger the volume), blow wave your hair dry and use a paddle brush to blend the sections.
Elegant swirls of curls
- Roughly blow-dry your hair.
- Divide and clip your hair into sections.
- Using a curling iron, roll your hair up the wand from the ends to the roots and hold for a few seconds.
- Carefully unravel each curl and use curl clips or hairpins to clip the curls in place.
- Once your head is full of little curls, unravel and brush through your hair using a paddle brush.
- Set your style with hairspray.
