How to do a blowout at home in just 10 minutes

In the same way that a capsule wardrobe takes much of the guesswork out of getting dressed in the morning, I've been honing in on a beauty routine that is consistent and not too time consuming.  While some night I go to bed with braids and others I'm perfectly fine to let my hair air dry, once a week I like taking the time to properly blowout my hair and add casual waves that can get me through the next day or two. Because of the cost and time it takes to do a salon blowout, a lot of people think they're going to be time consuming or difficult, but the opposite is true! I can complete this entire at-home blowout process in 10 minutes. Keep reading for the full step by step and the best blowout products I love for keeping it simple...

The Best Blowout Products for an At-Home Blow Dry:

Since hair types vary, there is no one product that is going to work well for everyone. Start by defining the characteristics of your hair. Mine is stick straight with no body or wave so I like products that provide heat protection and give texture and fullness without weighing it down. I polled some of friends with thicker, curlier and more textured hair to get their insider favorite products for a blow dry, too.

Best Blowout Products for Fine Hair:

The two products I use after every shampoo are Aveda Pure Abundance and Aveda Brilliant Damage Control.  The Pure Abundance adds volume and texture without weighing my hair down. The Damage Control is great for protecting hair from breaking while blow drying or styling with a hot iron. 

Best Blowout Products for Curly or Textured Hair:

I did a quick fire round of texting with friends to find out who had a cult-favorite product they swore by and it didn't take long before the responses began rolling in. "This product (the Virtue 6-in-1 Styler) has made a bigger difference than anything else in how I feel about my hair!" one friend wrote. Another friend swears that DevaCurl Frizz-Free Volume Foam makes her curls "so bouncy and not frizzy at all". While it's not a styling product, two friends said that Briogeo's Curl Charisma Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner has been a game changer.

Best Blow Dryers:

The main thing to know about blow dryers is that more expensive blow dryers have more expensive technology that can generate a gentler heat that is less likely to damage your hair. They also tend to last many years longer than their cheaper counterparts. One other way to protect your hair is to look for blow dryers that have heat settings. You don't have to turn it up to full heat and using a less heat will protect your hair from unnecessary damage. Always look for hair dryer with directional heat. One big open ended spray of hot air will just leave you frizzy. 

From all of the reviews we have read, the absolute best hair dryer you can buy in 2021 is the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. The Dyson uses technology to detect when the temperature of your hair has reached a point where it could cause damage and immediately cools it down. It is also powered by a digital V9 fan for extremely fast drying. 

At a tenth of the price of the Dyson, for a more budget-friendly buy, I love the Infiniti Pro Gold by Conair. It uses Ion and Ceramic technology as well as 3 heat settings to protect hair when you blow dry. 

How to Blow Dry Your Hair at Home - A Step by Step

Step 1: As soon as you get out of the shower with wet hair, spray a lightweight detangler generously from roots to ends.  This one is great for most hair types. It's light, doesn't weigh down your hair, and makes detangling easy. Brushing through tangly, wet hair is one of the main causes of damage.This product smoothes, strengthens and softens – giving you improved strength, smoothness and shine.  Plus, it has UV protection making it perfect for those summers when you're beachside or lounging by the pool.  Next, add a volumizing spray like this one, at the roots and down the length of the hair a few inches. 

Step 2: Brush through your hair with a paddle brush. This step is dual-purpose. You'll want to get the tangles out, but it also ensures that the product gets evenly distributed in your hair. After this step I'll normally walk away and complete some other task for five minutes, allowing my hair to air dry on it's own just a little. 

Step 3: To begin your blowout, flip your head upside down and blow dry until your hair is about 80% dry. Blow drying it upside down will help to add volume. At a salon, they would likely partition off each section of hair and meticulously blow dry each one, but that's really not necessary for the same great effect. 

Step 4: Using some salon clips, section off your hair and begin blow drying using a ceramic coated round brush. When the brush is closest to the root, pull up on the brush and blow dry from underneath for added volume. Finish with the crown of your head and pieces framing your face. Play with the round brush and how you pull it out of your hair. You can turn it more vertically for a straight or wavy look and keep horizontal for a look that's slightly curled under or flipped out.

Step 5: If your hair tends to be frizzy, finish with a small amount of the Ouai Finishing Creme. It tames fly aways and frizz without weighing your hair down and adds shine. The finer your hair, the less you will need. 

If you want a straight hair look, then you're done! I usually like to go in and add some relaxed waves for added texture and finish with the lightweight hairspray like this one. 

 

Want to make your blowout last an extra day or two? This is my favorite dry-shampoo. 

Photography by Katie Jameson