There are few things in this world better than a fresh salon blowout (especially the ones that offer you free champagne while you're getting them), which is why it's so, so sad when it comes time to wash them out after two (OK, four) days. Luckily, though, there is a new way to make your blowout last longer.
As much as we all love and swear by dry shampoo/texturizing spray/baby powder, sometimes they simply don't do enough to refurbish a style that's fallen flat after a night out. They may help with the whole smelly and greasy thing, but we oftentimes need a little more oomph to keep our blowout looking #fly. Hairstylist Michael Duenas, who has been trusted with the enviable celebrity locks of everyone from Padma Lakshmi to Paula Abdul, has a secret weapon for making perfect hair last longer than the customary two days: a blow-dryer.
Duenas prefers the Conair 3Q blow-dryer, and uses it on his celebrity clients. "It's light, super quick and helps keep frizz at bay," he says. Really, though, any old blow-dryer with diffuser and concentrator attachments will work. Here are Duenas' top three tips for revitalizing a blowout with a blow-dryer, so you can keep your hair looking salon fresh for as long as humanly possible (or should I say, as long as socially acceptable).
Infiniti Pro By Conair 3Q Ionic Hair Dryer, $79.99, Target.com
Considering he's done the hair in two Beyoncé videos ("Grown Woman" and "Liquor," in case you were wondering), I would say he's worth listening to.
1. Lift Your Roots
Attach the diffuser to your blow-dryer, flip your head upside down, and heat your roots until they get warm. With your head still upside down, blast the roots with cold air until they've cooled off. Do this until you've heated and cooled all of your roots, then flip your hair back up and (in the words of T. Swift) shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off. This will add some serious va-va-voom to your 'do, and boost your root volume tremendously.
2. Add Volume All Over
Split your hair into sections (quarters or sixths, depending on the thickness and density of your hair) and blow dry one section at a time until warm. Using only the blow-dryer and your fingers, roll each warm section up to your scalp as if you were wrapping it around a large velcro roller, and secure them to your scalp with a long clip. Using a diffuser, heat your hair all over then blast it with cold air. Once it's cooled, take out the clips and shake it out.
3. Refresh Your Look Quickly
Using your fingers, stretch the root of your hair. With your dyer on high heat, lift the hair from your root to the middle of your shaft with your middle and pointer fingers to create tension (basically, hold it out straight up and away from your head). Following your fingers with the blow-dryer, use the concentrator to focus the air flow where you want it. Do this all over your head, you will get natural volume, all over quickly!
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