6 Steps to Give Yourself the Perfect Blowout

Cancel your stylist appointment and reclaim your weekends: you're about to learn how to do your own blowouts. That's right, it is actually possible to blow dry your own hair in a way that at least approximates the look you have emerging from a salon, without sucking up an hour of your day each day. Thankfully, all you need is a couple of tools and some tips from the pros:

Dry Before You Blow Dry

A trick the experts use is to get the most moisture out of your hair before you begin to blow dry. Always apply blow dryer heat to hair that's damp, not sopping wet. If you do it when the hair is wet, it will dry your hair out.

MHD Professional Hair Dryer, $39.99, Amazon

Do Not Wrap

Randi Peterson, a hairstylist who has worked with celebs like Aubrey Plaza, Mariah Carey and Sarah Hyland, says the trick to keeping your hair smooth once you’re out of the shower is not to wrap your hair up in a towel. “Instead, blot your hair with it from scalp to ends,” she says.

Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel, $17.99, Amazon

Ditch the Towel

If you are partial to keeping your hair off your face while you get ready or do your makeup, though, beauty vlogger Michelle Phan suggests swapping your towel turban for an old t-shirt. “The smoothness of a tee causes less friction… and therefore less frizziness,” she explains. “This trick works especially well for curly-haired girls, because a t-shirt won’t mess up your natural curl pattern like a towel does.”

Russell Athletic Men's Cotton T-Shirt, $6.50, Amazon

Always Add A Product

We all know that a heat protectant is necessary when applying a blow dryer or any hot tool, but when having a professional blow out done, it’s always the additional products your stylist uses that make the difference. “My secret move is combining a volumizing spray and lightweight gel,” says NYC stylist Jonathan Mason, known for his work for Cosmopolitan, Elle Italia and Nylon. “Work these from roots to ends on towel dried hair before blow drying. This trick will work wonders for adding height and hold to see the whole day through.” We love Paul Mitchell’s Volumizing Spray and Matrix’s Vavoom Body Forming Gel.

Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Daily Boost Spray, $10.78, Amazon

Matrix Vavoom Body Forming Gel, $21.99, Amazon

Choose The Right Brush And Tools

But having the correct tools for your hair type also means the difference between an average style that drops mid-afternoon and a blow out that lasts for days.

The experts point to an ionic dryer as your best choice. The technology has the ability to dry hair super-quickly but maintain shine and softness. According to hairstylist Natasha Leibel (who’s tended to the Victoria’s Secret angels, plus Kendall and Kylie Jenner) drying with the nozzle attached to your dryer is essential for directly the airflow down your hair shaft, thereby avoiding frizz. “Finishing every blow dry with a minute of cool air will also help you lock in your style and shine,” she says.

Also know which brush should be used for your hair type. “A good quality boar bristle brush is best for curly or textured hair to help hold tension on your roots for a smooth finish,” says Mason. “For fine hair, a thermal styling brush works perfectly for adding volume with its high heat retention.”

CHI Professional Ionic Hair Dryer, $69.99, Amazon

GranNaturals Boar Bristle Paddle Brush, $12.49, Amazon

Olivia Garden Ceramic and Ionic Thermal Brush, $14, Amazon

Try Some Easy Waves

If you’re a regular salon visitor, you’ve seen a stylist add pin curls to your own or another client’s hair. It’s simple to master yourself, once you’ve had some practise. “Pin curling each two inch section after you’ve finished drying it will help with achieving volume and longevity for your blow out,” says Leibel.

However, If you’ve got a lot of hair, and your blowout takes you forever, Mason offers another option. “I never like to dry hair completely. Leave it slightly damp and divide into five sections – top, left, back left, right and back right,” he explains. “Pin curl each of these five sections and allow to dry.” Spritz with hairspray and finish by removing the pins and finger combing gently for relaxed, natural waves.

Diane Double Prong Clips, $5.99, Amazon

Tresemme Extra Hold Hair Spray, $4.69, Amazon