"We all love a good blowout, but time and money can get in the way of making it to our favorite salon. Luckily Jackie Welling of Little J Style and Alycia Crowley of Crowley Party have joined us to demonstrate a dry styling trick many of us professionals rely on (I’ve also included some of my expert pro tips, too!).
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These dry styling tips are a hair game changer and are pretty easy too—the key is effectively wielding a large barrel curling iron (I can assure you it’s all in the flick of the wrist) and arming your hair with the right products. Best of all, these tricks work great for either skipping a professional blowout or enhancing one that may have fallen flat.
It’s easier than you think! We’ll walk you through a faux blowout with these easy steps and a little extra professional advice along the way.
Let’s begin by building your trusty arsenal of expert tools to fake the perfect blowout. (These tools will work for all hair lengths, so shop without worry.)
BLOWOUT KIT SUPPLIES
- 2” Curling Iron—try this one by Hot Tools or this less expensive version by Conair
- Bed Head Superstar Blowdry Lotion
- Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave-In Spray
- Kenra Professional Volume Spray 25
- Redken Wind Blown O5 Dry Finishing Spray
Now onto the styling…
TIPS FOR LONG HAIR
BEFORE
It is best to start with hair that’s fully dry—clean or a little dirty work well. (Pro Tip: Hair that is one day old holds curl and volume best. Try washing your hair the day or night before).
The Pre-prep
On wet hair: Add a little extra volume for the “blowout” look by using a volumizing product when blowdrying your hair beforehand. For Jackie’s look, she applied Bed Head Superstar Blowdry Lotion all over her hair, followed with Bed Head Superstar Queen For A Day Thickening Spray on her roots, and used a blow drier to pre-dry her hair.
Dry Styling Steps
1. Clip the majority of your hair up, leaving a thin bottom layer of hair to begin a faux blowout look.
2. Spritz each section of hair with a heat protectant like Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave-In Spray before curling.
3. Take your time to get used to the 2” curling iron if you haven’t used it before. Get comfortable flicking your wrist slightly to achieve bend and curl in your hair.
4. Take a thin section and curl your hair bringing the iron close to your roots. Gently let the hair out of the curling iron.
Pro Tips:
- By curling the hair first in the opposite direction you’d like your hair to lay (curling strands upwards), then re-curling your hair in the direction you’d like it to lay (curly strands downwards, as shown below) your hair will have more lift at the roots and more bounce at the ends, similar to what you’d get from a professional stylist. This double curling technique will simulate the heat from a blowdrier, removing kinks and providing a polished professional look.
- For added volume at the roots, extra body, and freshness, try a dry shampoo like this one or this one (especially if your hair wasn’t washed on the same day!).
5. Spray each curled section with a firm hold hairspray. We used Kenra Volume Spray 25.
6. Repeat process through each section of hair.
7. On the top layer of hair, curl facing backward to create a little volume.
8. Continue with the rest of the top section, curling hair away from you each time.
9. Finish with an allover spritz of hairspray, then spray entire hairstyle with a finishing spray like Redken Wind Blown O5 Dry Finishing Spray.
AFTER
STYLING TIPS FOR SHORT HAIR
BEFORE
The Pre-prep
With Alycia, we are going to repeat the same steps as Jackie and using the same tools.
Pro Tip: If you hair is as short or shorter than Alycia’s and you feel odd using a large barrel curling iron—try a smaller curling wand like a 1 1/2 inch barrel then loosen your curls with a soft bristle brush to achieve the same desired look. Using a smaller wand may be easier if a 2″ inch curling iron feels too large or awkward.
Dry Styling Steps
1. Clip the majority of your hair up, so you have a thin bottom layer of hair to start with.
2. Before curling, spritz each section of hair with a heat protectant. We used Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave-In Spray.
3. Use a 2” curling iron (or smaller, should your locks and layers be short).
4. Using the curling iron, take a thin section of hair and curl the hair bringing the iron up as close as you can to the roots. Gently let the hair out of the curling iron.
Pro Tips:
- For short or fine hair, it’s helpful to dry hair with a thickening spray (like this one) beforehand or use volume powder (like this one) before styling with your iron. These products will create a thicker base for styling and provide a long lasting hold.
- Curling your hair twice (in essence, passing your hair through the barrel more than once) will provide a smoother, bouncier finish on shorter hair.
5. Again, spray curled section with a firm hold hairspray like Kenra Volume Spray 25.
6. Repeat process through each section of hair.
7. On the top layer, curl facing backward to create volume.
8. Continue with the rest of the top section and curl facing away from you each time.
9. Finish with an allover spritz of hairspray, then spray entire hairstyle with a finishing spray like Redken Wind Blown O5 Dry Finishing Spray.
AFTER
Now, try to convince your friends you didn’t just leave the salon—you did a “faux blowout” at home!
