how to blowout your own hair

I pretty much accepted that my hair would always be a bit frizzy and that I will probably never star in a Pantene commercial. However, the first time my hairdresser ever did a blowout, I was shocked. Maybe that glossy, Hollywood style hair wasn’t as unachievable as I thought after all.

So over the last few years I started experimenting using a variety of tutorials, tips from my hairdresser and old fashioned practice. And I must say I’ve pretty much gotten as close as I could get!

So what is a blowout?

A blowout is a way of styling one’s hair using only heat and air to create a smooth and shiny look. A blowout is the ultimate way to add volume to your hair.

You can use all kinds of tools but in this blowout tutorial I will be going all classic using a round brush and a hairdryer.

So how to blowout with round brush?

It takes a while to master but once you get the hang of it it’s surprisingly easy. For this blowout you need a regular hairbrush. A good heat protector. A good hairdryer. A round brush. Some clips and scrunchies and some oil.

Here you can shop everything I use:

Start with freshly washed and conditioned hair.

You can find my general haircare routine here.

Brush out your hair with your normal hairbrush to remove any tangles.

Now apply your favourite heat protector. I love the Lifesaver UV, which is both a heat protectant and a leave in conditioner in one.

Now brush again to spread it through.

Grab your hairdryer without any kind of nozzle and blast through on medium speed and medium heat.

Until your hair is about 80% dry.

I know, it’s not exactly the glossy blowout you were hoping for.

But we’re not finished yet! Trust the process. Now attach your flat nozzle to your hairdryer and let’s get started.

First, clip or tie most of your hair up and drape the bottom layer over your shoulders. If needed, divide the bottom layer up further into smaller sections and clip the rest out of the way. This should leave you with one small section to work with.

Position your round brush under your hair and hold the hairdryer over it, about an inch away from your hair.

Slowly brush down through the lengths of your hair, moving the hairdryer along with it.

When you’ve reached the end, twist the brush under so the ends curl a bit.

Repeat as often as needed until your hair is 100% dry.

Then you repeat the same thing on the other side.

And when you’re happy with the bottom layer, move on to the next one.

And just repeat the same steps.

I usually tie the layers I’ve already finished back into a bun, so that they stay out of the way and keep their curl.

When you’ve arrived to the top things are getting worse. First of all the crown of my head is where my hair is the thickest, tangles the most and then there’s the fact that I’m working upwards.

I always struggle with overhead presses at the gym too, which is essentially what this is. I guess my face says it all here.

When you’re done with your arm workout. Flip all your hair forward. Put a few drops of your favourite hair oil in your palm and rub it in to warm it up and spread it evenly over your palms.

Then scrunch the oil into the ends of your hair.

Flip your hair back up and repeat.

And you’re done! A really easy relaxed at home blowout.

If you want it extra bouncy you can always experiment some more with velcro rollers or curling tongs. Personally I’m quite partial to using one of these heatless curlers and a diffuser.

But make sure you don’t do it too often. I do this every Saturday morning when I have all the time in the world for a long shower, and a blowout while I’m having a cup of tea.

And then in the evening all I have to do is put on a pretty dress and I’m ready for a night out!

When I come home, I twist my hair up into a bun like this for sleeping.

And my hair is bouncy again the next morning, ready for Sunday brunch.

For more tips and ideas on how to make your blowout last all week, go here.