Yes ladies, it’s totally possible to do a quality blowout at home thanks to one of these handy hot air brushes. No need for a separate hair dryer and round brush, this guy is both tools in one.
My hair is pretty straight and I normally either wear it curly or in a knot on the top of my head. But, being a makeup artist and hair stylist, I am sometimes asked to do a blowout on a client’s hair. I have a full arsenal of makeup and hair supplies that I lug around on a daily basis, but any tool that makes my job easier (and looks cool) is a definite must have.
The specs on the John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush:
- Lightweight
- Low, High and Cool Settings
- Professional length swivel cord
- 500 Watts
- Advanced ionic conditioning
- True ceramic heater
- Ceramic Titanium coated barrel
- 2 sizes of bristles that comb through the hair easily
- Available in either 1 inch or 1.5 inch barrels
I purchased the 1.5 inch at ULTA for $39.99 along with a coupon. I was desperate and needed it that day. It’s cheaper on Amazon.
How to use:
- Make sure your hair is 80-90% dry (very important, it may take a while if your hair is not mostly dry)
- Distribute your favorite heat protecting product into the hair (I like John Frieda Frizz Ease and Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray)
- Separate your hair into sections.
- Start with the bottom portion, begin running the brush through small sections of the hair. It may take 3-4 passes to fully dry it.
- Work your way through the sections toward the top of the head and around your face.
- For volume, lift up the brush at your roots, really working it in to create lift.
- To curl the ends, curl the hair around the hot brush, blast it with either the low or hot setting (depending on your hair) for a few seconds, then switch it to cool for 5 seconds or longer to set the curl. Turn the hot brush off and release the hair.
- Practice working the brush at different angles to create the look that you want.
My first time using this on a client made me a little nervous in the beginning. Of course, I tested the dryer rigorously beforehand on myself, making sure that it could handle the job and not explode in my hand. I applied product to the client’s hair and rough dried it with a regular hair dryer. Then I dove in with the John Frieda Hot Air Brush. My client was chatting with her producer while I was doing her hair, speaking in French the whole time so I had no idea what they were talking about. After about ten minutes into the hot air brush styling, the producer (a lady) started making oohhing and aahhing sounds, which I took as a good sign. As soon as I put the hot air brush down for a second to re-section the hair, the producer grabbed the hot air brush and told me how wonderful it was (in English) and asked where could she buy it. Needless to say, the client’s hair looked great when I was finished and they both thought I was a genius with this incredible tool.
The Cons:
- The handle and settings switch can get a little slippery if you still have some serum or product still on your hands. I may modify mine with some strips of grip tape or sand paper tape.
- It takes a little practice flipping through the different settings with your thumb, the more you get used to it, the easier it is.
- This particular brush does not rotate on it’s own, may be a con for some but for me, I like it better.
- Yes, you’re going to see some hairs in the brush after you are done. What brush doesn’t have hair in it after use?
The John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush is best for ladies who want a great looking blowout at home without the hassle of a round brush and heavy hair dryer. It also costs way less than going to the salon on a constant basis. Of course, keep your natural hair in mind if you are thinking about buying this hot air brush. If you have extremely curly hair, this may not work as well for you. It will work for pretty much all other types of hair. The John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush will definitely be a permanent part of my hair styling kit. I hope you like it as much as I do!
