Let’s talk about blow-drying shall we.
I’m inspired to this because I was sent the new T3 Featherweight 2 hairdryer to try out (pictured above). I already own a Parlux 3800, which is the one that my hairdresser Nadia uses, because I am very sniffy about hairdryers. And I use a hairdryer most days. So really I am the very best person to talk to about hairdrying.
I liked the T3! Stylists on shoots use them all the time. I didn’t notice an appreciable difference in performance between the T3 and my Parlux – but that’s a compliment as my Parlux is brilliant.
The T3 is slightly bigger, yet lighter and comes in a snazzy white – or HQHair has a folding pink version. At £155, the T3 is about the right price for a new, salon-quality drier.
You are now going to ask me if the Dyson hairdryer is worth it. I just don’t know. Nadia has now moved onto a Dyson and thinks it’s amazing. “I’d never go back to a conventional hairdryer now,” she says. But, guys, it’s THREE HUNDRED QUID!!
Next – brushes. I do not understand at all how one would use those round brushes for home drying. Absolutely baffling. I found a rounded (but not round) vented brush with boar bristles by a company called Macadamia, but they are sold out everywhere, which is SO ANNOYING. I will write to the company on your behalf and see when these might be available again because they are brilliant. If anyone else has a good vent brush, tell me.
Next – blow drying product! If you are looking for a sleek and groomed style, you need Keratase Oleo-Relax. It is absolutely brilliant – a hair product that genuinely does something noticeable!
I have gone through bottles and bottles of this stuff in my time and nothing else gives a lovely smoothing effect that lasts pretty much all day. What it WON’T do is give you lots of hold and volume and bounce… for that you need loads of mousse, (literally any old hair mousse from Boots or Superdrug – I like John Frieda), and a Babyliss Big Hair.
Oh hang on just a damned sec! While we’re talking about hair, I have just re-found these fab hair turbans. These micro fibre hair turbans are BRILLIANT, especially on holiday. You can jimmy up your hair with them while getting on with doing other stuff – even the best hotels in the world cannot be relied upon to have good hair-drying towels. I have forgotten mine on so many holidays and cursed myself to hell for it. Not this year! I fancy one in pink!
As usual, if you have any great blow-drying products for your individual hair type please leave a note in the handy box!
For an appointment with Nadia Dean at John Frieda in Mayfair, please visit their site here. She is great!
Oh Esther! If you or anyone else could kindly tell me how the HELL to use the Babyliss big hair thingy, I’d be forever grateful.
I’m a big Big Hair fan – and have bought the Babyliss – but I used it once and have been mildly terrified ever since. It’s like a medieval torture device!
I have a huge amount of hair – I rarely go for a salon blow dry as the unfortunate soul tends to need to have energy tablets and be wrapped in a foil blanket afterwards – so I don’t need more volume, but I still like the end result of using the Big Hair. I give it a reasonably good rough dry first and then divide my hair in half and do sections on the bottom first then top layer. Not with any sort of precision, just grab it brush it roll it. I use lots of smoothing serum first as it can have a tendency to frizz you if you give it an inch, and some saltwater texturising spray on the ends.
But I mean my hair could look terrible for all you know. Good luck!
This is exactly my technique too. Also, I’ve found it beneficial to make sure the section of hair you’re taking isn’t too wide (no more than about 2in) or the hair gets wound round the end of the brush in a v painful & distressing manner
That’s exactly what I do too – kind of brush my hair with it and roll it randomly and do the bottom half first then the top. I’m on my third now and I take it on holiday with me I love it so much (this is a big decision as I go hand luggage only for short trips so I have to sacrifice shoes to take it)
Ha ha! I will do a thing on IGTV… xxx
So pleased to see you recommend the Babylis Big Hair- I found mine life-changing. I’ve bought all sorts of hair gadgets over the years and they generally all end up unused at the back of the wardrobe but I use the Big Hair every day. The idea of using a hair dryer and brush simultaneously makes me want to lie down- seriously I can’t even work out how to get the brush near my head if I do this in a mirror and end up waving it around a foot to the left- but even a malco like me can use a Big Hair.
Same here! Love my babyliss big hair 😍
Hair question: anyone used one of those silk sleeping hats? (Silke, I think). For someone who doesn’t wash hair every day….
I think the Aquis towels are on offer at the Kerastase link…!!
I also am a blow-drying devotee. My previous hairdryer was the same Parlux as yours, Esther, and it was brilliant. Due to its untimely death I now have the GHD hairdryer and it’s just as good. Would recommend it. I’m WEDDED to my Babyliss Big Hair as well. I have fine, fluffy, wavy hair but like absolutely loads of it, and the Big Hair is the my Holy grail of smoothness. I also have a Dafni hair-straightening brush:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015G0YY0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2i3mBbGXCP935
which I use for the specific purpose of sorting my wig out if I’ve accidentally gone to bed with damp hair through fatigue/apathy/drunkenness. It’s the only thing that gets rid of those awful, strangely geometric kinks.
Oh yes I have heard a lot about the Dafni but cannot justify it
I got it when it was half price, or I wouldnt have paid so much. There seem to be loads of similar but cheaper ones around now, which would prob do the job just as well.
Leona that’s the sort of thing that will end up in my amazon basket after a Corona and lime and which I will not tell my husband about.
It was almost this exact scenario which led to me buying it 🙂
Funny you should write this I’ve been thinking about my hair such a lot lately. Cut it, colour it, buy new gadgets for it, leave it the same as it’s been for the last twenty five years??
I drive myself crazy with it then decide it’s ok for another 6 months and do nothing again. I’ve made microscopic changes to it over the years yet could bore on all day about it. But I won’t. Maybe a new hairdryer is the thing???
I have the Dyson and it is fab – mainly because it is MUCH quieter than a normal hairdryer and it is super speedy. I have very fine (as in thin rather than gorgeous!) hair which tends to frizz – with the Dyson I don’t need to bother with straighteners at all and I have found it seems to keep it in better condition. I bought it with our John Lewis loyalty vouchers though which slightly took the sting out of the price.
Oh, I am so envious of your Dyson!
I also have a Parlux and a Big Hair! LOVE both. I have fine shoulder length wavy hair that likes to frizz. My method is to wash using keratese black shampoo and green conditioner. Apply the pink version of your serum above. I then dry with the Parlux and go over with the Big Hair (as above, keep sections small and don’t forget to turn it the other way when you do the back). I then sometimes skim over the mid lengths with my GHDs. I have a small oval wand I use for a controlled wavy change x
Oh dear this is where I have been going wrong all my life. I thought all hairdryers did pretty much the same thing 😭
My life changing product is Davines All in One Milk. The only product I’ve bought that really makes my hair feel the way it does when I leave the salon (Currently Oskar Pink) I’ve tried Aveda, Label Lab, Kerastase, pretty much everything any stylist has talked me into buying. This is the only one that I would recommend and verbally bully every woman I know into buying. It makes my hair soft, silky and NOT FLAT! As opposed it’s natural state of frizzy, dry and fine.
I own the BaByliss Big Hair and I think it does what it’s supposed to, but my hair still looks rubbish after using it. I think it’s my hair, not the appliance.
Lux, some hair doesn’t respond to heat styling very well.
Davine’s stuff is good and totally works especially on my fine/think straight hair but the smell is so strong I can’t have it near my face. So annoying as I have a sample of one of their shampoos and haven’t used it as it also reallly strongly scented.
Does anyone have any experience of the Oribe range? I have tricky hair (fine, wavy/curly tending towards frizzy if not careful) and was in space nk looking for Ouai smoothing spray when the assistant did her best sales effort on Oribe. The range is vast and prices are eye watering, oddly almost everything is £50. Being old and cynical I can visualise the Oribe marketing team meeting where they come up with the highest price they think they can get away with. HOWEVER if it’s good and really properly makes a big difference I could be tempted.
Meanwhile I’m off to Google Lux’s recommendation….
I could NOT be without my Babylis Big Hair. Nothing smooths and gives volume as well as this does. I’ve had mine since they first came out- about ten years ago! For those having difficulty with it- just practice. Try doing small sections until you get the hang of it. Rough drying first is a good idea.
Has anyone got a glamoriser? I can’t get the curls to stay in no matter what I do 😭
I’m very excited by all the talk of the Babyliss Big Hair – sounds like exactly what I need to get the volume I desperately seek each morning. Can anyone tell me if there’s a difference in the sizes? There seems to be a 42mm and a 50mm. And some of the reviews suggest they don’t last long and need frequent replacing – is it still worth getting one?
I don’t know about sizes but I’ve had mine 8 years and it is still going strong (though I will blame you if it conks out after this) I don’t use it daily or anything, but a fair bit. It’s seen off two hairdryers and a pair of straighteners.
Hi Kate – I think it depends on your hair length, if you have long hair, get the bigger barrel. Also I have had mine… god… 10 years? never had to replace it x
Thank you so much – off to purchase the smaller size and looking forward to creating some seriously BIG HAIR!
I love the tips from The Spike.
No Kate The Spike loves YOU
Hi Esther. I’m a Essex girl living in Brooklyn (13 yrs ) and LOVE you blog. Thanks to you I found Christy Dawn in LA and love her dresses, all of which seem to fit me perfectly. I just wanted to reach out and see if you have ever heard of, or tried on a pair of AYR jeans? They are a bit of a NYC secret. They claim that the jeans are mascara for your legs, and after buying and wearing 4 pairs for the last 2 years I 100% agree!! The are amazing and wash up so well. Even as a busy mum of 2 running around Brooklyn I always get comments at how great my jeans look. Anyway, thought it was something that you would totally love. Have a great summer!!
Kerry
Hey Kerry! I have never heard of AYR jeans but I will look them up immediately! That Christy Dawn dress was SO incredibly worth it. I was a bit hmmm about it at first but people literally stop me in the street going WHERE DID YOU GET THAT DRESS xxx
I love love love that Kerastase stuff- it works wonders. First started using it when you wrote about it aaaages ago and it is THE only thing that turns my thick frizzy mop to smooth normal hair. Like magic.
Hmm I’ve got it too but it don’t see a huge difference and still arrive at work with frizz – should I use more? I fear the greasy look! x
you ought to only have to use 1 pump… how much are you using?
Hi everyone, sorry massively late to comment on this. Esther is the towel turban similar / as good as the one on your blog last year (I think) from amazon? Or have a bought a dud for £2 and should really get spenny and buy the selfridges one?
I have a Dyson hairdryer (madness, I really don’t know what I was thinking spending that kind of cash on a bloody hairdryer) and I don’t actually know if it’s fucking amazing or not. I mean, it does the job but has it changed my life? No. Another thumbs up for the Babyliss big hair. It can be a faff but once you get the hang of it you can look like a bouncing American news anchor.
Happy Sunday chaps x
Daisy I think this is the Aquis one – I think it’s the same one I recommended last year, it’s pretty much the only company that makes them xx
Thanks Esther, looks like the one I ordered is by Jack and rose? I’ll see what it’s like when it turns up but I imagine i’ll be buying one of these too! Xx
they all do pretty much the same job – I’ve got lots from all different companies and I don’t find one especially better than the other x
Great thanks! Xx
Hi Esther can’t seem to reply to your above comment, just using 1 pump I think I have to resign myself to the fact that I basically have crap hair. And now it’s even crapper since having a baby 😩will persevere! Xx
I just have to say I’ve now had the Babyliss BigHair (42mm) for over a month and it’s been life changing!! People have asked me if I’ve been to the hairdresser that morning as I look like someone professional has been creating volume and (oddly brilliantly) feathered effects. Such a great recommendation. Thank you everyone for the helpful comments- really so grateful. Xx