Blowdryers are essential. (Not in the way that food, water, and shelter are, but you know what we mean...) And essentials just aren't that sexy. Add the fact that this particular blowdryer comes from a company known for its vacuums, fans, and heaters and you're probably asleep by now.
But wake up, people! This particular dryer, the Dyson Supersonic, is in a league of its own. Not only is it stylish AF, it's got a laundry list of cool features built-in to give you a fast, quiet, and, yes, novel blowout. In fact, you're going to want to start saving up for it now.
Need help justifying the $400 price? That's where we come in. Ahead, we created three completely different hairstyles using only this magical machine. Warning: Your flat iron and curling wand are about to feel very neglected.
The Basics
For this shoot, we brought in the most revolutionary new blowdryer since...maybe ever. The Dyson Supersonic hairdryer looks a bit like a futuristic microphone and it's even Jen Atkin-approved. (She's the brand's new ambassador — you may have spotted the Supersonic on her Snapchat recently.)
Here's what you need to know: The Dyson Supersonic has smart heat technology found in four different heat settings, which never expose your hair to excessive temperatures, thereby reducing damage and helping to maintain shine. Thanks to sound engineering that pushes a tone within the motor past audible human range, it's much quieter than your standard dryer. It's super-powerful, with a motor that spins at 110,000 RPM (or five times faster than a Formula One car).
Then, there's the entourage: The three attachments — a thin nozzle, a wider one, and a diffuser — are magnetic and stay cool as you're blowdrying, so swapping them out as you go is beyond easy.
And finally, there's the aesthetic value: It's basically a piece of modern art for your bathroom counter.
Catch all that? Let's see it in action.
Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer, $399.99, available at Dyson.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
The Look: Cool-Girl Waves
Air-dried hair is always better in theory than practice. You hear a stylist tell you to scrunch a little of this mousse at the roots or mist a little of that salt spray down the length and go on your way. You think, Okay, easy, I can do that. But for those of us that don't get these results, we live in a place that's far from wash-and-go.
Luckily, you can fake the wavy cool-girl air-dry with a blowdryer. Here's how...
Tanya Taylor Taryn Dress, $475, available at FWRD.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
Divide damp hair down the middle into two sections and spritz liberally, from root to tip, with a salt or sugar spray. (Hairstylist Matt Fugate loves Kérastase's Spray à Porter.) Then, divide each side in half again and twist the sections around each other, like a rope.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
Once you've twisted all the way to the ends, wrap the rope around itself into a low bun and secure with a U-shaped bobby pin.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
Now, it's time to get things blowing. Click the magnetic diffuser into place and make sure the heat setting is on high, but the power setting is low.
"You want the air to seep out as lightly as possible, so it doesn't create frizz by tossing flyaways and loose pieces all around," says Fugate.
Hold the diffuser under each bun until dry, then pull out the pins and let the twist unwind.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
The top of your hair might still be a bit damp, but at this point, you're safe to air-dry as you please. Run your fingers through the lengths to lightly tousle the waves, hit 'em with a texture spray, and then go out into the world and let everyone think you just have naturally breezy texture.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
The Look: The Bombshell Blowout
A '40s throwback is all about smooth, shiny glamour. Think Old Hollywood S-waves for the 2016 woman who doesn't have time to sit in hot rollers for hours. In fact, there are really only two steps to it...
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Leister Dress, $2,600, available at Preen; Lane Bryant Essential Cotton Cami, $12.50, available at Lane Bryant.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
To prep, work a volumizing mousse through the hair. If you have especially thick hair, you'll want to use a thermal protectant cream, instead, Fugate says. He likes to put the mousse on his brush and focus the application on the roots. "But if it makes its way down the hair, that's okay, too," he adds.
Then, take sections that are roughly as wide as the length of your round brush and blow them out using the wide nozzle attachment, working your way around the head.
"If you have fine hair, you want to take bigger sections," Fugate says, but "if you have thick or curly hair, you can take smaller ones."
Once your classic blowout is complete, you can move to the next step...
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
No rollers? No problem. One by one, wrap sections (same size as before) around the handle of your brush. Hold onto the hair while you pull the brush out the top, then clip the coil you're left with against the head. When you're finished, you should have between six to eight pinned curls. Let them set for 20 minutes or so (longer if you want really big bounce and volume) before removing the clips.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
Gently brush through the curls to loosen and lengthen them, then swing the front section sexily over to the side. Top off the style with a shiny-finish, light-hold hairspray, like Oribe's Shine Light Reflecting Spray.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
The Look: Sleek & Straight
If you think a blowdryer can't do the work of a flat iron, we're here to show you just how very wrong you are. Watch this...
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
Make a deep side part and brush a lightweight, spray-on oil, like Kérastase Elixir Ultime (Fugate swears by this stuff for just about everything), through your strands using a boar-bristle paddle brush. Attach the thinnest nozzle to your dryer and begin to blowdry your hair out straight.
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein.
Fugate says that the key to getting the sleek, stick-straight finish of your dreams is to maintain tension the entire time.
"You want the brush to be pulling down on the hair all the way through. Then, you're following the brush with the air," he explains. "Normally, it's the opposite, but this time, the heat of the blowdryer isn't on the brush — it's on the hair."
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
Sleek, silky, and so sexy. And that's a wrap!
Photographed by Lauren Perlstein/Jenny Hartman.
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