5 blow-dry trends to know about, from the bouncy bob to effortless waves
Spring is finally here, which means it’s blow-dry season in the salon.
The team have had a surge in blowout appointments as clients' diaries fill up with glitzy parties and swanky work events.
“It's mostly for special occasions, but we have some clients who come in on a Monday to get their hair done ready for the working week,” says Paul Edmonds.
“Or on Fridays for the weekend,” says senior director Siobhan Baynes. “I feel like people are definitely realising the value of a blow-dry now and spending a little more. There's also lots of charity events at the minute and race season has started.”
When you want to look perfectly put together, there’s nothing better than a professional blow-dry, because even with high-tech hair tools it’s virtually impossible to replicate salon-level locks at home.
“We can direct the airflow from a hairdryer much better than when a client is doing it themselves,” Paul says, explaining that most people get it wrong because they can’t create the right level of tension between the brush and the hairdryer to create a smooth, glossy finish.
Plus, in salon you can get a nourishing hair treatment too. “The overriding thing people want from a blow-dry at the moment is shine,” Paul continues. “The great thing now is that at the backwash after you’ve had your hair shampooed we can use one of our shine rinses to create mirror-like shine.”
So glossiness is a top priority, but what about blow-dry styles? Here, Paul and Siobhan talk through five major trends and the products they use in salon to get the look…
1. THE BOUNCY BOB
You’ve got two main blow-dry options to zhoozh up a bob. The first is about adding lots of volume with a round barrel brush.
“There's lots of bobs around and they're being worn bouncy and away from the face, but with a soft inward curve,” Paul explains.
Whether styled sleek and straight or with a bit of a wave, volume-boosting products applied to wet hair help to add structure to a bouncy bob.
2. THE FLICKED BOB
As seen on Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber, the 90s-inspired flicked bob is a much more sleek option for short haircuts.
“It gives a bob a slightly more edgy look when it's got an outward curve to it,” Paul says. “The inward curve can look a bit dated if you're not careful.”
Siobhan loves a flick on blonde hair: “With dark hair, where it's not multi-tonal, you can't see the little flicks, whereas with blonde hair because of the contrast you can see that movement.
Rather than adding volume, with a flicked bob it’s about smoothing the strands together, Paul says: “You want the hair to be a little bit densified so Oribe Royal Blowout is good for that on wet hair, applied to the mid-lengths and ends.”
3. THE BARDOT BLOW-DRY
“I've been getting a lot of requests for the Brigitte Bardot look recently. I did three last week,” Siobhan says.
Inspired by the iconic French actress, the Bardot blow-dry only works on long, layered haircuts. It has “a really soft fringe and it’s got lots of movement and body without being too bouncy.”
To create the artfully undone texture, Siobhan uses a combination of products: “I start with Davines Volume Building Mousse before blow-drying, then add a bit of Oway Hair Puff powder at the end.”
4. SOFT VOLUME
For mid-length and longer cuts, the soft volume blowout is about “Movement but not accentuated volume,” Siobhan says. “It’s done but not done.”
Some people call it the ‘gym blow-dry,’ Paul explains: “It's that thing of people wanting to look healthy, fresh and sporty. Polished but not overdone. There’s no real structure to this look, we just keep it quite close to the head and straight.”
He recommends an under-rated product to create a glossy finish, Davines This is an Oil Non Oil, while Siobhan loves Sam McKinight’s Cool Girl spray to add texture.
5. EFFORTLESS WAVES
“Some clients still like to have their hair tonged during a blow-dry, but that tends to be softer and more flowy rather than defined beachy waves,” says Paul.
Siobhan uses a curling tong with a 32mm barrel to create this look.
“If the client wants a softer wave and their hair holds a curl really well then I’ll wrap the hair and take it off quite quickly,” she says. “But if the hair drops quickly, I put a bit more of a curl in it so that by the time they leave the salon it will have become a soft wave.”
To hydrate the hair, start with Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, then finish with the Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray to prevent frizz.
Luxurious looks
When you want to look your best, it doesn’t get better than a blow-dry, and right now there’s a luxurious look to suit every hairstyle.
Inspired by the latest trends, our styling team can help decide on the best blowout for you, so you’ll feel fabulous at your next special occasion.
Got a party, wedding or day at the races coming? Book a blow-dry at Paul Edmonds London.
