Does this blow dry brush work?

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Getting Back on the Wagon of Fitness

Nothing feels quite as wonderful as leaving a salon with a fresh, bouncy blow out. The hair is light, airy, and has a soft bend at the ends. With a bit of practice you can certainly achieve this look at home, but it does take a bit of time an effort! And requires some serious tricep muscles if you have long or thick hair!

A reader asked if I had tried Revlon’s One-Step Volumizer and after googling it I thought it would be a great thing to try out. I like volume and efficiency so I had hopes that it could give me a salon quality blow out without using a dryer AND a round brush.

I tried it recently and have a few thoughts!

Pros: 

-Very easy to use

-Pulls the hair taut against the brush which aids in smoothing and shine

-Is large enough to create nice lift at the root area, and a smooth bend at the ends without creating a “curl”

-Has a cool “shot”, as well as two speed settings

Cons:

-NO HEAT ADJUSTMENT WHICH IS A BIG CON. The heat is HIGH and I burned my finger and found it to be too hot next to my ears

-Feels big in my hand making it a little clunky to deal with

-Is loud

Experience/Results:

In the interest of time, I dried my hair until it was about 85% dry. Then I pulled it into two sections. I found this tool very easy to use! It created really nice lift at the root and gave a nice bouncy shape to the bottom of my hair. Then I let down the top section and was able to continue to get lift at the crown and also a slight bend at the ends. It smoothed my hair nicely as well.

It was hot by my ears which hurt a little bit and I found myself wishing it had adjustable heat temperatures. I turned it down to low speed but it was still just as hot. It didn’t give me the smoothest of blow outs, but part of that is the climate where I live (North Carolina) and the high humidity causing frizziness no matter WHAT tool or products you use!

Final Thoughts:

This is a great option for those of you who don’t want to fumble with a blow dryer and a brush but it does not eliminate the need for a blow dryer. Consider it a styling tool in addition to your dryer. It’s a great price ($59.99) and will give you lots of volume and bounce. If you use it regularly, make sure you add a heat protective serum or spray because the temperature of the air is quite high.

P.S. You may like this video where I compare 3 blow dryers are different price points! 

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Anita says · 08.10.18

I have used this for the past 2 years and I love it. I have very coarse, thick wavy red hair which is quite long. It is the only way I can dry my hair smooth at home. It has saved me a fortune in salon blow-drys!

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Jill says · 08.10.18

I have this and do love it. What heat protectant do your recommend? I do think it is damaging my hair.

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Brenda R. says · 08.10.18

Thanks for taking my suggestion! I am glad to hear your Pros and Cons- I have super thin, fine hair so – the high heat scares me !

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Amy says · 08.10.18

I have super fine hair and I use this with no problem. Well, only problem is that the heat is NO JOKE, like Kate mentioned.

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momzi says · 11.06.18

use it on low. I have fine / thin hair and I never use the high setting. It works perfectly on low

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Janel Fuhrman says · 08.10.18

I’ve been using this Revlon hair dryer for about 2 years. I love it! I have thick curly red hair and have never been coordinated enough to use a round brush to dry my hair. The brush would get tangled and my arms would get tired about a third way through my hair. This has been such a great tool for me. On days I use it to style my hair I’ve been asked if I had been to a salon for a blow out. I’ve recommended it to about a dozen friends and family. Now it does take me 45 minutes to do my collar bone length hair but it is an unruly mop and worth the time spent. That is what podcasts are for. 😂

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Beth says · 08.10.18

I’d love to see a similar review of the Amika smoothing brush!

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Charlotte Tang says · 08.10.18

I have the AMIKA Polished Perfection Straightening Brush and love it. I typically rough dry my hair after a shower at night and then use this to make it look good in the morning. It’s super easy to use.

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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says · 08.10.18

I think this would be great for hair styling! I don’t usually blow dry my hair at all, though (I air dry every day), so I think I’ll pass. Thanks for the review! 🙂

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

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Sadie says · 08.10.18

I was so happy to see your review on blow dry brushes. There aren’t many useful reviews out there on this tool.
I use my Conair Infiniti Pro Hot Air Spin Brush every time I wash my hair and love the style it creates. Fortunately, it has two heat settings, so I don’t have to worry about burning my hair or ears :-).
My biggest problem is that the blow out style doesn’t last longer than one day and I would rather not have to wash my hair every day. I am hoping Kate can be give me some suggestions that would help – products perhaps? BTW, I have VERY fine hair

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Sherry says · 08.10.18

I have this too….I like that it spins. I’m not sure the other models have the spin feature, but I have been enjoying this spin brush recently.

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Ashley says · 08.10.18

I also have very fine hair and struggled to find a dry shampoo that worked for me so I could get >1 day out of a blowout. I tried so many! I finally found that when I used Serge Normant Dream big volumizing spray on my roots after a blow dry, the next day i could get away with skipping a wash. It might take 2-3 cycles of the 2nd day hair not looking amazing (just put it in a pony!) to also help your scalp stop making as much oil. Now I can get away with 2 blowouts per week!

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Sadie says · 08.13.18

Thanks Ashley. I will give that dry shampoo a try :-).

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Victoria says · 08.10.18

I second the comment about the Amkia Polished Perfection brush. I actually just bought it today from Birchbox (currently 20% off) and am excited to try it-but hesitant it can live up to my expectations. We will see!

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Rachel says · 08.10.18

This completely eliminates the need for a blow dryer for me when I use it. It saves me tons of time Bc I can dry and style all with one tool. I have very thick and coarse hair and this works great for me

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Lauren says · 08.10.18

The calista styledryer (maria mccool) is similar to this but smaller, more lightweight, and more quiet! Plus it has adjustable heat and interchangable tools/heads. My grandma got it from qvc for me for Christmas, and I decided to try it out after having it for a year and a half. I was impressed! So easy to use.

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Al Bruning says · 08.10.18

I’ve used the John Frieda hot air brush for years on my long, thick hair. Air dry my hair overnight 80% (control with a bun) , blow-dry it to 92%, then finish with John Frieda hot air brush. It’s lightweight, has three air settings and my hair has never looked better…like a blow out!

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Lindy says · 08.10.18

I usually wear my hair up and don’t usually need to worry about styling it necessarily but I recently got it cut to shoulder length and want to start putting a little more effort into it. I think this tool would be interesting to try, I’ve been using a straightner lately and I’ve noticed it seems to be frying my hair a little bit. What product do you recommend using for heat protection?

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Amy says · 08.10.18

How would you compare it to the Amika roller brush?

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Joy says · 08.10.18

I have the John Freida version of this (it has temperature variations) and the Amika roller brush. I get more volume at my roots from the John Freida. I really like both, though.

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Stephanie says · 08.11.18

I use the conair version of this and it works good on my hair and it’s only $20. It is faster if you let your hair air dry some before you use it.

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Lesley says · 08.11.18

Where is your striped with button sleeveless blouse from? Looks great for breastfeeding!

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Rachel says · 08.11.18

Which heat protectant spray do you recommend? (For thick but fine blonde hair)?

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Eva says · 08.11.18

I have always wondered if these tools worked! Thanks for sharing your perspective!

http://www.shessobright.com

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Isabella says · 08.11.18

I use this finish my hair after blowing out, I like it

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Karen says · 08.11.18

So glad you reviewed this brush dryer Kate! I ordered it last night from Amazon and it arrived today. Tried it on damp hair and like it.
My hair is very thick, I have lots of hair. The strands are medium coarse with a strong wave. This dryer did the trick! A bit bulky at first, but I got the hang of it. I didn’t mind the heat for my hair type. It was quick! Thanks for reviewing, I would have never thought it would work for my hair. Because my hair is so thick, my thought regarding most hair product reviews is usually – “yea, that sounds great if you have a medium amount of hair”. I watch hair tutorials and think ahhh, 6-7 sections to curl or straighten… I usually have 12 to 14. Anyway, awesome review and thanks!

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Lauren Tarpley says · 08.21.18

This does have best settings. It says so in the description on ulta.com

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Lauren Tarpley says · 08.21.18

Heat*

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Sun's Out Beauty says · 08.24.18

Thanks for sharing your blog it is very helpful.

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Kiley says · 08.24.18

How can you say it doesn’t have heat settings when it clearly does?

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Kate says · 08.24.18

It is a speed adjustment and if it was a lower temperature it was barely noticeable. Still burned me

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thecurlyhairblog says · 09.04.18

I agree, the no heat adjustment is a no no for me as i would like to regulate heat when drying the hair as well. I think the price is great though

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Yuli says · 10.24.18

I have Karmin hairbrush and it works super.

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Momzi says · 11.06.18

don’t use it on high. It works just fine on the low setting

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Karen says · 01.23.19

I have used this many many times. I use a glove and leave the heat setting on low. I absolutely love it. Gives me lots of volume and straightens my very curly hair with no problem. I use it when my hair is wet. I do not use a blow dryer first.

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Toby says · 01.24.19

Kate, is the Revlon brush round or oval? The one I found on Amazon has an oval brush which seems a bit odd, but maybe it’s just fine. Thx!

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Fay says · 01.26.19

It’s a large oval.

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Belinda D Green says · 01.24.19

I agree it looks like it would not be user friendly because it looks very big. Thank you Kate. BGreen

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Marie says · 03.16.19

I have been using this for a couple days and I really like it. It gives me volume and makes my hair smooth. I haven’t had to use a straightener after I use it. The only thing I don’t like it how hot it gets. It made my hair super hot.

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Bertha says · 05.06.19

The hot setting is too hot even in low settings and burns my ears and neck. It really didn’t do anything to my hair except to burn my ears and neck.

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Kyle says · 11.23.19

Hi Kate! I think I remember you posting an alternative “one step” tool that you preferred to the Revlon tool. Do you mind sharing that tool again? Thanks so much!

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Jeanette says · 01.24.20

I’m returning this item to Amazon. I have a blow brush among many hair tools. Watched a video and bought it. Hey, what’s one more cool hair tool? I didn’t like it at all. It is just too BIG and awkward.

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A lewis says · 09.10.20

I use this dryer for every dry. I use no blow dryer and I went from blow drying in 15-20 minutes to 7. It’s my favorite addition to my beauty routine in years!

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Christine says · 01.30.21

I own a babyliss big hair which is very similar. The brush actually rotates giving a really good smooth finish. I am now on my 3rd one as they last around 3 or 4 years .I would never go back to a conventional dryer and round brush. Very quick and easy to use

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Linda says · 04.12.21

I own one and I love it! I have fine hair and it really gives my hair volume!

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Diana Hazlett says · 05.30.21

I have this blow dry tool. I love it & use it daily. I agree it is a little big in my hand but I got used to it. My hair is fine so by the time I do my makeup I can use this without needing to blow dry first. I love how smooth it makes my hair with great volume. It does get very hot. I find myself always switching settings.

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ILENE GALLAGHER says · 06.03.21

For someone with very thick hair, it has helped a lot. After many years of very short hair, my hair is about shoulder length now-with waves that have a mind of thir own. You are right-it is a good styling tool. But it is a big help for the back of the hair. I do section and dry the underneath, and use this dryer for the top layers in the back and to finish off the sides. My arms get quite a workout drying my hair. For the price, it is worth having this extra tool.

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