Written by Morgan Fargo

Long-lasting lift? Count me in. 

Among the trove of hair trends we’ve seen over the last two years (think expensive brunette, a copper revolution and the advent of butterfly clips for grown-ups), one has ruled them all: the classic, voluminous blow-dry. A staple of the preppy 90s aesthetic, the fluffy blow-dry combines soft waves with lift and movement, often flipped into a side parting or worn down the middle. 

A chic, timeless style, it’s little wonder that it’s sticking around in 2023. But it can be tricky to perfect this kind of blow-dry at home without coming unstuck. Maybe you find that flicking out the ends to curl under is much harder than anticipated. Or perhaps you spend ages smoothing and straightening, only to lose lift or have your hair fall after a few hours.

For celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, the perfect blow-dry (aka ‘bombshell hair’) is the work of a few dedicated steps. His technique is simple, but effective – and is sure to help you master the art of the blow-dry at home. 

Where you might think that the work finishes when the hair dryer switches off, Appleton’s method involves cooling the hair in rollers to set the style into place. In a video shared on TikTok, Appleton uses root spray, a round brush and rollers to create lift at the root and body throughout. Ever the guinea pig, I had to try.

Starting with a mousse – something I find almost all hair stylists recommend when going for a lot of lift at the root – I applied liberally and then blow-dried my hair using a round brush, focusing on curling under the ends and wrapping the hair away from my face. 

Then, I used a set of hot rollers, again curling the hair away from my face, and left them in until they and my hair were completely cool. Waiting until the hair is completely cool helps the style stay for hours longer than it would otherwise. A good rule of thumb: heat styles, cool sets! 

The result? Long-lasting volume with enough hold to see me through a day and night of festive celebrations. Where before hairspray alone hadn’t been enough to keep my hair set for any reasonable period of time, using a combination of a styling mousse and hairspray made all the difference. A texture spray would also have been a great addition to create grip and hold in the hair. Thanks, Chris.

Main image: Getty/Morgan Fargo

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