I Gave Myself A French Girl Blowout With Dyson's Newly Updated Airwrap

It’s been more than six months since I chopped my long hair off into a chin-length Parisian bob, and I must confess I haven’t made much progress in the styling department. In fact, one of the reasons I love the cut so much is that it is so low-maintenance. Because the look is best a bit undone, I simply let my wavy hair air dry or with a diffuser, blast my wispy bangs so they fall just so, and off I go. However, lately, I’ve been itching for more options, particularly by way of the elusive French girl blowout.

Unlike the perfectly rounded and “supermodel big” American blowout, the French girl variety is still full of body and volume, but with that perfectly imperfect touch Parisian women are known for. You know, that slightly rumpled, but enviable wave that looks like you rolled out of bed with fabulous hair. Don’t believe this is a thing? Just peep some influencers like Taylor LaShae and Mara Lafontan and you’ll see precisely what I’m referring to. While I haven’t been able to crack their exact secrets, I decided to find my own path to the blowout look, so that I, too, could possess a little je ne sais quoi.

Now, I gave my go-to large and in charge blow-dry brush a shot, and ended up with what looked like a giant football helmet of hair. Not my jam. Then, I was presented with Dyson’s new and improved Airwrap Multi-Styler, which features a whopping six attachments — smoothing dryer, 1.6 Airwrap barrel, 1.2 Airwrap barrel, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, round volumizing brush — for any kind of look one could want. Surely, a chic French girl blowout could not be far from reach?

So, for those familiar already with Dyson’s classic first-generation Airwrap, you might be wondering, what exactly has been updated to an already cult-loved product? In short, the main difference is in the attachments. The new Airwrap features a re-engineered barrel in which air flows in two directions, whereas the first generation’s barrel only blew in one, which meant one would have to switch barrels when styling different sides of the head. This makes styling a bit quicker and easier. The drying attachment has also been updated, including a “smoothing” functionality that hides flyaways for a sleeker look. And, at $600 bucks a set, this fancy styling system is certainly an investment.

So, you ask, did this luxe styler rise to the French girl blowout challenge? Read on for my experience and final result.

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Fast Facts

• Best for: Most hair types
• TZR Rating: 4/5
• Clean/Cruelty-Free: Yes
• What We like: Lots of styling options
• What We don't like: The attachments and general use of the attachments comes with a bit of learning curve.

Prep

Prior to styling, I prepped my wet, post-shower hair with a heat-protectant spray. Then, using the dryer attachment for the Dyson Airwrap, I rough dried my hair until it was about 75% dry (but still had some dampness to it).

Styling

I sectioned my hair off by pulling the top half of my hair up on top of my head. Using the soft smoothing brush attachment, I blowdried the bottom half, flipping it out slightly. Between the highest heat setting and medium air intensity, my damp hair dried and shaped quickly, within minutes even.

Then, using the same soft smoothing attachment, I started on the top half of head. This time, I styled in the opposite direction, so the hair was curving under. My goal was to create a bit of contrast to avoid the aforementioned football helmet look that is sometimes common with blowouts on short haircuts. That said, because of the flatter shape of the brush and singular direction of the air, I struggled styling my hair under with this brush. Although I persisted in blowing out my entire top half with the same smoothing tool, I could’ve saved time by using the round brush attachment immediately. My hair dried quickly, but hung a bit lifeless and limp — no volume, no shape.

To give the look some oomph, I then switched to the round brush and blew out top pieces of hair, directing the movement away from face and rotating the brush to get a slight wave and bend. As I made my way around the top of my head, I saw the look I wanted begin to transpire.

To wrap things up, I swapped the attachment one more time to the soft smoothing attachment yet again and blasted my bangs. I don’t like my fringe to be too round, and this attachment shaped them in such a way that fell perfectly curtain-like around my face.

To set my look, I sprayed a dry texturizer at the crown to give it some lift and bounce. My hair is thick and heavy, so I like to breathe a little life into it at the roots. I also spritzed a bit onto my ends, which I then rubbed a bit with my fingers to get a piece-y look. Voila. Masterpiece.

Although it took a bit of trial and error, my end goal was achieved. I got the French girl blowout of my dreams. Now that I know my way around the Dyson Airwrap, I think my future attempts will be even quicker and smoother.

Takeaways

While not cheap, I do think the Airwrap is a worthy purchase for those looking for a one-stop shop for their hair needs. In addition to a little Frenchie blowout, I can also curl, wave, straighten, and flip my hair any which way with the various attachments. I love having my options right at my fingertips, and if you share my sentiments, this handy new system is for you.