There are two hairstyle trends that are reigning supreme right now and they just so happen to be polar opposites. In one corner, you have the sleek, low supermodel bun (à la Hailey Bieber and Normani), and in the other, you have the larger-than-life ’90s supermodel blowout (a la Cindy Crawford). Though the two styles couldn’t be any more different, they exist in harmony with Gen Z beauty lovers on TikTok, moving interchangeably between the two looks. The two trends are nothing new, but over the years they’ve become a staple in the hair-care routine of any beauty lover.
While the sleek low bun is fairly easy to pull off, you may be looking at the bouncy blowout and thinking to yourself, There’s no way I can do that. But we’re here to prove that it’s easier than you think with some assistance from the professionals.
Experts Featured in This Article
Graham Nation is a celebrity hairstylist.
Tom Smith is a celebrity hairstylist and international color creative director for Evo Hair.
“The ’90s supermodel blowout is a classic,” celebrity hairstylist Graham Nation previously told PS. “Blowouts are fun, bouncy, and they can be messy but still look very put together.” Celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith predicts “fluffy” blowouts to be an everlasting hair trend.
“Gen Zs are calling Adele’s blond style the ‘fluffy blow dry,'” Smith says. “The ’90s layers are all about bounce and volume, and are great for longer and thicker hair, providing fluffy, effortless glamour.”
For a step-by-step tutorial on giving yourself a ’90s-inspired “fluffy” blowout, keep reading.
Step 1: Prep Hair
To start, prep damp hair with a product that will protect against damage and enhance volume without weighing your ends down. We like the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment ($33) because it does it all: protects, volumizes, and smooths. “Fluffy hair is all about cushioned and airy volume with a soft blended contrast,” says Smith. “The fluffier the better. Use your product to smooth and lift, not to weigh down.”
Step 2: Dry Hair to About 80 Percent
Now, it’s time to dry your hair. If you have straight or slightly wavy hair, you can use a blowdry brush, like the T3 AireBrush Duo Interchangeable Hot Air Blow Dry Brush ($150) or Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush ($70). If you have curly or wavy textured hair, you can also try rough drying with a regular blowdryer or air-drying.
Step 3: Put in Your Velcro Hair Rollers
For those with straight or slightly wavy hair types, the key to getting the style to stay is velcro rollers (you can skip this step if you’d prefer if your hair is curly). Once your hair is almost completely dry – and preferably while it’s still hot if you used heat – apply velcro rollers, like the Conair Assorted Sized Self Grip Roller Set ($9), to set your voluminous blowout and keep it from falling flat. Begin at the bottom on your head and work your way up in sections, using slightly smaller rollers for the sections of hair underneath and larger options for the top sections of your hair. Then, let them cool for as long as time allows.
Step 4: Apply Volumizing Spray
Once you take out all of your velcro rollers, it’s time to apply some volumizing spray. “I spray through the roots and the mid-lengths of the hair,” he says. “Evo’s Root Canal Volumizing Spray ($34) is fantastic because you can layer it up to give cushioned, airy volume, without the hair feeling stiff or rough – perfect for the airy finish on fluffy hair.”
Step 5: Finish With a Lifting Powder
Though you’ll certainly get a great boost from your volumizing spray, Smith encourages you to take it a step further. “To give a long-lasting result, I lift sections of the hair and spray styling powder underneath, allowing the powder to settle inside the body of the hair,” he says. One option we love is the Kristen Ess Working Texture Loose Styling Powder ($12).
“Once the powder has settled, I use my fingertips in the scalp area, massaging gently upwards to lift the roots and encourage a high-fashion, fluffy finish through the layers of the hair,” says Smith.
Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.
