Blow drying hair can be the most time-consuming part of a beauty routine. But what if you had a blow dryer that gave you a salon-worthy blowout in less than 10 minutes? InStyle.com’s beauty assistant Jennifer Velez took one for a test drive. Read on to see how it worked out.
I’ve always had long, thick hair (it currently falls about 7 inches past my shoulders) and while I’m not complaining, I can definitely do without the 30-plus minutes I usually spend holding a blow dryer.
Even when it’s professionally done, drying my hair takes what feels like forever and expensive keratin treatments seem to be the only way to speed way up the process for a few months at a time—something I don’t want to depend on.RELATED: Beauty House Calls: Let the Salon Come to You with These 4 Apps
When I heard about Bio Ionic’s latest innovation, Bio Ionic 10x blow dryer ($329; sephora.com), which promised salon-worthy results in less than 10 minutes, I couldn’t get my hands on it soon enough. I typically wouldn’t splurge quite that much on a hair tool, but this one is said to last up to 20,000 hours, and honestly, anything that allows me extra sleep before I start my hour-long commute into the city is worth it to me.
Once I saw it in person, the vintage design immediately caught my eye (my mom said it reminded her of the ones from the ‘70s) and its lightweight motor meant no more arm cramps. After towel drying my hair for just a few minutes, I put it to use. The results? The extra powerful airflow quickly sucked the water out without leaving my strands with the straw-like texture the way others have in the past. But sadly, my dream of a 10-minute blowout didn’t come true. My hair was only about 80 percent dry, so it took at least another five minutes before it dried completely.
I do think anyone with shorter or finer hair will be amazed by the speed, but for me it didn’t quite do the trick in under 10 minutes. It did save me 15 though, so I’ll take it.RELATED: How to Repair Your Winter Hair Before Even Getting in the Shower