While the blow out has been the hairstyle of choice for many since the 90s; Matilda Djerf (and of course, TikTok) has meant the style has seen a serious resurgence in popularity of late, curtain bangs included. But where Matilda Djerf has inspired the aesthetic, the Dyson Airwrap™ multi-styler has become the non-negotiable tool for bringing the look to life at home – a salon quality do’, sans actually visiting the salon.
We spoke to global styling ambassador for Dyson, Peter Thomsen to learn how to get the most from the tool, the most common mistake people make and the most notable changes we can expect to see from the newly released Airwrap™ multi-styler 2.0.
Where #dysonairwrap has seen 2.4 billion hashtag views on TikTok, a large percentage of them bouncy blowout tutorials, Thomsen explains the most common mistake people make is using the tool on dry hair. A wet-to-dry styler, the Airwrap™ “leverages the moisture in the hair to break the hydrogen bonds in preparation for styling – removing the need for extreme heat,” he says. “The bonds reform as the hair dries, locking the style in place.” As a result, using the tool on dry hair means the style is unlikely to last as long. In line with the Airwrap™’s ability to work its magic without the need for extreme heat, Thomsen explains the key to achieving even more longevity with “a style like Matilda’s is to finish each section of hair with a cold shot. When styling each new section with the Airwrap™ barrel, hold in place for 15 seconds or until the hair is completely dry. Then, set the curl with the cold shot for 5-10 seconds and release,” he says.
As for the beginning of the process, Thomsen recommends starting with freshly washed hair and using “the Airwrap™ multi-styler Coanda smoothing dryer attachment in drying mode, until your hair is about 80% dry or cold to the touch.” From there, he suggests utilising the 40mm Airwrap™ barrel for each section, utilising the cold shot function at the end. For maximum volume and bounce, à la Matilda Djerf, he suggests attaching the round volumising brush to “turn under the front sections of hair. This [also] works great with longer bangs,” he says. “This will sweep your hair out and away from the face, to create that bouncy face framing that Matilda has achieved so beautifully.”
Where TikTok users have spent the last 12 months exchanging tips and tricks for using the tool to perfect their preferred hairstyles, Dyson has been re-engineering to create the most user friendly styling experience. Enter: the Airwrap™ multi-styler 2.0. While the body of the tool remains the same, the new attachments are designed to do more, with less. The 2022 updates include combining two attachments in one: the Coanda smoothing dryer, used to take the hair from wet to damp in drying mode, now also transforms to offer smoothing mode, “which hides flyaways in a single pass, with no extreme heat.” Additionally, the biggest update is the new barrels. A key component to recreating Matilda’s signature look, longtime users will appreciate that “you can now switch the airflow direction by rotating the cool tip from side to side, so you only have to use one attachment, rather than changing mid-style,” Thomsen explains.
Whether you’re an OG Airwrap™ fan or are a more recent devotee to the styling tool, Thomsen explains the benefits remain the same. As a professional stylist, Thomsen explains “[He] often sees the detrimental impact of traditional hair styling tools that rely on excessive temperatures to style hair…A lot of people don’t realise that this causes unnecessary hair damage.” In contrast, the “Dyson difference is that its haircare technologies use intelligent heat control to protect hair from extreme heat damage, preserving the integrity of your hair and natural shine.”
So, if TikTok hadn’t quite convinced you yet, consider this your excuse. Matilda Djerf, that you?