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Give Yourself a Showstopping Blow-Out

No need to run to the salon -- use these goof-proof tips at home.

Grab a round brush. "The tightly spaced bristles pull hair taut, so every drop of water evaporates with the dryer," stylist Mario Russo says. (Left-behind moisture leads to frizz.) And consider an 1,800-watt blower (such as Supersolano X, $109, beautysak.com); it can cut drying time by at least five minutes.

Style strategically. Apply products to towel-dried hair. "Sopping-wet strands can't absorb the ingredients," Russo says. Boost fine roots with a volumizer like Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray, $26.99, drugstore.com. Or tame coarse hair with straightening gel (try Phyto Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm, $26, sephora.com).

Brush with greatness. Blow hair until it's 80 percent dry (use fingers, not a brush). Then wrap one-inch sections around the brush and pull it from roots to ends. Follow with the dryer's nozzle pointed down to flatten the cuticle.