Some haircuts and styles are timeless—one of them being the voluminous blowout made iconic in the 1990s. With its gravity-defying bounce and designer muss, this look has remained in demand, even as other trends come and go. Despite its fame, achieving the perfect vintage blowout is notoriously tricky, often feeling like a form of magic. How did the stylists of the ’90s create such swishy, bouncy strands on stars like Cindy Crawford and Pamela Anderson?
According to celebrity hairstylist Chris McMillan, it’s less about magic and more about strategic product placement and using the right tools. Here’s how you can recreate that classic, voluminous ’90s blowout with three essential tips.
3 Key Tricks for a Perfect Blowout, According to Chris McMillan
McMillan calls this voluminous blowout a “va va voom blowout”—the type of style that captures a windswept, glamorous effect that lasts all day. Achieving it requires a combination of the right products, rounded brushes, rollers, and often, feathered layers and curtain bangs for added texture and that quintessential vintage feel.
1. Add a Styling Balm to Your Ends
The first step in creating a ’90s-inspired blowout is to apply a styling balm to the ends of your damp hair. McMillan uses a heat styling cream throughout the process, applying it first to the ends. This helps create definition while keeping the hair hydrated and smooth, preparing it for styling.
“I always start at the ends and work my way up,” McMillan shares. “The balm acts as a pre-style product, providing conditioning and taming flyaways during the styling process.”
Styling Balm Recommendation: Hershesons Almost Everything Cream – This multi-purpose cream adds texture and conditions the hair, giving it body while controlling any frizz. It can be used before styling or as a finishing touch to hold your blowout in place.
2. Use a Rounded Brush to Lift the Roots
When it’s time to blow-dry, McMillan emphasizes the importance of using a rounded brush—especially one that is small enough to lift the hair at the root. The goal is to create volume by lifting at the roots and twisting the hair around the brush for a soft curl.
“Lift the hair at the root and twist the brush two to three times while pulling the hair downward,” McMillan advises. Then, use your blow dryer (with a concentrator attachment) to dry the hair while it’s wrapped around the brush, adding volume at the root and a soft curl along the length.
Pro tip: McMillan uses hairspray to provide root lift and heat protection in one. Color Wow’s Cult Favorite Firm + Flexible Hairspray is a great option for this step, ensuring volume without stiffness.
3. Flip Hair Upside Down and Apply a Texture Mist
After drying, you don’t need to brush through your hair too much—this can flatten the volume you’ve worked hard to create. Instead, McMillan flips the hair upside down, running his fingers through it to break up the layers and create natural, effortless volume.
Once the hair is flipped, he spritzes a texturizing spray throughout, lifting the sections and twisting them to help set the texture. McMillan prefers doing this while still upside down to maintain that lift and volume. After flipping your hair back up, you’ll have a tousled, perfectly voluminous blowout.
Texture Spray Recommendation: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray – This spray adds volume and texture, while nourishing your hair with a blend of mango, aloe, and kiwi extracts. It’s perfect for adding an effortless zhush to your blowout, locking in moisture and adding shine.
The Key to a Successful Blowout: Less is More
As McMillan puts it, the less you touch your hair once it’s styled, the better. Think of it like baking: the more you fiddle with it, the less effective your results will be. So, once you’ve achieved the look, try not to run your fingers through it too much to maintain the shape.
By following McMillan’s three tips—applying a styling balm, using a rounded brush for volume, and finishing with a texturizing spray—you can master the iconic ’90s blowout, creating a style that’s bouncy, voluminous, and timeless.
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