How to Score Blowout Hairstyles at Home In 10 Minutes

Step 1: Rough-Dry All Over

Your ticket to scoring amazing hair in a hurry is using a really good blow-dryer. Pick a model with "professional" in its name to ensure that it has a turbo motor (which will dry hair faster) and operates on no more than 1,800 watts (to minimize damage). It might cost more, but your strands will repay you in good hair days. Marrero's secret weapon: the Turbo Power TwinTurbo 2600 Professional Hair Dryer (Buy It, $116, amazon.com).

Start your blowout hairstyle by rough-drying your hair (meaning, without a brush). One of the biggest mistakes is using a round brush on sopping wet hair, says Marrero. It's a waste of time because your hair won't hold a shape when saturated with water. Instead, try this: After washing, wrap a towel around your hair (preferably a microfiber hair towel) and twist to wring out excess water. Next, apply a fast-dry spray — which makes moisture evaporate quickly so you won't fry your locks — from midlength to ends. Dry hair by moving the dryer (without the concentrator nozzle) side to side while raking your fingers through the strands and lifting at the roots. Get hair 80 percent dry this way.

Step 2: Divide and Conquer

Next, separate your hair into four sections to complete the blowout hairstyle in more manageable portions: one at the crown, one on each side, and one in the back. Twist each into a bun and secure with a clip. Attach the concentrator nozzle to the dryer and grab a round brush with mixed boar and nylon bristles, such as Marrero's pick: the Marilyn Brush Tuxedo Pro Round Brush (Buy It, $16, amazon.com). The longer your hair, the bigger the brush diameter should be. Use your dominant hand to hold the brush and your non-dominant hand to hold the dryer. (Still can't get the hang of it? These hair dryer brushes make the process even easier.)

Starting with the crown section, unclip the hair and position the brush behind it. Use the brush to pull hair upward as you direct the airflow down toward the roots. As the brush nears the ends, let them wrap around it, and roll the brush back down toward your head as you dry. Remove the brush and repeat until the section is fully dried.

To avoid getting your hair tangled in the bristles (been there), gently pull the brush out of the roll of hair horizontally, rotating your wrist in small circles to help release strands. Once the section is dry, wrap your hair around four fingers to create a large curl and pin it into place with a clip. Repeat the entire process on the two side sections, rolling hair away from your face to create a flattering style that will frame your face.

If you have trouble mastering this step of the blowout hairstyle, section and dry your hair, then use a large-barrel styling iron such as the T3 BodyWaver Professional Styling Iron (Buy It, $170, sephora.com) instead of a round brush to get the same voluminous results.

Step 3: Attack the Back

The front and top sections of your hair are what you (and others!) see, so you'll want to focus most of your time on those sections. Save time on the back section by running a paddle brush through your hair to tame it as you dry. The hair from the crown section will fall over the back, covering most of it when you're through styling, so there's no need to make it perfect.

Step 4: Secure a Frizz-Free Finish

Lock in your blowout hairstyle by switching the dryer to the cool setting and hitting your hair with cold air to close the cuticles; this will amp up shine. Then remove the clips to let each section down, and gently comb through strands with your fingers to loosen the curls. After parting your hair, rub a dab of smoothing cream on your fingertips. Lightly apply it to your ends and around your part to smooth flyaways. (Want to take it a step further? Try a hair shine spray.)