15 Best Ulta Products to Try in 2024, According to Editors
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Each of the top-tested hair dryers in the GH Beauty Lab's most recent test has a cold-shot button, which can help to close the hair's cuticle and lock in the style, preventing frizz once you're finished drying. Lab pros found it lightweight and "very comfortable to hold with easy-to-reach controls." Though it was slightly more noisy than others tested, it can also double as a travel hair dryer due to its smaller build. This compact model from Hot Tools earned near-perfect scores for drying speed in GH Beauty Lab testing and ranked high for strong airflow, yet is a more affordable pick at a fraction of the cost of other dryers. Testers loved its smaller, easy-to-store size and that it left their hair less frizzy. They gave it top marks for its easy-to-reach controls and comfortable shape, and both Lab assessments and consumers found it to be quiet.
Bed Head Curls-in-Check Hair Dryer
They create an air vacuum (so you don’t have to hold your hair in place, as you would with a curling wand or iron) that leaves soft, luscious curls in its wake. We’ve been so consistently impressed by these barrels that we included the Airwrap in our best rotating curling irons and best curling irons lists despite technically not being a curling iron. However, hair dryers that use ionic, ceramic, or tourmaline technology with multiple heat settings are safest. Remember that any type of hair dryer can cause damage if you over dry or use high heat settings, so it's a good idea to use a heat protectant spray before you blow. Let's start with the basics—look for a lightweight dryer with a sturdy grip that you can hold comfortably in either hand and a long cord to give you freedom of movement as you dry the back, front, and side sections of your head.
Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer 3 piece
Scope out our travel-sized hair dryer recommendation, the SRI Dry Q, to learn more about our pick for the perfect journey-ready dryer. Among the downsides, though, were the slightly confusing buttons, which don't clearly indicate the temperature, and a delay on the cold shot button, as well as the attachments. Though the Bondi Boost Sonic Dryer comes with an air concentrator and a diffuser, both were at first tricky to attach as well as to take off without an extra set of helping hands. While our wavy hair did receive the results we set out to achieve (a straight blowout without the need for a follow-up tool), our coily hair still needed a second tool to straighten the ends. The wide-tooth comb wasn't particularly useful for drying our kinky hair, not completely drying it and leaving the ends puffy. The Hyper Air comes with two attachments, the IQ 2-in-1 Concentrator and the IQ Styling Brush.
Styling Products
The 20 Best Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed - InStyle
The 20 Best Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed.
Posted: Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Even at low speed, it felt pretty powerful, but not like our hair was burning. Our hair dried smoothly, with tons of volume, instead of flat against our head. Despite its budget-friendly price, this model doesn't compromise on features, coming with both concentrator and diffuser attachments, plus hair clips.
Although there are only three heat settings — low, medium, and high — it really felt like there was a difference between each level, while still putting out a consistent stream of air. We mostly stayed with the medium setting because the highest option was so hot that it was uncomfortable at times. We dry our hair once or twice a week, and our favorite style to create is a traditional full-bodied, bouncy blowout, which was easy to accomplish with this dryer — and fast.
The Ghd Helios uses ionic technology, which means it can dry long, thick hair quickly without damaging it, according to our experts. It’s also lightweight at just 1.7 pounds, and has an ergonomic design, making it easier to style your hair, according to the brand. The tool was also lightweight and the attachments are simple to put on and take off, though sound evaluations found it to be noisy.
It has a long, 9-foot cord, and it’s less grating noise-wise than other dryers. It also comes with five magnetic attachments, including a diffuser, all of which are exceptionally easy to add or remove mid-blowout. This compact blow dryer has all the power and functionality of a full-sized one. We found it intuitive to use and all of the buttons are where they should be, making it easy to push and move between different speeds and heat, even with the smaller design.
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"The Sedu has become a favorite among the Mark Ryan Salon stylists," says Trygstad. Unlike other blow dryers and hair straighteners on the market, this one-of-a-kind hair tool functions as a hybrid straightener-slash-hair-dryer that styles and dries hair all at once. With the help of hot air pressure, the tool straightens hair as it dries, so you can style your hair right out of the shower. You do have the option of using it on dry hair, too, so you get a lot of flexibility with one tool. It also comes equipped with a Boost mode, which helps impart a sleek finish with maximum shine. A GH staffer who has thick 2C curls swears by the Bio Ionic dryer and its universal diffuser attachment (though sold separately).
According to celebrity hairstylist Joel James, a cool shot button is a must to prevent burning and to lock your style in place. "The cool shot button feature is what keeps the hair at a good temperature, even when you've been using a hot setting." It's best to use the cool shot button when your hair needs to be cooled down. For example, if you're drying your hair with a heat setting, use the cool shot button as a final step to cool everything down and set it in place. For those who want to “take textured hair straight, you’ll need a concentrator attachment to smooth out strands and create shine,” says Giovanni Vaccaro, hairstylist and co-founder of the on-demand beauty service, GlamSquad. “I prefer a thin attachment that helps concentrate air on a smaller section.” The Pattern Blow Dryer comes with brush, wide tooth comb, diffuser, and concentrator nozzle and is great for curly hair. Blow dryers tend to be bulky and take up a lot of space, so it's usually left behind when you're packing your suitcase.
The obvious downside is the high price tag, but don't worry — there are plenty of more affordable picks below.
The tool was also easiest to maneuver and comfortable to hold, though it was heavier than other models and more effort was required for proper placement and removal of the attachment. "It's the right size and doesn't look like a travel dryer until you fold the handle — I like that it could do double duty for home and away." Elchim offers an impressive warranty and repair program that covers all its hair dryers. At 1.2 pounds, however, the Elchim Classic 2001 is heavier than our picks, and we found the handle to be thick and awkward to hold.
A blow dryer with multiple heat and speed settings or attachments is only a good investment if you'll use them. Weighing less than a pound, this travel blow dryer is a favorite of Schneider’s when she wants to dry her 2b/2c, sometimes 3a, curly hair straight. It’s also easy to store because it comes with a dust bag, can fold in half, takes up less space than traditional dryers and has a detachable nozzle, says Schneider. If you plan on fitting this in your luggage, the dryer also has dual voltage for overseas travel, according to the brand.
The retro-looking Conair Pro Yellow Bird Hair Dryer is one of the hottest dryers we’ve tested (reaching over 245 °F). But at a pound and a half, it also ties for the heaviest dryer we’ve looked at. Its buttons are strangely placed and unlabeled, and it doesn’t have a cool shot. It used to be our favorite dryer that came with a straightening pick, but we now prefer the Pattern Blow Dryer. Ceramic technology involves a constant flow of heat and is generally recommended for dry or damaged hair. "Ceramic technology distributes heat evenly through the tool, preventing hot spots that can damage hair," says Holdsworth.
Plus, it was lightweight enough that our arms didn’t get too tired while blowing out our hair. Its tourmaline ceramic technology helps seal in moisture and prevent frizzy hair, experts told us. Other attachments include the brand’s Double-Layered Detangler Pik and Single-Layered Detangler Pik that help smooth and straighten hair, according to Kiss. It also comes with a removable filter, which Lothrop says is important to clean regularly.
Within 10 minutes — even on a low heat setting — our hair was totally dry, smooth, and fluffy in the best way possible. Taking home top honors, the GAMA IQ2 Perfetto hair dryer is just about, well, perfetto. Our InStyle editor who tested this model has type 3B/3C coarse hair, with a mix of curls and coils that have only been relaxed once years ago, and found that the dryer took just under 15 minutes to diffuse and set her curls. To put it in perspective, our stylist estimated that a full blowout ordinarily would have taken about 25 minutes.
Of every perfume I've tested as a beauty editor, I am most likely to recommend Ariana Grande's Cloud if someone asks me what perfume to buy from Ulta (or anywhere, really). This warm, coconut perfume is loaded with vanilla and praline—but it's also got sparkly bergamot, pear, and lavender to brighten up the scent. In my experience, it's a crowd-pleaser, which is why I'm confident suggesting it to people who wanna blind buy. I remember the first time I waltzed in, taking all of the best Ulta products in one spot—retinol serums, the newest mascaras, life-changing curling irons, and luxury perfumes as far as the eye can see.
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