The Interlude

I’ve always lived in a fantasy that my hair is heat-proof (I apologize to hair stylists in advance). From the time I was a tween, I spent hours upon hours frying my curly mane into submission. I would blow dry it, straighten it, and re-straighten it until my hair looked as straight as everyone else’s. By the time I got to college, I bucked the standards and wore my hair curly 90 percent of the time. But a few weeks ago, excited by my new auburn highlights, I decided to whip out the hair dryer that I bought before leaving for college. And it fried my hair off.

So I decided it was time for a new, hopefully fire-safe hair dryer. As someone who prefers a routine with as few steps and as little maintenance as possible, I was in the market for something that could produce salon-quality results with the least amount of effort. I was attracted to products that combine a round brush and blow dryer simply for the fact that it requires one less hand. But I also have a lot of hair and needed something that would be effective. After a little snooping through product reviews, I decided to go with the Drybar Double Shot. It combines a round brush and a traditional hair dryer, and promises to get wet curls straight. Air blows through the slits in the cylindrical body of the tool, and a combination of regular and soft brush bristles lock the hair in place. Drybar claims the Double Shot will produce blowout-like results. So, I put it to the test.

I started by jumping in the shower and running some conditioner through my hair with a wet brush. After toweling off, I put Olaplex bonding oil in my hair because it’s a heat protectant and I was paranoid about doing more damage to my hair. (You should always use a heat protectant on your hair. I’m just stupid.)

After sectioning my hair with a stale scrunchie, I got to it. I used the medium heat setting to avoid doing more damage to my already-singed hair, and began by brushing out the section like I would with a normal paddle brush. Once the section felt a little dryer, I used the Double Shot like a round brush and curled my ends under. I repeated the process again with the middle section, and was able to get my hair pretty straight until I reached the top section of my hair. The top layer is always the most difficult for me because I have a hefty side part (bite me Gen Z) that falls to my right side. And I often struggle to get the layers dry before they begin to spring back to their naturally-curly state.

While it was no less effective than a normal hair dryer, I had to turn the Double Shot up to its highest setting to notice any kind of results on top. I was able to get the section straight eventually, but the under curl wasn’t happening and my layers looked chunky. I would likely try to avoid this in the future by splitting my top section into two or three smaller ones.

My hair looked decent. I was able to replicate salon-level shine and keep the straight, voluminous look you would leave a professional blowout with. I hate excessively-straight hair, but the emo middle schooler look would probably be doable with this tool. And it took about the same amount of time as a round brush-dryer set up would have. But I still felt the need to run over my hair with an iron before the look was complete.

Double Shot blowout by itself.

Double Shot with a flat iron.

The Double Shot was three times more expensive than any hair dryer I’ve ever owned. But at first pass, it seemed more reliable and protective than what you can buy at your local drug store. If you’re looking for something to replace $49 Drybar blowouts, I’d recommend the Double Shot. It’s easier than holding two tools at once and it does a pretty decent job (even when you test the product at 10 p.m. while intoxicated.) And if you’re someone who got blowouts regularly pre-pandemic, this product will basically pay for itself after a few uses. But it definitely won’t replace the look you will leave the salon with after your hairstylist crushes your cut and color (love you Jenipher.)

All products mentioned in this story were purchased by or gifted to the author. No brands paid for or sponsored this article.