blown away

We headed to the Blo Blow Dry Bar's King Street location in Toronto to talk to Melanie Groom, franchise partner of four Toronto locations ( along with Tara McIntyre) about how to make our blow outs last as long as humanly possible.

1. GO EASY.

"If you want the style to last, ask your stylist to use as little product as possible," says Groom. Also, the product should be applied to the ends rather than the roots. For hair that's dry and needs a little boost, use a light leave-in conditioning product, but keep it away from the crown. "Also, avoid using products with oil."

2. DON'T OVERSTYLE.

"Ask your stylist to use a round brush, rather than a flat iron or curling iron," says Groom. Especially when opting for curls or waves, ask your stylist to exaggerate the look so that even as it falls out, some bounce and body is left behind.

3. DRY UP.

Groom recommends using dry shampoo between washing to keep your blown out look fresh and clean for up to four days. "Dry shampoos absorb oil and can lift the root," she says. But they must be used correctly: quickly blow hair out again after using a powder or a spray. (Eufora Dry Shampoo Spray, $32 for dark, $24 for clear, at salons; eufora.net; Principessa Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo for darker shades, $12, available at beautymark.ca; principessabeauty.com)

4. SLEEP RIGHT.

Sleep with your hair up in a bun, or in a braid. You can also use a silk or satin pillow case to minimize damage, tugging and style disarray.

5. SPRAY AWAY.

It's one thing to extend the life of your blow out, but if your hair smells like a coffee shop or the sushi you went out for ast night, that's not good. Which is why Groom recommends Mane Teeze by T&M, a product she developed with McIntyre. The hair fragrance spray comes in three fragrances ($34.99, at select Blo locations and maneteeze.com): Haute Mess, Social Butterfly (our fave) and Black Widow.

By Marissa Stapley-Ponikowski, Elevate , January/February

See the article

See the PDF