How To Get A ‘90s Bombshell Blowout

A big, voluminous blowout is a really fun, classic style. Not only that, but it’s super on trend right now with ’90s fashion being in again. It’s super reminiscent of all the supermodels. Cindy Crawford, anyone?

I think a lot of people get intimidated when they hear blowout and think it’s something only a hairdresser can do, but that’s just not true. It’s so much easier than you think. But I won’t lie, it does take patience because there’s definitely trial and error with learning what works for your hair and what doesn’t. Your hairdresser has had a lot of practice too! So don’t expect it to come out perfectly on the first try.

Hair is such a big part of your look, and so even though it takes awhile to get the hang of a ‘90s blowout, it’s completely worth it. If you’ve ever been jealous of Alicia Silverstone while watching Clueless or of Danielle Fishel as Topanga on Boy Meets World, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. This is hair worth the effort!

So let’s talk about exactly how to get it.

Step 1: Healthy Hair

Here’s the thing, having healthy hair is a really important step. Because if your hair is dry, broken, and dull it’s not going to look as good as it would if it were healthy, no matter how you style it. Don’t wash your hair too often (a lot of hair types can get away with washing their hair once a week if they work up to it.) Go a little longer between each wash if you can until your hair gets used to it, and you’ll find it won’t get as greasy as it once did.

As for products, try a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. My favorite is from Dae. If you have damaged hair, try using Olaplex No. 3 on it at least once a week to repair broken bonds. 

Step 2: Prep the Hair

Now that you’ve got clean hair, you’re going to want to add in product. Everyone should be using heat protectant when they style their hair. The Dae Cactus Flower Leave In Conditioner works great if you have fine hair. If your hair is really wavy or curly though, I recommend killing two birds with one stone and getting something like the ProStyle Brazillian Blowout Açai Thermal Straightening Balm that will help you smooth out the texture and provide heat protectant at the same time.

And because we’re doing a ‘90s blowout, you’re also going to want to add some sort of volumizing spray to the hair. I’d recommend the Ouai Volume Spray. This is especially important if you have naturally fine, flat hair.

Step 3: Rough Dry Hair

To create the kind of volume you want for a ‘90s blowout, you need to start by rough drying the hair. But you can’t just do this in any way. You want to make sure you’re brushing the hair upwards as you’re rough drying the roots so they dry with volume there. Hair tends to stay how it is when it dries, so this is a really important step!

How Are You Using Your Blow Dryer?

When it comes to a ‘90s blowout, you also can’t just use your blow dryer any old way. Make sure that the concentrator nozzle that came with the dryer is on it. (You should really be using this all the time anyway!) It helps to concentrate the air so you can direct it in certain directions and will help you smooth the hair, which is super important if you have wavy, curly, or frizzy hair.

Step 4: Styling the Hair

Once the roots are dry, you’ll want to separate the hair into four sections. This will give you the most amount of control when you’re styling. You're going to want to break out your round brush now!

So just like you did when you rough dried the roots, you’re going to pull each section of hair up, not out and down. Pulling it out and down will help to smooth it, but it’s also going to flatten out the volume you worked so hard to create before. So if you have very wavy or curly hair, try pulling out to smooth it first (but not down) and then go up. 

Once you have gotten it dry, wind in and out right at the root and then you can leave the hair in the round brush for a bit to help it set. Remember how it sets is how it stays. After about 30 seconds, very carefully unwind, you don’t want to break your hair doing it!

When you take it out it will naturally create a loop. Pin this up so that your hair can cool completely in that loose curl. This will help set it!

Step 5: Final Sprays

Once you’ve allowed the hair to cool completely, you’re going to carefully take out the clips and let the loose curls you set fall. If you still need more texture, you can add in a dry texturizing spray. I love the one from Oribe. Or you could skip ahead to hairspray. 

Closing Thoughts

Excuse me while I go practice giving myself a ‘90s blowout. Who doesn’t want that va va voom big hair? It’s so fun and free and definitely a nice change if you’re used to sleeker styles. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it’s not that hard to do at home, but you’ll have everyone asking you if you got your hair done, which is seriously the best feeling. 

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