Big Hair Indeed

My hairstyling routine has been transformed: well, inasmuch as I didn't have one before and now I do. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't spend money on my hair. I go to good stylists (only about three times a year but still) and I rarely use anything other than Aveda products (although I have to admit to recently reverting to home dyeing - I'm not made of money). But my styling has always left a lot to be desired. I was very much of the rub-my-fingers-through-my-hair-whilst-holding-a-hairdryer-near-it school then I'd make a half-hearted attempt to use a round brush to get some semblance of a shape. It tended to look OK when it was first done but a few hours later it would invariably end up looking flat.

Now all of that has changed because I've discovered the Babyliss Big Hair. I first read about it on India Knight's blog and thought it sounded good but not for me - her hair looks to be of the big curly variety and she was extolling it's taming capabilities. I mentioned it to a few of my curly friends and thought no more about it. Then Sali Hughes did one of her video columns about it in the Guardian and as her hair is similar to mine I thought I'd give it a go.

What a revelation! I find it incredibly simple to use, and the volume I can achieve is so great I actually have to hold myself back otherwise I'd be forced to start power-dressing à la Alexis Carrington Colby to offset my bounce. I won't go into the detail of how to use the thing (check out the aforementioned video if you want to see it in action) other than to say it's a dryer with a revolving brush on the end. I know, it doesn't sound amazing but it really is. So much so that I bought one to take to Berlin and despite its size I have taken my original with me on weekends away. To really appreciate the significance of that you should remember that I am someone for whom comfort wins over style every time. Or so I thought. But now I am the queen of the do. The first time I used it Coffee Boy asked me if I'd had my hair cut - and nearly every week I get someone asking me if I've been to the hairdressers. So if you're sick of trying in vain to make your mop look top-notch, give it a whirl. For me it was £45 very well spent.

Images: 1 & 2 BaByliss, 3 Amazon