Does the GHD Duet Blowdry Mean the End of the Salon Blowdry? This Editor Thinks Maybe

Another day, another new hair tool. It feels like over the last few years we have seen an incredible amount of new hair tools all promising to make you ditch the salon forever. Whether it’s damage-free curls like the Dyson Air Wrap or one of its many dupes such as the Shark FlexStyle, to straightening brushes like the Babyliss Air Wand the hair tool market is booming and there seems to be something for everyone. As a beauty editor I am lucky enough to be sent samples of many of the new tools and although I have tried many and enjoyed using them, I tend to go back to my trusty hair dryer and curling wand after a few weeks when the novelty has worn off.

Which is why, when I heard GHD were bringing out a new wet to dry blow dry brush, I was underwhelmed. Do we need another tool? I’m also not a massive fan of the original GHD Duet as it gives me PTSD from my younger years and the original straightening irons, which sizzled the hair as it straightened. I know the GHD Duet doesn’t do it in the same way as my 90s Babyliss Steam Straightener, but once you’ve experienced singed hair, you will forever remember the smell.

However, don’t for one second think this nonchalant attitude means I didn’t jump in the shower and wash my hair the second I received my own GHD Duet Blowdry (£380) to try. It may have been 10pm and I wasn’t due a hair wash for another day or so, but nothing was stopping me from trying it out. And my thoughts? Put it this way, I have had it for less than a week and I have used it twice and want to wash my hair already so I can use it again.

Read on to find out why this could actually be the answer to skipping a salon blow dry forever and see my results.

About GHD Duet Blowdry

What I Like About the GHD Duet Blowdry

Hands down, the shine is next level. If like me you long to recreate the “just walked out the salon” swish at home, then you need to listen up as I think I have found it. And I don’t just mean for five minutes after you’ve used it, I’m talking all day, the morning after and the morning after that. My hair held its shape, it didn’t frizz and the shine was just as impressive on day three. This has always been my issue when using any of the tools, sure they look great for five minutes, but after an hour the curls have fallen out, my hair looks fluffy and I resort back to my heated tools. This is why I have always been weary before a big event to use an at-home air tool as it will never hold for long enough – and if there’s even a drop of moisture in the air forget about it. The GHD Duet Blowdry not only withstood a rainy school run and an evening out, it still looked fresh and bouncy the next day.

How to Use the GHD Duet Blowdry

The first time I used the tool I really went for it – I’m talking wet hair, no styling products. I wanted to put it to the test as much as I could, to really see if it lived up to the hype. I can safely say there was not a singed end in sight and my hair looked and felt sleek, glossy and full of volume. If you’re looking for a speedy tool then, although this is quick, I would say it took a good 30 minutes, which considering how long it would have taken with a brush and a hair dryer isn’t bad, but I think we have been spoiled with the speed of some of the other air stylers. I took small sections, around two inches each, and brushed the tool through the hair until each one was fully dry. I mixed it up taking some sections under at the end and the other flicking outwards, this gave it the bouncy blow dry finish, similar to a salon. The finished look was perfect, it looked like I had just walked out of a top London salon.

The second time I let my hair dry naturally until it was about 80% dry and then used the tool, it handled any of the frizz or natural wave in its stride and once again I was extremely happy with the results. It dried and styled my hair in under 10 minutes, so this is definitely the way to do it if you are time-starved. I would suggest if you have flat hair to use a mousse or root lifting styling product before like Color Wow Root Lift (£17) and if you really want to pump up the shine apply a few sprays of Glaze Super Sleek Shine Spray (£18) is perfect to protect and give an extra glassy finish.

What to Consider Before Buying the GHD Blowdry

It goes without saying £380 is not cheap, this is a serious investment tool and I would really think about how you wear your hair to see if it’s going to work for you. If you are a tousled wave type or prefer a actual curl then this may not be right. I don’t think you will ever replace a tong in terms of creating waves and curls that last and this doesn’t claim to do that. It is not a does-it-all hair tool, it has a very clear idea of what it can do and it does that brilliantly, but it doesn’t do everything. All these factors need to be considered when buying a item like this. Personally I will use this twice a week and won’t need to visit a salon for a blow dry before an event or night out, so I think it would be worth it. I tend to consider tools as a cost per use, in terms of value for money – girl maths be mathing and all that.

I have medium thick hair, which is very easy to style. I have also seen influencers with different hair types trying the tool and it gives a very different finish for 4C, for example, so if this is your hair type I would suggest having a look online before you purchase to see if this is the tool for you. Another factor is that it’s quite noisy, which doesn’t bother me particularly but is something to be aware of if using for the first time around a sleeping child/partner/dog. It also gets extremely hot so you need to make sure you have somewhere safe to put it down once you’re finished or in between sections.

Where is the GHD Duet Blowdry Available?

You can buy the new GHD Duet Blowdry from GHDhair.com, Lookfantastic, John Lewis and Next.

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