Get your best blowout results yet

Whether it’s glass, sheeted or bountiful, the Bixie crop or an Airspace cut, this season’s trends signal the return of the Blow Dry – and by association, the blow dry brush.
We jump into the topic of professional tools with leading hairdresser, educator and salon owner, Monique McMahon of QUE in Sydney’s Darlinghurst to discover which brushes and blow dry tools her team turn to achieve swishy, glossy shine for their clients every time.

Monique’s team at QUE is renowned for its signature ‘brushed out blow dries’, a bouncy, voluminous ‘70’s inspired blow-out that’s glossy, healthy and sexier than Farrah Fawcett. Monique’s shares the down-low on the professional hair tools that her team use to nail this look at home.

StyleIcons: What are your ride or die hair tools at QUE?

Monique: Hands down, it’s Ibiza Hair Tools. Their range of hair straightening brushes, hair styling tools and blow dryer brushes are second to none. I discovered the brand through Instagram a couple of years ago after seeing the likes of Tracy Cunningham, Chris Appleton and Chris McMillan using them on their celebrity clientele. I just had to try them for myself.

StyleIcons: What makes Ibiza Hair Tools so special?

Monique: There are so many reasons why Ibiza Hair Tools are the best around. All their hair styling tools are designed by company founder Aaron Johles, a second-generation hairdresser who picked up his craft from his father who used to sell Ibiza brushes from the boot of his car. Each brush, whether it’s a hair straightening brush or blow drying brush, has a cork handle. Cork is an amazing material, it’s sustainable to produce, incredibly lightweight, super durable and antimicrobial which makes it the perfect handle material for a blow drying brush. The easy-to-handle performance is next level. So excited to have these hair tools available in Australia!

StyleIcons: Ibiza Hair Tools feature natural boar bristles, why is this so popular for blow dryer brushes?

Monique: Boar bristle is as close as it gets to human hair as it has a very similar molecular structure. This means that the bristles are gentler and less likely to snag the hair when you brush through tangles. Most Ibiza Hair Tools feature a special boar bristle blend which is great blow drying for all hair types as it helps you achieve the right kind of tension – the GripSlip Technology allows you to grip and slip to create big voluminous curls. For dead straight, glass-smooth hair, Ibiza’s hair straightening brushes like the round OC6 deliver a smooth, polished end result that will give the sheeted-hair trend a run for its money. Boar bristles also massage the scalp, circulating the natural oils and delivering that little bit of extra shine. The B Series of round blow-dryer brushes is a favourite of mine, I love the blonde bristles for my fine hair girls.

What tips do you have for achieving this season’s glass finish trend?

Monique: Nailing the 90’s inspired Sheeted Hair trend is all about healthy hair, healthy colour! You can’t get that mirror shine without starting from a good base. Regular trims and treatments are your answer here. If you’re finding that your colour is looking dull and is lacking luminosity, I’d recommend an in-between treatment like Wella’s Colour Shine at your salon, or using a toner mask to nourish and illuminate. Our go-to are Christophe Robin’s shade variation masks. You’re aiming to achieve a smooth, sheet-flat cuticle that reflects light for that ultimate sheeted-hair finish that we’re seeing all over TikTok.. Then we can pick up the hair straightener – or one of the new generation hair dryer brushes like the Air Wrap from Dyson (imagine a cross between a round blow dryer brush and a hair dryer) Don’t forget your fringe – loving the new GHD mini for this.

StyleIcons: Talk us through the creative process behind sheeted hair …

Firstly apply a silicone free heat protectant like Christophe Robin’s regenerating serum with prickly pear oil or ANTI’s finishing cream to damp hair throughout mid-lengths and ends. Section your hair, then with a large round brush that’s curved so it sits close to the head like Ibiza RLX4 or Z series and hairdryer at medium heat, direct the heat downwards from the crown, keeping it close to the brush without touching the hair. Repeat until hair is dry. Brush through, and finish with a smoothing cream like Larry King’s A Social Life for Your Hair to tame any rogue flyaways. At QUE Colour, we rarely use hair straighteners even to achieve a silky, sheeted finish preferring the old school set and brush method.

StyleIcons: Let’s get into the Brushed out blow dry. How do we recreate this iconic look, and what hair styling tools should we reach for?

Monique: This style is the ultimate luxurious blow dry. It is voluminous with a capital V. Volume starts at the basin with Christophe Robin’s Cleansing Volumising paste with pure rassoul clay. This clay to foam formulation turns milky white on the hair and emulsifies beautifully, deep cleansing and creating a natural fullness from the roots. The perfect base with which to begin.

StyleIcons: Let’s break this down into steps

Step 1:
With a classic blow dry set like this one, the first step is sectioning. Divide the hair into 6 equal sections – one at the front, four around the hairline and nape, and one at the crown. This is blow drying back to basics. Everything we do with the hair from this point in is to work it into its final position. Start clean = end clean!

Step 2:
Next roll up each section with a round blow dryer brush like Ibiza’s MB5, making sure to stretch and over exaggerate every section of the hair in an upwards direction, making sure to never let the root drop. Clip the roll as you move around to the next section. Once you’ve dried and rolled each, set them with styling spray like ANTI Collective’s Styling Spray to hold those babies firm!

Step 3:
Using the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer or ghd Helios with a diffuser attachment, diffuse and double set the hair. First on a medium heat, and next with a cool shot over each section. This creates a style memory every time.

Step 4:
After setting, it’s time to (gently) unpin those curls, in preparation for our next step…

Step 5:
Our top tip for the perfect finish? Spray your blow dry brush with Christophe Robin Paris volumizing mist with rose extract to add volume and shine

Step 6:
With your favourite round Ibiza OC4 detangling brush , work your hand underneath the hair to make it bounce! Take your time with this step – this is the most rewarding part of the whole process, and shouldn’t be rushed.

Step 7:
Use whisper-light fingers, pinch and manipulate the hair into shape till you have the perfect finish.

Ibiza Hair Tools will be at Hair Festival, 12 – 13 June at Sydney’s beautiful Carriageworks on Stand 61.

Follow @ibizahairtools_aus

MCM Imports – Exclusive distributors of Ibiza Hair Tools , Christophe Robin, Larry King Haircare, HairVac and les huilettes

Sales contact: Leidy Moreno leidy@mcmimports.com.au @mcm_beauty_

Picture credits @quecolour @paulmcmahonphoto @natalia_parsonson

Catch up with INSTYLE and Styleicons!