From Farrah Fawcett to Matilda Djerf, we’ve always lusted over and longed for big, bouncy hair — and with concave layers, the ‘Sachel’ (the shag meets ‘the Rachel’) and ’70s-style, Daisy Jones-esque cuts trending, that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.
Unfortunately, volume doesn’t come easily to us all. Those like me, blessed with thin, fine hair (I say blessed for the sole reason that air-drying is so quick), often have to rely on a potent cocktail of volumising mousses, texture sprays and curling wands to give our fine strands body.
Then Dyson arrived and changed the game with its Airwrap, which dries and styles hair simultaneously, promising a salon-worthy blowdry at home. But with all its gizmos and gadgets (it currently sells for £479.99), it’s on the expensive side. So when my carefully curated TikTok algorithm started serving me glowing reviews of the Amika Round Blow Dryer Brush 2.0, which combines an extra big, round hairbrush and a blowdryer for only £95, I was intrigued. Could this be the more budget-friendly answer to my bouncy hair dreams? Read on for my honest thoughts.
Amika Round Blow Dryer Brush 2.0, £95
My first impressions of the Amika Round Blow Dryer Brush 2.0
My first thought was Damn, this is one chunky tool. My second? Thank God it’s not as heavy as it looks. In fact, the 2.0 is lighter than many hairdryers I’ve tried and just as light as the Dyson Airwrap (which I have borrowed from a friend in the past). It is corded but has a 360° swivel mechanism so it’s easy to manoeuvre around your head. Unlike other blowdry brushes on the market, Amika’s is oval-shaped (rather than round) to boost root lift. It also has two types of bristles: long nylon, ball-tip bristles (like you would find on a normal hairbrush) to detangle and smooth the hair and short, spiky bristles to increase bounce. This is all embedded in a smooth, tourmaline-coated barrel to further minimise frizz.
Perhaps foolishly, I was so excited to receive my 2.0 that I decided to use it for the first time when I was already running late for a friend’s birthday drinks. Fresh from the shower and with my makeup half-done, I sectioned my towel-dried hair and worked in a heat protectant as suggested (Amika Blockade Heat Defense Serum, £26). Then I got to work brushing through my hair, using the hottest temperature, hoping it would be the fastest drying. I was right — this brush is powerful. It took about 10 minutes to fully dry and style my hair, adding body and volume while keeping it sleek and shiny. I was very impressed, especially considering how much it cut down on my getting-ready time (and how much it defused my frizz).
The 2.0 is noisier than the Airwrap but no more so than your usual hairdryer. Given that it only takes minutes to dry and style your hair, it’s a small price to pay.
Is the Amika Round Blow Dryer Brush 2.0 worth it?
Yes! Over the last few weeks, my daily routine has completely changed. Now it takes me mere minutes to achieve sleeker hair, which is a dream during the hot summer months. Even better, my hair still looks great two days later, which means I’m using less heat on my hair week after week, minimising damage. I’ve also learned that using volumising products with the 2.0 (I like Amika Perfect Body Mousse, £13, and Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray, £13, which I also received) really amps up the volume and hold of your blowdry.
If you’re after that flippy, Matilda Djerf, curtain bang look, I think you might need to go in with a curling iron or hot rollers as well. This is where the Dyson Airwrap triumphs because it comes with curling attachments. But since the Round Blow Dryer Brush 2.0 is a fraction of the price, I can’t help but give it the crown.
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