Heat styling your hair when it’s hot out is a great way to feel really miserable. But air-drying isn’t always an option, either; unless your hair naturally dries to a perfectly coiffed, fashionably frizzy situation, in which case, we both envy and resent you.
Surely there’s a solution, though. In search of one, we gave four of our editors' new products that promise to make air-drying a more beautiful thing. Click through to read their reviews and see pictures of their hair air-dried with and without the product.
Liz Riccardi, Digital Design Director
Bumble and bumble Don't Blow It Hair Styler
"My hair is super thick and dry from being bleached, so when I air-dry it without product, it's kinda fuzzy. Bumble and bumble's Don't Blow It Hair Styler added just enough texture to make it piecey without being sticky, and it got rid of all my flyaways. I used a lot, considering how short my hair is, massaged it in, put my hair where I wanted it, and tried not to touch it while it dried. In the end, it actually felt almost as smooth as a blow dry. I'll definitely be using it this summer!"
Katherine Martinez, Director of E-Commerce
Alterna Haircare Caviar CC Cream 10-in-1 leave in protector
"As someone who loves rocking ultra-long locks, the struggle can be
so
real when it comes to my daily routine. (Hint: I'm the girl in the gym locker room who's still frantically blow-drying while two cycles of girls have already finished, applied their makeup, and left for work... Crying is not unusual.) I seize every opportunity to let my hair air-dry in the summer, which tragically results in a more "strung-out" and less of the "disheveled-chic" look that I'm going for. The CC cream was a dream come true — I just washed my hair as usual, towel-dried, applied generously (didn't want to take any chances), and braved the NYC humidity. My rapidly splitting ends felt less noticeable, and overall, my hair felt silkier. I've used it three times since last week, and it's been a big time-saver."
Leila Brillson, Digital Director
"So, I kind of cheated. I don't normally dry my hair, or I'll straighten it a day after I wash it. (I wash my hair every other day, because that is how I roll, thankyouverymuch.) However, I generally don't put anything in my hair when it air-dries, and when I am getting ready for something nice or am about to step out to a dinner, my companions often side-eye me and suggest I should maybe, 'Brush my hair.' Purely Perfect was, to be fair, not perfect. In fact, it was a little tacky — more tacky than I would have liked, and running it through my wet hair was a bit hard and needed to be followed up with a brushing. The texture was great and I did feel like that I was able to de-frizz my hair, but I'll be honest: I could feel it in my hair all day. It felt a little — well, not crunchy, but cronschy. Does that make sense? I don't know if I would use it again, but I am certainly still on the hunt."
Busra Erkara, Senior Editor
"A lot of hairstylists say that when you have curly hair, it really comes down to your haircut and the products you're using. And no matter how I dry my hair, it's never at its best on the first couple of hours after it is completely dry. It needs at least one day to find itself, and I get it. Given these two facts, yes, some products do help with the insanity that takes place right after. But Verb's Curl Cream was not one of them. The texture felt too silicone-y, and defined the curls perhaps too much — as if I'd used a light gel, which I never would. I would say the main problem was the frizz, and the fact that the product was not helping to take that away. Over the years, I've found out that creams that have natural oils as base ingredients — especially Shea butter, argan, or coconut oil — tend to work better with my hair. I do have a theory that this product would work at its optimum on someone with small, tight curls — so I wouldn't give the final verdict without a second opinion."
