How to Create a 90s Blowout At Home

The 90s are back in the form of a blowout. 

Nearly three decades after Cindy Crawford took the world by storm with her tousled, voluminous hair, the same style has seen a resurgence in the salons of today—but with a twist. Characterized by maximum volume at the roots and a “done-but-undone” glamour, the new ‘90s blowout is all about effortless glamour that looks just as at home on the runway as it does at happy hour. And more importantly, you can finally run your fingers through your hair with ease.  

To help you learn how to create the style for yourself, we tapped Redken ambassador and celebrity stylist Rodney Cutler to share all his tips and tricks. So grab your old Nirvana CD (or at least, cue it up on Spotify), and keep scrolling to time travel back to the ‘90s in the form of the most in-demand hairstyle of the season. 

1. Apply Heat Protecting Primer

First things first: Protect your hair. While Big Blowout Jelly has heat protectant built in, our lightweight Quick Blowout Primer Spray also nourishes hair and pairs perfectly with Big Blowout. With a bi-phase flash drying formula, Quick Blowout creates a smooth, frizz-free finish perfect for a glamorous blowout.

2. Apply Big Blowout Heat Protectant

Apply a quarter-sized amount of the Big Blowout to damp hair. Use your fingers or a comb to evenly distribute product from your mid lengths to your ends. Keep in mind that you don’t need much product to achieve maximum results, so plan accordingly. 

3. Rough dry hair

Before you start in on the actual styling process, you’ll want to rough dry your hair until it’s about 60 percent dry. “Use your hands to rake through the hair, which will help create volume at the roots,” says Cutler, who suggests starting at your scalp and actually raking upwards to get the job done. “You want the roots to go in a different direction than where they naturally fall, and this will help.” 

4. Use the “C Section” technique to style

Now, the real work comes in. Section your hair, and place the brush a third of the way up your hair shaft (not at the ends, as you would with other blowdry styles). From there, wrap it toward the root in a “C” shape away from your scalp, then wrap your ends around the brush. “This will help concentrate the air at the root area, which is where we want the volume, because that’s what makes it a ‘’90s’ blowout,” says Cutler. “If you just wrap it from the ends and roll it up, all the heat and volume on the brush is just going to go to the ends, so you’ll be flat on top and curly on the ends. With the “C Section” technique you’ll get that big, beautiful, ‘90s supermodel blowdry. 

5. Let the section cool

Before you unwrap your hair from the brush, let it cool down for 10 seconds. “The cooling down phase is critical for maintaining a longer-lasting style,” says Cutler. “If you just take the heat up and it wraps out, it will unravel and it will cool down there, so you actually want it to cool while it’s still on the barrel.” If you really need your look to last, he suggests pinning the wrapped hair to your head and letting it cool. 

6. Apply Quick Tease 15 hairspray 

Spritz your style with Quick Tease 15 Hairspray, and you’ll be ready for the 90s runway. 

1. Big Blowout Heat Protecting Blowout Gel: Whenever you’re using any type of hot tools on your hair (blowdryers included!), you’ll want to use a heat protectant to help fend off damage and keep your strands looking healthy when your final look is complete—and this one does so much more than that. In addition to offering heat protectant up to 450 degrees, it also adds instant volume, shine, and texture to leave your hair bouncy and full when your blowout is complete. It’s also got anti-frizz and anti-humidity benefits, which means your style will stay flawless long after you put down the dryer. 

2. A round brush- The perfect at-home blowout requires the perfect brush, which in this case is a small-to-medium sized round brush. The smaller the brush, says Cutler, the more volume it will create. As far as what type of brush to choose, the decision lies in your individual hair texture. If you’ve got thick, frizz-prone hair, Cutler suggests opting for a soft nylon or boar bristle brush, which will help to give you a smoother finish. If your hair is fine (and frizz isn’t an issue), opt for a metal or ceramic brush which will be easier to grip onto your strands while styling. 

3. A blowdryer with a nozzle- In order to achieve the type of root-centric volume that a ‘90s blowout demands, you’ll want to be sure you’re using a dryer with a nozzle. This, says Cutler, will help you direct the airflow in the way that you want, which is extra important with this type of styling because the goal is to get your roots to fall in the opposite direction than they naturally want to.

4. Quick Tease 15 Backcombing Finishing Spray- The ‘90s blowout is all about maximizing volume at the root, which is exactly what this hair spray is meant to do. It lifts the hair to add fullness and texture, and offers a medium hold that gives you style solid support while still being flexible enough to run your fingers through.