Get A Solid Blow Dry Quick & Super Cheap

Having your hair blown dry and styled professionally is expensive. Here’s where to get a solid job done quick and cheap.

CHEAP + GOOD | While the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge was confident enough (after a few private lessons) to do her own makeup on her wedding day, she left her hair in the hands of professionals. That’s because she knows, as do celebrities who globetrot with hairdressers in tow, that it’s downright impossible to DIY a salon-calibre hairstyle without plenty of time and considerable schooling—and even then, most tresses will still look better if they’ve been styled by a pro.

A simple shampoo and blowout with styling is a minimum $30 in salons, and most are a lot more expensive. So as much as I’d love to have my hair professionally styled more often, I visit my fancy cut-and-colour expert for a deluxe blow dry only when I’m going to attend a special event. I know women who work a two-tier system, using both an expensive stylist and a word-of-mouth blow dry guy who doesn’t charge much.

Do You Believe In Magic?

I don’t have a secret blow dry guy, but I have found another alternative. Last year a friend introduced me to the dirt cheap $14.95 Magic Cuts shampoo and blow dry. I have relied on it for occasions (business meetings, lunches, etc.) when I need my hair to look nicer than I could ever make it look myself, and they can do that just fine.

What I like about Magic Cuts is that I can drop in and usually get in without a huge wait. I also like that I have been able to wash and condition my own hair with the products I prefer and just drop in with a wet head for styling. With a blow dry, it’s all about who is wielding the dryer and brush. Some Magic Cuts stylists are better at that then others and I’ve learned who they are at the salon I go to. —Olivia Pittman

For the Magic Cuts location nearest you, visit www.magiccutssalons.com

Photo: iStock