BIG BLOWOUT
I tried Miley Cyrus’ glam Texas blow dry – the XXL hairdo gave me a facelift & Mob Wife vibes
Scroll down to find out how to recreate the hairdo yourself
THEY say bigger is better, but when it comes to hair, I’ve done my best to avoid that look since the Eighties.
Yes, I embraced perms as a teenager but since I reached womanhood in the Nineties, my straighteners have never been far from my side.
10
10
Like Kate Moss, I’ve embraced a beachy wave or boho curl from time to time, providing it still looks natural.
But when I want to add drama and a hint of sex appeal to my look, I use make-up, not a blow dry.
Like every other fiftysomething female,
I thought the bouffant was long dead and buried, along with leg warmers and leotards.
READ MORE FASHION NEWS
But to my surprise, big hair is back, from Beyonce’s Texas blow dry to Kendall Jenner’s back-combed skyscraper ’do that adds at least three inches to her 5ft 10in frame.
Then of course there was Miley Cyrus at the Grammys earlier this month.
The last time I’d seen a blow dry that big, I was watching US soap Dynasty in 1986.
But singer Miley’s ’do was bold, glamorous and oozed confidence — and I loved it.
Most read in Fabulous
There’s always a risk that these over-the-top styles wear the woman.
But in Miley, Beyonce and Kendall’s cases, they were most definitely wearing — and owning — their hairdo.
The gravity-defying style pays homage to the sexy supermodel blow dry of the Eighties — think Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford, both sex symbols of the era.
Inside Channel 4's New Model Agency
Generally it seems that the big, bouncy ’do requires an equally majestic occasion.
Miley was at the Grammys while Beyonce’s blonde, bouncy blowout was for her Super Bowl appearance a few days later.
It was here that she announced her new song, Texas Hold ’Em, which has made her the first black woman to hit No1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Music chart.
Maya Jama rocked a big ponytail look during the Love Island All Stars final this month, while Kendall Jenner turned heads at Paris Fashion Week.
Beauty commentators have quickly declared that Texas hair — a big blow dry — is THE look of 2024.
But how would the style translate to my own locks?
As a 51-year-old mum of two, would I look more Joan Collins than cool pop kitten, with the height adding years to my face?
Mob wife vibes
Or could I, too, get an injection of superstar sex appeal with XXL hair?
Heading to the studio to meet stylist Lisa Coleman for my mammoth makeover, I’ll admit my nerves were jangling.
I’d realised that my long, natural locks were a safety blanket to hide behind, a bit like Claudia Winkleman’s famous fringe.
I could blend into the background with my usual style but everything would be exposed with this blow dry.
In fact, my huge hair would scream: “Here I am, folks! Look at me.”
The transformation took around an hour from start to finish, with the help of a hairdryer, hot rollers and a LOT of product.
I rarely use more than shampoo and conditioner these days, so it was a shock to see all the hairspray and mousse needed to get the va-va-voom.
10
10
After lots of preening and tweaking, Lisa did the big reveal — and I was in shock.
I couldn’t believe my straight, lank locks could actually get that big. It took me a while to get used to it, but I was in awe of how luxurious it felt.
I’m no supermodel, yet I was channelling Cindy Crawford back in the day.
It also made me feel expensive and glossy, with Mob wife vibes. It’s very Sopranos.
Which means my simple white T-shirt and jeans were not enough of a match for my ’do.
I needed to slip into a slinky dress and heels, get my nails done and add some mega fake lashes.
If you’re going to go big, you need to go the whole hog.
On my way home to St Albans, Herts, after the photoshoot, I got a shock every time I caught my reflection in a mirror or window.
It was like a Lego helmet, a new accessory on top of my head.
Other passengers on the Tube kept glancing in my direction, while the driver asked if I was famous.
But, amazingly, my biggest fear hadn’t come to pass.
It didn’t age me.
In fact, I liked how it framed my face and showed off my features for a change.
Perhaps all the hairspray was like a mini facelift?
When I sent pictures to my pals, they declared me “on trend”, while my kids — Georgia, 20, and Rudy, 16 — loved seeing their mum looking a bit different.
I got lots of flame reactions when I shared a picture on Instagram, complete with my fake fur coat.
But the best reaction was from my partner Paul, 51.
“You look hot,” he grinned.
Would I do it again?
READ MORE SUN STORIES
I’m not sure I have the skills and commitment — or even the hairspray — to recreate it myself.
But I’m willing to try a tamer Texas-inspired look.
10
10
10
10
10
10
Now do it yourself
CELEBRITY hairstylist Jonathan Andrew told us: “Nothing says full-on glamour more than a big blow dry – and hairdressers love doing them.
“The country-meets-Carmela Soprano look is much kinder to your hair than heat-heavy recent styles, such as beachy waves, too.
“This is because it uses a gradual technique and products to tease the volume into your follicles gently, instead of blasting the moisture out. It also lasts ages, with a proper blow dry lasting up to five days.
“While it’s an expensive look best achieved at the salon, you CAN recreate a version at home, with time and the right tools.”
Here’s how :
1. Remove moisture from clean, washed hair by gently squeezing, not rubbing, to reduce friction.
2. Add a blow dry primer for protection, spritz with a sea salt spray to help with shaping and rough dry the hair to 50 per cent, without the nozzle.
Keep moving the dryer with one hand and the hair with the other to let the air circulate.
3. Next, add your key product – mousse.
Squirt some on to your hand and use a wide tooth comb to scoop it through the roots.
Then scrunch remaining mousse through the rest of the hair.
4. Attach the nozzle to your dryer and dry, using your fingers to lift hair at the roots.
5. At 80 per cent dry, add a parting and separate off a rectangular section around it of 1.5in either side.
Then split the remaining hair into sections – two at the front by the ears and four at the back (two top and two bottom).
6. Use a bristle brush – not a metal one – and dry from the bottom up in small sections.
Get as much root lift as possible, before smoothing the middle and bending the end.
Roll the strip back up, blast with cold air, take the brush out and pin with grips.
7. Once the underneath is done, take the rectangle around the parting. Working from the back, dry by pulling the hair straight up and towards your face, drying at the rear.
8. Remove the pins, shake out and turn the head upside down.
Mist with a texture spray or soft hairspray, before gently brushing into your preferred style.
TOP TIP: It’s easier to take volume out than add it, so start big and brush out excess, rather than trying to add after drying.
Jonathan is a global ambassador for Fudge Professional, which launched in Superdrug stores this week