An Honest Review of GHD’s Duet Blowdry Styling Brush, According to a Beauty Editor With Curly Hair | Who What Wear

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Whether it be for a silk press, blow out or a simple blow dry and straighten, I love a trip to the hairdressers. As some with curly hair (a mix of 3c and 4a to be exact), I find that when I try to wash and style my hair at home, it just doesn’t have the same effect. This means I’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to find those perfect hair tools to give me a salon-like effect at home, and I think I may have finally found one.

Enter the GHD Duet Blowdry Brush (£379), which promises to give you “effortlessly sleek and bouncy blow dries in the comfort of your own home, using a unique aerodynamic system to avoid heat damage.” As someone who has used way too much heat in my hair over the years, I was very excited to try this out.

The Duet Blowdry Brush is a follow-on from the brand’s Duet Styler that launched in 2023. Unlike other blow-dry brushes, it promises to dry the hair in two different ways. Firstly with hot air flow at a controlled temperature of 120°C, and secondly the brush ceramic bristles heat up to speed up the drying and styling process. The tool also claims to leave the hair with 3 times more volume and 50% shinier. I would also note that unlike other tools which advise use on slightly damp hair after air or towel drying, this brush claims you can use it straight away on wet hair. This is something that I was initially skeptical about as I'm usually left with a lot of frizz when I use a drying tool without slightly drying my hair, so I was eager to put this to the test.

I used the hot brush straight after washing my hair with my usual Olaplex shampoo and conditioner. I added a couple of drops of the No7 hair oil before blowing out my hair. The first thing I noticed was that it was very noisy, noticeably louder than other hot brushes I've used in the past. However, I instantly picked up on how easy it was to use.

I timed myself and it took 12 minutes to fully dry and style my hair with the brush which was much quicker than a regular drying tool. Usually. by the end of my hair routine, my hands are aching from holding up the tools for so long, but this made the process faster without compromising on results.

I was so impressed with how my hair looked and felt after using the hot brush. Firstly it actually dried and smoothed out my roots, something that I find difficult to do with bulkier hair-drying tools. My hair was also smooth, voluminous and super shiny. Usually, after using a hot brush, I would go in with a pair of straighteners to get rid of additional frizz and further smooth out my hair, adding more heat to my hair, but with this tool, I genuinely didn't need to. It's obviously not quite as smooth as an actual salon blow-out, but considering the fact it uses significantly less heat and only takes 12 minutes, I was very impressed.

At almost £400, the GHD Blowdry brush is significantly more expensive than other hot brushes on the market, however if you're able to splurge on this I'd definitely recommend doing so. I feel like it gives me a smooth and shiny blow out without the heat damage that other tools have given me. I must admit, I'll still be giving the salon the odd visit for special occasion but this is defo a tool I’ll be using regularly.

Pros:- Easy to use - Doesn’t take long to dry and style hair- Dries the roots unlike a lot of other blow-dry brushes - Leaves hair smooth and shiny- Snag-free bristles mean it can suit all hair types

Cons:- Expensive - Rather noisy - Hard to clean

Temperature: 120°C (1 setting)Can it be used on wet hair?: Yes Standout review: “I love this low sound 2-in-1 hair dryer brush that dries and shapes simultaneously, creating fast professionally done hair right at home. Snag free bristles move effortlessly through the hair without tugging or breaking the hair. It’s a great investment just like all the GHD products. In addition they include a carrying case as well as a small little brush/pick tool to help clean the bristles off.”

Temperature: 2 heat settings (90°C and 130°C) plus a cool settingCan it be used on wet hair?: Yes Standout review: “I have type 4 hair and this hairdryer has been on my list for a while. All the coily/ curly haired girls rave about this and I understand why. You can get a very good blow dried look with minimal time..”

Temperature: 2 heat settings plus a cool settingCan it be used on wet hair?: Best on damp hair as opposed to wetStandout review: “I find its best to blast dry the hair first or leave it to air dry a bit, as it would take ages to dry with just this, but this is a great tool for speedy styling and finishing off, at the same time. You can really leave the brush at home and for someone with reduced mobility in both shoulders, you can use one hand with this. Does get quite hot after a while. Really glad I purchased it and have been using it a lot.”

Temperature: 5 heat settingsCan it be used on wet hair?: Use on slightly damp hairStandout review: “I have tried many styling brushes over the years. Cheap ones used to break quickly and damaged my fine hair. This product is expensive but very well made. The brush has a good grip and allows you to create a tension and a salon like sleek hair with a volume as a result. It is rather heavy but I got used to it. It uses low temperature so you have to air dry your hair a bit before you use it. Otherwise it will take ages to style your hair.”

Temperature: 3 temperature settings Can it be used on wet hair?: Yes Standout review: “Super happy with it! Does a fantastic job, my hair has never been nicer! Just like I went to the hairdresser. Top salon quality and very easy to use. Looked huge at first before using it for the first time then got used to it in a minute. I don’t mind the color (grey with yellow) as the result is perfect every time in no time. Wow. Top. Strongly recommend if you’re after bouncy, healthy and beautiful blow-dried hair. (I have chin-length hair).”

Temperature: 180°C (1 setting)Can it be used on wet hair?: NoStandout review: “Just received my Amika Blow Out Babe brush and I love it already after just one use. So easy to use. My hair is a short bob just below my chin and I achieved the most amazing blow out look. I was actually able to create a gentle curl throughout my hair which I could have left but was going for the brushed out, voluminous look. It's a super comfortable tool to use, honestly I'm so happy to have it.”

Temperature: 3 temperature settingsCan it be used on wet hair?: Yes Standout review: “This two in one hot air brush has turned me from a “I’ll just give my hair a quick blast with the hairdryer “ to being able to dry and style my hair in a fraction of the time it takes with a hairdryer and straightening iron. I wanted a new hot air brush because my previous (ancient) brush gave me a concussion each time I used it, it was so heavy and has hard, inflexible bristles, I made the right choice with Mark Hill product!”

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