Full transparency: I don’t know where I’d be without my Dyson Airwrap. Ever since the magic tool (and yes, it deserves that description) came into my life, not a day has gone by when I haven’t used it. But the price tag of nearly £500 means it’s a hefty investment and not one that we can all justify, especially right now. That’s why I’ve become a bit of a dupe detective when it comes to looking for affordable alternatives for the Dyson Airwrap, and Revlon’s One-Step Blow-Dry Multi Styler sounded like it could be a serious contender.
You might already be familiar with Revlon’s One-Step Volumiser Plus, a large heated barrelled brush that helps you to achieve a 90s blowout without the faff of a hairdryer. I’ve always struggled when it comes to using hot brushes, so this isn’t one that I’ve tried, but it’s a favourite of beauty contributor Olivia McCrea-Hedley, and she wrote about why she loves it so much here.
Here’s how the newest Revlon tool differs from the Volumiser Plus: like the Airwrap, the Multi Styler comes with attachments (three compared to the Airwrap’s six), including a dryer. But more than just a multi-styler, this tool promises 50% less heat exposure and styling in up to half the time, meaning healthier hair and quicker results. So far, so good.
Revlon One-Step Blow-Dry Multi Styler
Price: £74.99
Attachments: Comes with three – Root-drying Concentrator, 360° Vented Airflow Curler, Volumising Oval Brush – but you can buy others separately
Heat settings: Four, including a cool option to help set the style
Suitable for: Fine and medium hair types
Now while Revlon says you can use this tool on damp hair, I’m not a fan of styling from wet hair, so I started styling from dry. The root-drying tool is the best attachment to use on damp hair as it dries and volumises simultaneously, giving your roots a lift. I used this to do the same on my dry hair as it had become flat where I’d slept on it, and it did deliver body and volume back into my roots as promised.
To switch over your styling tool, simply hold down the unlock switch and twist the styling attachment before pulling it out.
As I mentioned I can’t get on with hot brushes, try as I might, so I opted to use the curler to style the majority of my hair into a curl. This attachment is quite different to the Airwrap Barrel, which wraps the hair around the shaft without you needing to do it manually. I personally love this and find it super easy to use, but I know other people that have found it trickier to get the hang of, which is why they might prefer Revlon’s version.
Revlon’s curling barrel is more similar to classic hair curling tools and comes with a tong, allowing you to section the hair and place it under the clip of the tong before curling upwards and away from the face.
I was surprised at how quickly the curling barrel worked through my hair, which can be deceivingly thick. It was able to curl a substantial section of hair each time and the timeframe of how long it took was around 5-7 minutes, which is as quick as when I’m styling with my Dyson Airwrap.
The curls were looser than the fuller and bouncier style you get with the Airwrap curling barrel, but those do also drop slightly. If you prefer the look of a bouncy blowout, I would recommend going in at the roots with the root dryer again to give more volume to the hair, but for lowkey beachy curls, Revlon’s curling barrel does a good job.
I then went in with the oval-shaped volumising brush to refresh my fringe, using the large barrel brush to curl my fringe under and then over and upwards to get a 70s-style finish, and this worked just as well as the Dyson version, which I use to get the same effect.
While I could now use my Dyson Airwrap in my sleep, I will say that it took me a few practice runs to understand how to use it properly. On the other hand, I was able to figure out the Revlon tool pretty much straight away.
To sum up: I won’t be replacing my Airwrap with the Revlon Multi Styler – the Dyson’s multitude of styling attachments are the best I’ve ever tried and are perfect for travelling with just one tool – I do think that it makes a worthy alternative to certain attachments from the Airwrap, most specifically the volumising brush and curling barrel. Revlon’s curler and oval brush do differ from the aforementioned Airwrap attachments by design and finish slightly, but at £75 (a whopping £404 less than the Airwrap), if smooth curls and a voluminous blow dry are the two main styles you want to achieve daily, this tool will certainly do that.
There are also a couple of extra Revlon attachments you can buy separately to add to the Multi Styler that aren’t available to buy on its website yet, but it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled if you are considering making the purchase.
I will caveat that by saying I’ve only tried this on my hair, which is fine to medium thickness and naturally straight, so those with thicker and curly or coily hair might be better off looking at other tools such as the Airwrap which has attachments ideal for styling curly and coily hair types.
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