I tried Miley Cyrus’ glamorous Texas blow-dry – the XXL haircut gave me a facelift
THEY say bigger is better, but when it comes to hair, I’ve done my best to avoid that look since the 1980s.
Yes, I embraced perms as a teenager, but since I became a woman in the 1990s, my hair straighteners have never been far from my side.
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Like Kate Moss, I’ve embraced the occasional beachy wave or boho curl, provided it still looks natural.
But when I want to add drama and a touch of sex appeal to my look, I use makeup and not a hairdryer.
Just like any other woman in her fifties,
I thought the bouffant was long dead and buried, along with leg warmers and tights.
But to my surprise, big hair is back, from Beyonce’s Texas blow-dry to Kendall Jenner’s skyscraper slicked back. “Do that and add at least four inches to her six-foot frame.
Then of course there was Miley Cyrus at the Grammys earlier this month.
The last time I saw such a big hairdryer was watching the American soap opera Dynasty in 1986.
But singer Miley’s performance was bold, glamorous and exuded confidence – and I loved it.
There is always a risk that women will wear these over-the-top styles.
But in the cases of Miley, Beyonce, and Kendall, they certainly wore and owned their hairstyles.
The gravity-defying style pays tribute to the sexy supermodel of the 1980s – think Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford, both sex symbols of the era.
Overall, it seems like the big, bouncy ‘do requires an equally majestic occasion.
Miley was at the Grammys while Beyonce’s blonde, bouncy blowout was a few days later for her Super Bowl performance.
It was here that she announced her new song Texas Hold ‘Em, making her the first black woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Music chart.
Maya Jama wore a big ponytail look to the Love Island All Stars finale this month, while Kendall Jenner turned heads at Paris Fashion Week.
Beauty commentators have been quick to declare 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 mother of two, would I look more like Joan Collins than a cool pop kitty, with my height adding years to my face?
Mafia wife vibes
Or can I also get an injection of superstar sex appeal with XXL hair?
On the way to the studio to meet stylist Lisa Coleman for my massive makeover, I have to admit my nerves were ringing.
I realized that my long, natural locks were a security blanket I could hide behind, kind of like Claudia Winkleman’s famous bangs.
I could blend into the background with my usual style, but with this blow dryer it would make everything visible.
In fact, my huge hair screamed, “Here I am, people! Look at me.”
The transformation took about an hour from start to finish, using a hairdryer, hot rollers and LOTS of product.
I rarely use more than shampoo and conditioner these days, so it was a shock to see all the hairspray and mousse it took to get the va-va-voom.
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After a lot of smoothing and adjusting, Lisa made the big reveal – and I was in shock.
I couldn’t believe that my straight, sleek locks could actually grow that big. It took me a while to get used to it, but I was impressed with how luxurious it felt.
I’m no supermodel, but I still used to channel Cindy Crawford.
It also made me feel expensive and shiny, with mafia lady vibes. They are very sopranos.
Which means my simple white T-shirt and jeans didn’t suit my ‘do enough.
I had to put on a form-fitting dress and heels, get my nails done and add some mega fake eyelashes.
If you want to go big, you have to go for the whole hog.
On the way home to St Albans, Herts, after the photo shoot, I got a shock every time I saw 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 subway kept looking in my direction, while the driver asked if I was famous.
But amazingly, my worst fear had not come true.
It hasn’t aged me.
In fact, I liked how it framed my face and showed off my facial features for a change.
Maybe all the hairspray was a mini facelift?
When I sent photos to my friends, they declared me “trendy,” while my kids – Georgia, 20, and Rudy, 16 – loved seeing their mom look a little different.
I got a lot of flame reactions when I shared a photo on Instagram, complete with my faux fur coat.
But the best response came from my partner Paul, 51.
“You look good,” he grinned.
Would I do it again?
I’m not sure I have the skills and dedication – or even the hairspray – to recreate it myself.
But I’m willing to try a tamer, Texas-inspired look.
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Do it yourself now
CELEBRITY hairstylist Jonathan Andrew told us: “Nothing says full glamor more than a good blow-dry – and hairdressers love to do it.
“The country-meets-Carmela Soprano look is much kinder to your hair than heat-heavy recent styles, like beachy waves.
“This is because it uses a gradual technique and products to gently build volume into your follicles, rather than blowing the fluid out. It also lasts for ages, with a good blow-dry lasting up to five days.
“While it’s an expensive look best achieved in 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 hair to 50 percent, without the nozzle.
Keep moving the hairdryer with one hand and the hair with the other, allowing air to circulate.
3. Then add your main product: mousse.
Spray some on your hand and use a wide-toothed comb to scoop it through the roots.
Then knead the remaining mousse through the rest of the hair.
4. Attach the nozzle to your dryer and dry, using your fingers to lift the hair at the roots.
5. When 80 percent dry, add a parting and separate a rectangular section around it measuring 1.5 inches on either side.
Then divide the remaining hair into sections – two in the front near the ears and four in the back (two on top and two on the bottom).
6. Use a brush (not a metal brush) and dry in small sections from bottom to top.
Make sure the root rises as much as possible before smoothing the center and bending the end.
Roll up the strip again, blow with cold air, take out the brush and pin with handles.
7. Once the bottom is done, take the rectangle around the parting. Working from the back, dry by pulling the hair straight up and towards your face, drying from the back.
8. Remove the pins, shake them out and turn the cup upside down.
Mist hair with a texture spray or gentle hairspray before gently brushing into your favorite style.
TOP TIP: It’s easier to remove volume than add it, so start big and brush out excess hair, rather than trying to add it after drying.
Jonathan is a global ambassador for Fudge Professional, which launched in Superdrug stores this week