Pro Stylists Share the Top Hairdryers That Stand Out Above the Rest

There’s a very good reason that celebrities always have perfect hair: They know the right people.

And every time we at The Lookbook meet a pro hairstylist, there's one question we want answered: What's the trick to getting my hair look as good as Real Housewife IRL?

Turns out, a lot of it comes down to choosing the right tools—and none is more important than a hair dryer. After all, how else can you create a perfect blowout or smooth a faux lob?

So we checked in with a few of our favorite hairstylists, including those responsible for some of the best Bravolebrity looks, and got them to share the go-to dryers that make all the difference.

“I’ve owned so many blow dryers but this Rapido has been my go-to for a few years now,” Julius Michael (see him in action in the video above) told The Lookbook when we asked what hairdryer helps him create looks for so many Bravolebs. “It’s incredibly powerful and stays consistently hot—plus, it’s extremely lightweight so my wrist doesn’t get tired or hurt after a few blowouts”—especially important when you’re using it hours a day on everyone from Tamra Judge to Kyle Richards to Ramona Singer (whew!).

Michael’s pro tip: “Rough dry hair to 60 percent before smoothing out the hair with a round brush or paddle brush for a silky smooth finish. But first make sure you always have the nozzle attached on the end of the dryer to protects it from the metal that gets super hot on the end.”

“To be honest, at first I was drawn to the dryer for the color! I mean, who wouldn’t love a cute mint green blowdryer? But I also love it because it’s small, so it fits easily in my kit and is easy to pack as while I run from guest to guest,” says Bradley Leake—including almost every Vanderpump Rules cast member you could name, from Brittany Cartwright to Kristen Doute to Stassi Schroeder.

Leake’s pro tip: Always finish your look with a blast from the dryer’s cool setting. “It seals in your blowout for a style that lasts all night.”

“The Elchim 3900 has all the features I like: A cool shot for locking in styles, a quiet motor so you don’t need to shout, and it’s on the lighter side so you only have to work out at the gym,” says Fae Norris of L.A.’s Neighborhood Salon. “An added bonus is that its ionic ceramic system actually reduces static electricity.”

Norris’s pro tip: “If big hair is your thing, take the nozzle off and flip the hair upside down to dry. This will give you huge hair and dry it extra fast. You can always smooth your do after it’s dry by putting the nozzle back on."

”Dyson Supersonic’s super-powerful airflow dramatically cuts down drying time,” says Giovanni Vaccaro, who’s used it to dry the strands of everyone from Brooke Shields to Paris Hilton and Carolyn Murphy. “It's also heat-controlled, which prevents over-drying, breakage, and extreme heat damage for healthier, shinier hair.”

Vaccaro’s pro tip: For added volume tease hair at the crown by backcombing with a rat-tail comb, making sure to fully remove the comb’s teeth after each downward stroke.