Beauty
Amika's Blowout Babe Thermal Brush Has Transformed My Styling Game
I fully understand the hype.
If you’re wondering how creators on BeautyTok get big, bouncy waves in their hair, chances are they’re using a thermal brush. With over 170 million views on TikTok, thermal brushes — like the Wavytalk and the Amika Blowout Babe — are where it’s at when it comes to creating salon-level volume at home.
This type of bodacious bombshell hair is having a moment. See: Sabrina Carpenter’s fluffy curls and the return of ’90s supermodel hair. While I’ve always loved the look of curls and volume, I know how much effort, heat, and arm strength is required in order to get those results. It’s why I’ve resigned myself to rocking slightly wonky air-dried hair — until these thermal brushes popped up on my FYP.
Thermal brushes are a hot commodity and they constantly sell out and restock, but once I got my hands on the Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Ionic Hairbrush, I immediately realized what all the fuss is about. Keep reading below for my honest review of the hot tool.
Fast Facts
- Price: $100.00
- Best for: Smooths frizz, adds volume and shine to hair
- My rating: 5/5
- What we like: Easy to use, great results, makes you feel like a hairstylist
- What we don't like: One of the pricier thermal brushes
The Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Ionic Hairbrush
The Blowout Babe is a hot brush that allows you to get that professional blowout look — without all the noise and hot air that comes with your typical styling sesh. It’s designed for all hair types and can be used to create a blowout at home or to refresh the perfect blowout you got at the salon so it lasts a little bit longer.
The wand features a 1.5-inch ceramic barrel that emits far-infrared heat to penetrate into the center of your hair, effectively heating it from the inside out. Because this type of heat tech warms your hair evenly, it allows you to style your strands without causing as much damage as your typical hot tools. The brush heats up to 356 degrees Fahrenheit all while the heat-resistant handle stays cool.
The round brush is covered in 0.5-inch nylon bristles that make it easy to smooth and style your strands. There’s also an ionic option, which increases the negative ion output on the heated barrel for shinier, smoother hair.
To make styling easier, there’s a nine-foot cord on a swivel that allows you to curl without getting tangled.
How To Use It
To get started, the brand recommends washing and drying your hair like you normally would before combing out any knots. That way, the tool will glide through your strands without getting tangled.
Slide the “on” button up once to use regular heat or twice to use the ionizer. Place the tool on a flat, heat-resistant surface like your bathroom counter to heat up. A little red light will stay on the whole time it’s on.
Once the brush is hot, grab a piece of hair about the width of the barrel. Starting at the top, brush it through your hair a few times to smooth the strands, then wrap the hair around the barrel. Hold it in place for a few seconds until you see a curl starting to form.
It’s the same technique that you’d use with a typical hair dryer and round brush, except the thermal tool is doing all the work for you. To release the curl, slowly spin the brush as you bring it down length of your hair.
To create a true bombshell look, it’s recommended to curl your hair away from your face. Some people like to hold the brush upright while others turn it upside down, but it all depends on the curl pattern you’re going for. (If you aren’t picturing the process, there are dozens of tutorials on TikTok.)
My Experience
Anytime I’m in the presence of a hot tool, I immediately have flashbacks of my hair sizzling off. As someone who grew up around boiling-hot curling irons, I can still smell the smoke and see the burnt ends in my mind’s eye.
It’s why I was a little nervous as the Blowout Babe sat warming on my bathroom counter. I worried it would be too hot or that the round brush would tangle in my hair — but I’m happy to report none of that happened. In fact, it couldn’t have been easier to use.
With a TikTok tutorial at the ready on my phone, I grabbed the tool and glided it through my hair. The bristles untangled any leftover knots while the warmth of the barrel smoothed away frizz. Honestly, I could have run it through my hair a few times and left it at that, but I was bent on achieving ’90s-era Cindy Crawford volume.
To add more oomph and curls, I pulled the brush down the length of my hair, then slowly turned the barrel until I had curled back up towards my roots. I held the brush for a few seconds then gently untwisted to let the curl fall out and boom — I was a babe.
Before I got started my air-dried hair was wavy, slightly frizzy, and a little bit flat. After using the thermal brush, it had way more bounce and movement. The whole process took about 20 minutes, which wasn’t that bad of an investment for the babelicious pay-off.
The Verdict
One of the little features I appreciate most is the swivel cord. It didn’t matter which way I turned or twisted in my bathroom — the cord always rolled smoothly in its socket, which allowed me to style my hair without getting all tangled up.
I was also so impressed by the actual curl. Depending on how tightly or loosely I wrapped my hair around the barrel, the heat magically added a dose of volume and shine in mere seconds.
Now I fully understand the thermal brush hype. Not only is this option from Amika easy to use, but it’s also super effective. Just like TikTok promised, you don’t have to be a hair pro to create your own blowouts at home.
