Many of us have a love/hate relationship with our blowdryers. Standing with your arms in the air turning your round brush in hopes of more, more, more volume is pretty torturous. But then again, there's nothing like a glorious blowout to make you feel your prettiest. For me, a set of false lashes and big hair are all it takes to feel confident.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I heard the original blowdry bar from LA, Drybar, was coming to Scottsdale! Luckily I know Drybar's PR company and was able to arrange to review Drybar Scottsdale on its opening day.

 

The History
Drybar opened in LA, and became an insta-hit for celebrities and non-celebrities across California. It allows ladies to enjoy salon-perfect hair at a very reasonable $35, in as little as 30 mintues. They have five locations in California, one in Dallas, one here in Scottsdale, one coming this summer in New York City and more on their "wish list".

The Booking
As much as I like talking to real-life people, I hate calling in appointments. It's such a chore, even when it's for something fun like hair or nails. Drybar makes it easy, allowing you to select a time and date right online, no registration required (though you can register if you plan on becoming a regular). The smart system sends you an SMS confirmation on your celly to remind you the time and date of your appointment.

The Arrival
Drybar is located on the street on the south side of Scottsdale Quarter Shopping Center. When I arrived to the boutique-style salon, the place was packed! In a good way. There were ladies with fabulous locks everywhere, all sipping glasses of vino. I was checked in and handed a (free-of-charge) mimosa while I waited a few minutes for my chair.

 

The Interior
The decor is to die for, and has now launched a completely unrelated new obsession of mine: carrera marble countertops. The marble blowdry bar stretches from the front desk to the back of the salon where the hair-washing occurs. On one side are ladies and their stylists, with mirrors to their backs, and on the other side are rows of Living Proof and Moroccan Oil products, a big screen blasting Sex and the City (uncensored and with close-captions) or other movies. On the bar itself are tons of hair supplies, cocktails and hot tools- just like every girls-getting-ready scene you've ever been a part of. But they get it right. It's not messy, it's glamorous!

The interior of the salon is modern and cool, and is almost completely white, gray and yellow. It features tufted walls, heavy vases full of yellow bouquets, a chalkboard displaying the hair "menu", small seating areas, a perpetually full plate of sugar cookies and a light fixture composed of yellow blowdryers (the yellow blowdryer is the company mascot- buttercup).

It's noisy inside, but they blast fun music over the top of the blowdryers to keep the sound from being too tedious.

 

The Experience
After you are handed a drink, you are shown to your seat, where you leave your handbag on a little hook. You then head to the back room for your shampooing and conditioning. They also offer $10 "floaters" which are scalp massages. My only complaint of the day was that my floater wasn't long enough- but isn't that always the case?

My stylist Amanda took me back to my seat with a cutesy turban on- no gross towels here- and I was given the menu of styles to choose from. The options are all named after drinks (adorable) and are as follows:

• Straight Up (Signature Blowout with Body)
• Cosmopolitan (Loose Curls)
• Southern Comfort (Lots of Volume)
• Manhattan (Supersleek and Straight)
• Mai Tai (Messy and Beachy)
• Cosmo-Tai (Messy Curls)

I learned that Southern Comfort was the most ordered in Scottsdale so far, which seems about right. I also learned that Rose McGowan, a celebrity and partner of Drybar, always orders the Cosmo-Tai. I ruled out the Manhattan and Straight Up because my hair dries pretty much straight on its own. I settled on the Mai Tai, because I always curl and tease my own hair, but have yet to create the perfect beachy texture on myself without crunchy curls or just plain ugly waves happening. My pal Sona chose the "Southern Cosmo", a mixture of the Southern Comfort and Cosmopolitan, for volume and curls.

I sat back with my cocktail and watched the SATC movie, and put my iPhone in the charging dock that comes standard with each chair. Nothing cooler than charging your phone after a long day at work (but before a long night out).

Another note: Drybar really is a bar- the staff members are always on the other side of the counter asking you what you need and bringing you lil refills of your water or wine. Nothing could be more fun!

The Results
After my hair was dried in sections and styled (I couldn't tell exactly what she was doing because there wasn't a mirror in front of me) Amanda spun me around for a big reveal in the decorative mirrors on the wall behind the chairs- my hair looked awesome- I had a messy, bedhead hair- just how I like it. Sona's hair was huge, with so much volume. She looked like a Kardashian, and I felt like Serena Van Der Woodsen. 

Unfortunately, I had nowhere to go and Sona was heading to a Diamondbacks game. Looks like we'll need to return when it counts. Again and again. And again.

Check out the Daily 60 Video of our appointment here:

The Aftermath
Immediately following my appointment I received a classy lil thank you note from Drybar's booking system, telling me to come back again soon. My hair looked awesome for the entire night. I kind of ruined the curls that night by not arranging my hair nicely before falling asleep, but the texture stayed gorgeous for the following day.

I'm seriously contemplating the two membership-style offerings Drybar offers. The BarTab is a way to buy multiple services at once at a discount (that never expire), and the BarFly is a monthly membership that's charged to your credit card and cancelable anytime.

BarTabs
Buy a bunch of blowouts at once, and they'll keep track of them and remove them as you use them, similar to tanning salons, but healthier. Three Blowouts $100 Six Blowouts $190 Twelve Blowouts $360

BarFly
4 Blowouts and 2 Floaters per month, plus 10% off all products: $125 per month 2 Blowouts and 1 Floater per month, plus 10% off all products: $65 per month

Also can't forget that they do parties in the salon and also offer "dry on the fly" sessions in your home for only $75. 

Have you been to Drybar yet? What did you "order" and how did you like it?