A salon-worthy blowout you can do yourself

You don’t just wake up looking pretty. For most of us, it takes work (getting a blowout the night before a big event) and skill (ever try the smoky eye look?). For years, beauty expert and salon owner Eva Scrivo has been teaching women how to look their best: first, with her weekly talk show, “Beauty Talk” on Sirius, and now with her new book, “Eva Scrivo on Beauty: The Tools, Techniques, and Insider Knowledge Every Woman Needs to Be Her Most Beautiful, Confident Self.” While the tome covers every topic — from figuring out the perfect haircut for your face to the best ways to communicate with your stylists — we hit up Scrivo for tips on the primping staple: the blowout.

Can the average woman blow out her own hair as well as a salon?

“I think so, because it’s a skill and all skills are learned — blow drying is not a gift,” says Scrivo. “There’s not one assistant that I hired that knew how to blow dry hair. I had to train them. It takes some practice and patience.”

Scrivo’s must-haves

HAIR DRYER
“My favorite is the Twin Turbo 3200. It’s an Italian brand and it’s very powerful. If used correctly, it doesn’t damage the hair and reduces drying time. The hair is shinier and easier to work with.”
Turbo Power Twin Turbo 3200, $100, www.amazon.com

BRUSH
“Using a right brush is as import as using a sharp knife when cooking — it affects the whole experience,” says Scrivo. She likes to use a brush with a mix of boar and plastic bristles. “The bristles should be at least ¾ to an inch in length, because if the bristles are shorter than that it’s very difficult to grab the hair,” she says.
Spornette #955-XL, $20, www.amazon.com

PRODUCT
“Use a product that will protect your hair from the dryer as well as smooth the cuticle,” says Scrivo. She likes:
»For curly hair (left)
Kerastase Oleo Relax Slim, $38, www.kerastase-usa.com
» For volume (right)
Shu Uemura Fiber Lift, $33, www.shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com

Steps for the perfect blowout