Review Time: BaByliss PRO V2 Volare Blowdryer

Review Time: BaByliss PRO V2 Volare Blowdryer

HI EVERYONE.

Fun fact: I have either a cold or the flu. So since I'm laid up in bed, I figured I'm gonna do a blog-a-thon day and finally build up the posts I feel like I owe you guys. GOOD THING MY PHONE IS LOADED WITH PICTURES OF STUFF I'VE DONE.

So let me tell you a little story.

When I went to school, I thought my Paul Mitchell blowdryer was the end all be all. They give every student their traditional silver Express Ion Dry Turbolight.

And honestly, I just thought like, hey- I like Paul Mitchell, a lot actually, so this should be fine when I get to the salon.

Ok, here's the deal:

As great at this dryer is, it's slow. It's really slow. I didn't realize it really until I finally came to the conclusion that I needed a new one.

The Turbolight has 1875 watts, with 3 temps, 2 speed settings, and then has a cool-shot button.

Now this is kind of perfect for a student. The wattage isn't too high, theres a couple nozzles to play with so you have a little more control over the airflow and heat, and because it takes a little longer the dry the hair, a student is going to have more fluctuation time. 

Now Paul Mitchell makes some other really nice dryers- the new Hot Light for example is very nice, as well as their Neuro blowdryer. The problem though, is none of them go over the 1875 wattage- which may be an advantage for the consumer, considering they aren't a professional who blow dries 8 times a day.

The other issue I have with PM is the pricing. 

Now, every pro dryer is going to be pricey. That's just what it is. You're paying for the high wattage, the speed, the temps, the nozzles- all the bells and whistles. It's like buying a KitchenAid mixer compared to the lesser models. KitchenAids are going to last you for your entire life. Black and Deckers will probably break after a few times making mom's cheesecake recipe. ("That was very specific, Sam". Yeah, cause I've done it before.)

And here's the rub, I'm not rolling around in hundo's and making it rain every time I go to Cosmoprof- and very very rarely does Paul Mitchell ever go on a steep enough discount to make me shell out for new tools. Their blowdryers average between $85 (good luck finding those) to $120 from cosmoprof. Consumer average is A LOT higher- more like $200, even on amazon.

So eventually the time came when my school dryer wasn't cutting it anymore. It had been through too many beatings and seen too many things. (Rattling around in my kit and being dropped on more than one occasion probably messed with it a bit.)

And then when I talked to other people- Kaylene was like, "Dude. The Ferrari dryer from BaByliss is the most amazing thing on earth- and they're doing a Black Friday sale- 50% off".

So like any good hairdresser, I called the Cosmoprof girls at my local store and was like, "Ok, what's the deal on this dryer."

"It's amazing and it's on sale for around $100 on Black Friday. I can put one on hold for you, so you just have to come in and pick it up."

Did I mention my Cosmo girls spoil me like crazy? Treat your Cosmo girls right and they will reward your good behavior.

So I thought, you know what- I'll look this bad boy up online and if it's better than my PM dryer, I'll go for it. I figured, it's the same price- might as well get the better deal here.

Ok, here's the big whoop:

BaByliss teamed up with Ferrari and made a blowdryer that has an intense airflow.

This is what their description says, "The Ferrari designed, V12 engine has a 12-bar rotor system that offers smooth run and high torque for superior engine performance. The world’s first ball-bearing blow dryer engine gives a smoother, high-performance operation and a 300% longer life than typical dryer motors."

Now, BaByliss makes a V1 and a V2 and they are literally exactly the same except for the nozzle size. One has a longer barrel than the other- but the wattage, airflow, etc is exactly the same. So I opted to buy the V2 with the short nozzle in case I need to travel with it. Plus, short nozzle=less weight on your hands. (I ain't getting carpal tunnel! You think I'm made of money?)

So looks wise, this is a pretty handsome dryer. It also comes in a Ferrari red, which is pretty sweet- but I'm a solid black girl. (Looks hella pro.)

On both sides of the dryer, the logo is printed and has the little Italian flag. There are 3 speed settings, 3 heat settings and instead of a cool shot feature, the button is actually a turbo blast of air- which is sooooo nice if you have stubborn ends like mind that don't like being shaped. It comes with 2 nozzles with different shapes, and my favorite feature of all you ask?

2000 watts of high powered airflow.

Urghhhgwrkauhflaiwurhflwa, have you ever worked with 2000 watts before? It feels like your whole body is running, well, like a damn Ferrari.

So I know most of you guys are cosmetologist and you're like, "ok, can you just sum this up?"

AND I WILL, THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT.

This blowdryer, despite it's smaller size has the air flow and heat so dialed down that it dried my entire head from sopping wet to bone dry-

-in under 3 minutes.

In the time it took for a Taylor Swift song to start and end- my head was dry.

Do you know how insane that is?

It normally takes me so long to do ANYTHING. I have to towel dry, blow dry my roots, walk away to cool off for a minute, come back to blow dry, take another break, and then blow dry ONE MORE TIME to make sure it's completely dry so I can use my curling iron. Most of the time, it takes so long I have to take breaks to keep myself from sweating to death.

(If you are a chubster like me, and blow dry you hair in the same bathroom you took your shower in- you know my plight. You know how hot it gets in there. It's like boob-sweat central.)

I can't believe how fast this was, considering how thick my hair is and how frankly, stubborn it is. 

So I used it on a few other people just to see if it was just me and IT'S NOT. It dried hair longer than mine, thicker than mine, etc in about 5 minutes. 

My Paul Mitchell dryer on a client was like a 20 minute issue of round brushing over and over again where my BaByliss dryer was like a 2 pass and done situation. 

All in all, if you want to spend some good money on a good dryer, this one is amazing. Regular price at Cosmoprof is $200, but if you can get it on a sale like I did, or if you have a hairdresser who is very nice to you and maybe won't sell it at full retail price to you- it's worth it. This dryer is absolutely amazing. If nothing else, not having to spend your whole morning blowdrying is worth it. 

You could always ask for Christmas too,

-SamanthaK