Avid readers of Allure (that’s you, right?) know how much our editors love the Airwrap. The multitasking device has earned itself multiple Best of Beauty Awards for its ability to style hair quickly and efficiently without heat, leaving behind a glossy finish. Now, the brand is releasing a new, souped-up version—somehow adding more to a tool that many thought already had all the right bells and whistles.
Dyson is launching the Airwrap I.D. At first glance, you might think, wow, that looks…the same! (Well, of course it does—it’s still an Airwrap.) But the device now has the ability to be connected to an app for added customization and even more-efficient styling. “Airwrap I.D. allows users to input information about their hair, skill level, and styling goals on the MyDyson app, and the machine intelligently creates the optimal curling sequence with just the push of a button,” says Robyn Coutts, senior design manager at Dyson.
In practice, what does this look like? In the app, you’ll be able to input your hair’s type, length, texture, style retention, as well as your skill level using your device and your styling goals. Once you enter that information, the app determines how many seconds you spend wrapping your hair around your device, letting it set, and hitting it with a cool shot.
According to Coutts—and me, who has never hit the button in her life—many users forget to use the cold shot feature of the Airwrap. Hairstylist Devin Toth, who is not affiliated with the brand, says this is key to maintaining a hair look. “The cold shot button makes the new hairstyle and texture last longer,” he says. “It will fall quicker if you skip it.”
Toth says the connectivity aspect of the new device might be helpful for novice hair stylers—the people who want to better style their hair, but aren’t sure where to start. “There’s a lot of info packed into their concise questionnaire and if the app really factors all that info for you then it will help create the results you are looking for,” he says. He explains that pros who have many clients might not find this function as useful. “For me, it’s just easier to think about what look I am trying to achieve on which hair type,” he says. (He also has over 20 years of experience styling hair, so it makes sense why he might not need an app to guide him.)