I have a semi-firm belief that you’re either good at doing hair or makeup but generally not both. I fall into the latter category, which I attribute to years of doing stage makeup when I used to dance; over the years, I’ve learned to style my hair in an adequate manner, but it never looks remotely as good as when a professional does it. I feel like this is generally a positioning thing: in doing one’s own hair, you can’t get quite into the ideal angle as when someone else styles your hair, plus your arms are generally raised above your head and thus requite more muscle stamina, particularly if you have a lot of hair (which I don’t, but we’re still talking a significant amount of time). So even while I’ve honed my blowout skills with my Dyson over the years, I’ve been intrigued by the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer, which has over 262,100 reviews (and counting) on Amazon. Is it idiot-proof enough to deliver a just-from-the-salon blowout, or is it all hype? Here’s my honest review. The prosFirst and foremost, the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer is incredibly easy to use. You only need one hand, which eliminates the semi-ambidextrous ability required to handle a blow-dryer in one and a brush in the other. There is a bit of a learning curve, but generally using it on the underside of your hair delivers more volume and on top is more for sleekness; I do mostly underneath since my hair is quite fine and thin. It dries very quickly—I generally run each section through 3-4 times, and while it’s not necessarily faster than the traditional method (both take me about 12 minutes, give or take), it’s definitely easier. I especially love it for the back of my head, which nine times out of ten looks like a hot mess, but with the Revlon dryer looks sleek and smooth. And speaking of which, I’m amazed at how not frizzy my hair is after using it. There are three heat/fan settings; I use the medium one, which the instructions recommended for fine hair, and I found high to be way too hot (more on that later). The brush itself is surprisingly lightweight and pretty easy to maneuver, all things considered, and while it’s louder than my Dyson, it’s still not quite as loud as a traditional hair dryer, at least on the medium setting that I prefer. Finally, while the retail price is $59.99, Amazon frequently has the Revlon brush on sale (as I’m writing this, it’s $34.99), making it way more affordable than a good hair dryer—like, we’re talking a tenth of the cost. How democratic! The consThe reason it too me so long to review the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer is because I was scared off by all the negative reviews from people whose hair was singed by it—my hair is color treated and I’ve had a long road of damage repair from years of bleach and heat styling. As I mentioned above, I use the medium setting, and a big part of that is because this thing gets HOT. I can completely see how it has caused breakage, overheated, and even damaged its own bristles, as several reviews mention. If you have a lot of thick hair, I’d be very careful with this thing. That’s actually why I rough-dry my hair for two minutes with my Dyson first, then use this to style—I try to minimize the damage as much as possible. I realize that also sort of negates the convenience of a one-step styler, but if you have room in your bathroom for two hair appliances and don’t mind switching midway through, it’s really not a big deal. My bigger issue with the brush is that I don’t have as much control over it as I do with a traditional round-brush-and-dryer setup; I’ve found that my hair doesn’t have as much bounce, and because the “brush” is so big with the all-in-one, it’s hard to add a bend or a subtle wave at the ends. As I mentioned, there’s a learning curve, and while I’ve definitely gotten better at using it, I feel like my hair doesn’t look quite as good as when I dry it the traditional way. My honest reviewIf you are not good at using a round brush and a dryer to style your hair, then the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer is for you. It’s quick, it’s easy, and you can get almost the same results. Plus, the price is right. How I use itStep 1: prep hair with a heat-protective spray (I like R+Co Centerpiece and comb through with a Leonor Greyl detangling comb) Step 2: rough-dry hair for 2-3 minutes with a blow-dryer (I like the Dyson Supersonic) until it’s about 85% dry Step 3: section hair with clips Step 4: run the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer through each section 3-5 times (or until desired level of dryness/style is achieved Step 5: Admire your smooth blowout!