Bostonista Loves: Blowout Class!


1212419584My typical hair-doing routine is exhausting, and the results are lackluster at best. It involves a half-dozen products, a half-hour of haphazard brushing beneath a blow dryer, and about 20 minutes of flat-ironing and re-flat-ironing. Years ago, I stopped trying to master the round brush method; there was just to much long, thick, wavy hair and too little patience to go around. To me, nothing defines luxury like a professional blowout.

So when I heard that Salon Capri in Newton Highlands will be teaching a (free!) group blowout class this upcoming Wednesday as part of its new educational series, I was both skeptical and intrigued.

For a preview, I booked a one-on-one training session with co-owner and hair maverick Nick Penna. Penna turned out to be a fantastic teacher, as well as a blowout wiz himself (and that’s despite not having any hair of his own). First, he taught me how to treat my locks from the second I get out of the shower, sharing combing tips and product recommendations.

Then, it was time to turn up the heat. Geometry was never an easy A for me, and hand-eye coordination has never been my strong suit, so at once wielding both a massive round brush and a dryer while concentrating on the specific angles of the form took some practice. But Penna’s patience never waned, nor did his enthusiasm.

An hour and a half later, I was sweating and beet red, with arms so tired they seemed to be disconnected from my torso. But my hair? Smooth! Like, stylist-dried smooth!

I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so accomplished, and Penna beamed like a proud elementary school basketball coach whose last-string guard had just made the winning free throw.

For those of you with blow dry envy, there’s still space available for Wednesday night’s class. And not only will Salon Capri be offering hands-on demos and infinite wisdom, we hear there will also be cocktails.

Salon Capri, 31 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, 617-969-1970, www.saloncapri.com.