There's something to be said about looks that stand the test of time. The ever-classic blowout has never left our hearts and minds—even years after it gained popularity in the '90s. (We can thank supermodels like Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford for that.) While the OG blowout remains a favorite among celebrity stylists today, that hasn't stopped them from playing around with it and creating updated, elevated takes on the style. For 2026, celebrity stylist Dimitris Giannetos is envisioning a new kind of blowout: the bubble blowout.
This easy-to-achieve style is great for when you want to look polished without going to the salon. Giannetos styles everyone from Ciara, Demi Moore, and Kim Kardashian to Penélope Cruz and Amal Clooney, so it's safe to say he knows what he's talking about. I asked Giannetos to dish on the details of this 2026-ready style. For everything he had to share, including how to achieve the look, keep scrolling.
What is the bubble blowout?
We're all familiar with a regular blowout. At this point, it's such a staple style that everyone and their mom wears it. It first gained massive popularity in the '90s among supermodels both on and off duty. More recently, it even sparked updated iterations, like weightless fluffy hair, that add body and dimension to strands without relying too heavily on products. The bubble blowout, however, is the iteration that Giannetos says will take 2026 by storm. He see this style being major, especially as we move into spring, for a few reasons. "It looks glamorous and instantly elevates any look," he says. "And it's an easy style to achieve!"
While it captures the essence of what made the blowout so great, it adds a touch of modern cool-girl energy. Giannetos first created this style for Clooney a few months ago and is ready to spill the tea about why it's the perfect look to try in the new year. "The bubble blowout combines a '90s vibe with a modern-day effortless and glamorous feel," he explains. "This look is playful and red carpet ready! It has more volume and movement than a regular blowout and gives a bubble-like illusion toward the ends of the hair."
The great thing about the bubble blowout is that it doesn't require an entire kit's worth of products. According to Giannetos, all you need are a few simple products and tools to achieve the look. He's giving us a breakdown below.
How to Achieve the Look
What you'll want to keep in mind is that your hair should sit at the right length for a look like this. Giannetos says about six to eight inches past the shoulder. "When I created this look for Amal, I cut a few inches off of her hair," he shares. This isn't to say that you have to cut your hair to achieve the look, but this length does help create the bubble-like effect and makes it look its best.
As for what you'll need in your toolbox, a good round brush, hair dryer, and long-barrel curling iron are key. If you have curly or coily hair, you'll also want to flat-iron your hair beforehand using a good heat protectant. Giannetos also says, "Before the blowout, you need to wash the hair, then spray the treatment afterward. Use a really strong blow dryer to achieve the perfect bubble blowout."
Believe it or not, this $9 serum is the key to pulling a bubble blowout together. Giannetos says to start by prepping the hair with this to add shine and give hair a little boost of hydration without adding any heaviness. The glycolic acid complex in it helps to create maximum light reflection, making your look appear polished and sleek with almost zero extra effort.
After prepping with serum, Giannetos likes to use an original Wet Brush to detangle the hair and fully work the product into the strands for maximum shine.
A heat protectant is absolutely essential any time you heat-style, especially for curly and coily hair. This Bumble and Bumble spray is the perfect lightweight mist that features a protective honey complex and UV filters, which protect the hair from sun damage. You'll definitely want to saturate the hair with this before going in with any styling tools.
TBH, my coarse, curly hair gets extremely dry, and I always need to add extra moisture to it before styling. I'm a huge fan of JVN products because they're silicone-free but really deliver in the shine and hydration departments. This conditioning mist is perfect to use before flat-ironing or blow-drying to really lock moisture into strands.
Like any classic blowout, this look starts with a good round brush and a hair dryer. This Olivia Garden brush is a classic and reasonably priced option. It features synthetic bristles and a vented ceramic barrel for faster and more consistent styling. Pair this with Giannetos's favorite hair dryer, which is below.
Your hair should be mostly dry when you start blow-drying. Using your round brush and blow dryer with the nozzle down, roll the hair section by section in an upward motion toward your face. You'll then want to blast your hair with cool air to set each of the curls.
Giannetos recommends this Bio Ionic dryer for the best possible bubble blowout. "It's important to set the shape and let the hair cool, so pin it in sections as you go along," he says.
Afterward, he recommends touching up the bubble look with Bio Ionic's long-barrel curling iron. You can use this tool to curl the ends in toward the face for extra bounce and then finish with the right hair spray to set the look.
Giannetos says this strong-hold hair spray is always in his kit for looks like the bubble blowout. If you prefer a lighter hair spray, try Sexy Hair's Healthy Sexy Hair So Touchable Hairspray ($23).