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Oribe Italian Resin Medium Round Brush
The promise
Think of the big bouncing explosion and chances are your mind will go straight to the iconic supermodels of the 90s: Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista. But as a beauty editor who follows trends for a living, I think directly of Oribe Canales, the master hairstylist responsible for said iconic hairstyle on said iconic models. Canales’ legacy finally transcended the catwalks and made its way into homes and salons around the world with the launch of Oribe, aka the haircare and styling brand we know and love, in 2008. The Decade following introduced some of the most popular and successful products. , and cult hair products. Think: Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, Dry Texturizing Spray and Signature Shampoo and Conditioner, all infused with signature Côte de Azur fragrance.
Canales sadly passed away in 2018, but the eponymous brand has continued to pay tribute to him, while continually building on his technique and heritage. More recently, they launched a line of six hairbrushes (including two round brushes for bouncy blowouts) inspired by the custom tools Canales has used throughout his career. The range has been concocted in Italy, each one being handcrafted and one of a kind. The Italian resin handles have been designed to be ergonomic and comfortable, while the boar bristle fibers and nylon pins are designed to create maximum volume, grip and shine. The kicker? They are designed to last a lifetime. While these tools have already been put to the test widely at fashion week and at shows, I throw my hat, uh my hair, in the ring. I’m taking the Italian Resin Medium Round Brush for a try, and obviously, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on the luxury tool, coming soon.
Why am I obsessed
Perhaps my proudest moment as a beauty girl is mastering the round brush blowout. Don’t get me wrong, it took a lot of practice, tutorials from countless hairstylists, and too many disasters turned into Cousin-It-hair-days than I care to admit. But, and I put all humility aside right now, I got pretty damn good at it all. I can get all the volume in the world, create intense shine, and even do a loose curl with nothing but my hair dryer and a brush. Impressive, right? And keep in mind, I learned allllll of that with an indescribably janky round brush that my hairstylist gave me during a failed bouncy blowout lesson circa 2010. It was time for an upgrade for a hot minute, and the launch of that Oribe range seemed to be the right time to take it to the next level.
Since my hair is thinner and medium length, I instinctively opted for the Italian Resin Medium Round Brush. And before we get to the big deal, I need to take a minute to talk about the craftsmanship here. First of all-stunning. As, really, really, absolutely stunning. Secondly? This is comfortable. The handle sits in my palm, fits into every nook and cranny, and doesn’t require superhuman finger strength to get a solid grip. Its angular design even gives my thumb a nice little perch to rest on. As for bristles and nylon pins? They can be accurately described as dense and intense. So far, so good.
Then came the real test. I dried my hair with my Dyson Supersonic (the best hair dryer ever) and then started sectioning it. I kicked off my Oribe brush experiment with an inch and a half piece, locking it into the bristles with a sweeping motion. I blew heat on the roots and moved the brush over the section of hair. I had no choice but to go slow – the grip and tension of the bristles was next level. No parts turned red when blasted with heat; the brush blocked in each strand until the end of the line.
Fast forward 15 minutes and many sections, and I was mesmerized. My hair had wild lift at the roots and more volume all over. I even managed to achieve volume at the crown, which is the hallmark of a salon blowout and nearly impossible to recreate at home (if you know, you know). My hair is generally softer, but the shine this brush gave me was second to none. Mind you, my hair dryer or hair care routine didn’t change, so every improvement I saw was a direct result of the Oribe brush. I was hooked – and because I’ve already decided to throw humility to the wind – I’ll shamelessly say that my hair looked truly amazing.
