Product test

Testing the One-Step Volumiser by Revlon

19/4/2023

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

I’m on a quest to find a round brush with a hot air function. Revlon’s One-Step Volumiser claims to deliver incredible results. At least that’s what I saw on social media. Here comes a reality check.

Revlon’s round brush has infiltrated my social media bubble. And it’s made a lasting impression, it seems. After all, I’m holding it in my hands right now. It’s quite the monster, this One-Step. I even opted for the younger and more compact sister of the hyped styling tool, which is 30 per cent smaller. It’s designed for short to medium length hair. Although my hair’s lengthy, my hands aren’t, which is why I prefer to use small tools. The concept? The One-Step Volumiser dries the hair and should add volume to your mane at the same time. The results are in… A blowout that looks like you just stepped out of a hair salon. Let’s see if I can get the same voluminous, springy hairstyle as the girls on my smartphone screen.

Hot air brushes

EUR56,24

Revlon One-Step

The secret’s said to be in the brush head design. It’s oval, giving it a wide, levelled curve that straightens your hair. The narrower curve, on the other hand, puts that curl into the tips of your hair. The brush head is eleven centimetres long. The diameter of the narrow side (measured from bristle tip to bristle tip) is seven centimetres. The wide side roughly nine and a half centimetres.

Unlike many other hot air brushes, this round brush with its ceramic coating doesn’t turn on its own axis when you’re styling your hair. I’m happy about that, as rotating heads put into untrained hands can result in accidental hair loss.

The nylon pin bristles with ball tips untangle your hair. The tufted natural bristles, on the other hand, grip it and add shine to your locks.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

There’s a handle at the tip that makes styling easier. — The nylon pin bristles with ball tips untangle your hair. The tufted natural bristles, on the other hand, grip it and add shine to your locks.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

The settings are also easy to navigate. The first speed level is for fine, the second level is for thick hair. There’s no information on the cooling function in the manual. However, in similar products, it usually serves the purpose of setting your style.

In just a few steps, the plug type G is transformed into a shaped plug.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

Final touches

Before I start blowing hot air onto my head, I need to do a few things first. The device features a travel-friendly dual plug adapter. At first glance, you see a plug type G casing (UK).

Remove casing. — Unscrew.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

It can be easily removed with the included offset screwdriver. A contour plug (EU) is revealed. Unfortunately, both plugs are of no use to me in Switzerland.

Pop the fixed adapter onto the plug.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

Plug in and go. — Pop the fixed adapter onto the plug.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

On the contour plug, I can attach a two-pin fixed adapter supplied by Galaxus. Sounds fiddly, but it actually only takes a few seconds.

For volume at the roots, I place the brush under the hairline.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

The gadget’s now ready for use. My hair’s washed, towel dried, combed and divided.

The heat is on

I want to start with the second level right away. However, I accidentally select the first one. I only notice after giving the strands I’ve worked on a frustrated inspection. They’re just dry, not bouncy. After correcting my noob mistake, the fun kicks in. The brush has a great grip on my thick hair, which allows me to straighten and dry generously. I try to go about styling my hair according to the instructions in the countless social media tutorials. This means, I place the brush below the strand, with the oval curve pointing towards my scalp. I leave it there for a few seconds and then pull the brush towards the tip of the hair. This technique should create volume at the base and dry the strands.

The oval shape brings zing to my hair.
Source: Natalie Hemengül

Next, I move on to the tips. I place the brush over the strand and wrap the ends of the hair upwards over the brush while rotating it around its own axis. Finally, I keep the more curved, oval tip on the tips of my hair for a few seconds to maximise the bounce. What remains a mystery to me is why Revlon thought it was necessary to integrate a cool air feature. After all, the air isn’t what I’d call cool. And the difference to the level one isn’t particularly significant.

As the natural bristles grip my hair so well, this also increases the amount of traction I have on it. And although the half-kilo device feels relatively light to begin with, styling becomes heavy on the arms pretty quickly.

The cable’s three metres long, which proves very handy. I give the grip design a thumbs up, too. Despite its wide base, the part you hold is tapered enough for my small hands to reach around no problem. The Cool Tip, i.e. the part you can hold at the tip of the brush doesn’t get hot. That’s super practical, as it allows me to use both hands for styling.

Although I find the result surprisingly nice, it doesn’t last long. My hair’s probably a bit too heavy. After one or two hours, the tips lose their bounce.
All in all, the blowout effect isn’t as good as the results I’m used to from my expensive Dyson Airwrap. But given its price tag, I hardly dare to make that comparison at all.

Verdict

The price does not include complaining. It’s simple and intuitive to use and my hair doesn’t slide out of the bristles – unlike it would with similar products. This allows me to build up a good pull on my hair. The design, from the oval brush to the handpiece, is well thought out and practical. Even for small hands. The finer your hair, the less elbow grease you’ll need. If you have thick hair, I recommend giving your hair a quick dry for a few minutes with a regular hair dryer beforehand. This will shorten the rigorous styling workout.

In general, I’d recommend the product primarily to people with fine hair that’s shoulder-length at most and layered. Why? Because if your hair’s all the same length, you might be disappointed with the result. The curved ends simply come into their own more if your hair’s layered. And the lighter your hair, the longer the bouncy tips will keep. My first choice for hairstyling won’t be the One-Step Volumiser, but I still see myself experimenting with it in the future. And now I’m dead curious to see if the larger version will be a better match for my mane.

Header image: Natalie Hemengül

33 people like this article

Natalie Hemengül

Senior Editor

Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.

Product test

Our experts test products and their applications. Independently and neutrally.

Show all

These articles might also interest you

Product test
5 attachments, one blowout: Severin multistyler put to the test
by Natalie Hemengül
Product test
Dyson review: What can the new "Airwrap i.d. curl" do?
by Natalie Hemengül
Product test
The Braun Body Groomer Series 7 review: a tragedy in five acts
by Stephan Lamprecht