Three things come to mind whenever anyone asks me about my desert-island beauty products, the products that, if I were to find myself trapped alone on an island, I still couldn’t live without. Those would be Charlotte Tilbury’s Legendary Lashes Volume 2 mascara, Weleda Skin Food, and a really good, high-powered hair dryer. Yes, I’d find a way to make it work on solar power. Because my hair is so frizzy, I’ve become a blowout obsessive. But after realizing that a life that revolves around Drybar salon locations is simply not sustainable, I learned how to style my own hair and make it look halfway decent. Trust me, it wasn’t easy, but the trickier task at hand was finding a dryer that can stand up to my strands.

I have a lot of long, fine, curly hair, all of which usually takes me about 30 minutes to an hour to blow dry straight using either the Harry Josh or Dyson blow dryers (or the GHD travel dryer if I’m traveling—hotel dryers are a no-go). Even with those models, I don’t always get the smooth, shiny results that I’m looking for.

So I’ll admit that when Revlon’s brand-new $25 Perfect Heat Smooth Brilliance Hair Dryer came out, I didn’t jump to try it. I’ve spent my fair share of hours fighting with my frizz, so why fix what’s not broken? But when I picked it up, I felt its substantial weight and saw its sleek matte finish and professional-style switches, and I had an inkling of hope. And I’m glad I did. I brought it home, turned it on, and instantly felt power comparable to my go-to Harry Josh dryer—something I’ve never come across from a bargain tool.

Not only does it look sleek and expensive, but it acts like it too. With tourmaline ionic technology, it left my hair shiny, soft and smooth, with barely any frizz creeping up throughout the day. Before drying, I prepped my damp hair with the Kerastase L’Incroyable Blow Dry Reshapable Lotion—a must-have in my regimen. Then, I let down small sections one by one, attached the airflow nozzle onto the dryer, and blew out each section using my beloved Spornette XL round brush. With three power settings, three heat settings, and a cool shot (I turned the heat and power all the way up), it dried my hair almost as fast as my go-to fancy models.

Still, it’s not perfect: the weight is a bit more than I’d typically go for, but it’s stlll light enough to leave me without a sore arm after 30 minutes of work (huge win). And while it does come with one perfectly-sized nozzle, it’s lacking a diffuser, which I’d typically use when wearing my hair’s natural curly texture. But, for just $25, I’m willing to accept the minor arm workout. Or at least recommend it to anyone on the hunt for a good, cheap hair dryer.

Revlon Perfect Heat Smooth Brilliance Hair Dryer, $25, target.com

Related Stories:
–9 Hair Dryers Actually Worth Your Money
–How to Choose the Best Hair-Dryer for Your Hair Type
–This Touchscreen Hair-Dryer Gives Me Perfect Curls in 15 Minutes

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