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I started with frizzy, just-rough-dried hair, no brushing, no prep, exactly the rushed-morning state I wanted to put this thing through. A regular dryer knocked out the dampness, and then the Revlon One-Step Volumizer took over: one tool, section by section, and the frizz was gone before I finished my coffee.
Quick Verdict
Ten minutes, no round brush, and my frizzy just-washed hair turned into a smooth curled-under blowout with real lift at the back. The Revlon One-Step Volumizer dries and styles in one pass, and the cool-down trick is what makes the curl actually hold.
Buy if you:
- Want a smooth blowout without juggling a dryer and a round brush
- Have medium to long hair that goes frizzy after a quick blow dry
- Want volume and lift at the back and crown
- Only have about 10 minutes to get ready
Skip if you:
- Have stubborn bangs that fight you, they need the cool-down step and a little patience
- Travel abroad often, it’s built for 120V USA outlets only
- Want tight, defined curls, this is a smoothing and volume tool, not a curling iron
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| Model | Revlon One-Step Volumizer Original (RVDR5222) |
|---|---|
| Power | 1,100 watts |
| Barrel | 2.8″ oval brush head |
| Settings | Cool, low, medium, high |
| Cord | 6-foot cable |
| Weight | 2 lbs |
| Voltage | 120V USA only |
My Frizzy Hair Was Smooth in About 10 Minutes
Here’s the thing that surprised me every time. I didn’t even brush it first. It was so frizzy, and the tool smooths it as it dries. That’s the whole appeal. One tool instead of a dryer in one hand and a round brush in the other.
What This Revlon Volumizer Actually Is
This is a 2.8-inch oval hot air brush: one tool combines the drying and styling jobs that normally need a dryer plus a separate round brush. The head is a 2.8-inch oval brush, so it grips the hair and smooths it in one pass. It runs at 1,100 watts and there are four positions on the switch: a cool, a low, a medium, and a high. The cord is 6 feet, which gave me plenty of room to move around my head, and the whole thing weighs about 2 pounds.
Before I turned it on, I showed the settings, because they matter for how the finished look holds. The cool setting I sometimes use if I want to hold the curl, just depending on what you’re doing with your hair. For the main drying and smoothing I went straight to high.
The Count-to-Five and Cool-Down Trick
The curl holds because of one trick: count to five on each section, then turn it off and let it cool before touching it. I usually count to five on a section, then I turn it off. You can also use the cool setting, but I just turn it off to let it cool, and then it holds the curl. That cool-down is the whole secret. If you brush a warm curl out too soon, it’ll just go straight on you.
I like it curled under. You can curl it out. You can do it any which way that you like. I went section by section around my head, pulling through each piece and letting it cool into place. One of the things I like about using this at the back of my head is it also gives me a little bit of volume and lift, which is really nice. That lift at the back and crown is what makes the difference for me.
My Bangs Fought Back a Little
My bangs can sometimes be a little stubborn. That’s the one spot where I had to slow down. I turned it off and left the section sitting, not exactly right yet, because I wanted it to cool where I wanted it to stay. If I brushed it out warm, it would just go straight again. So the bangs took an extra beat and a little patience. Nothing dramatic, but worth knowing if your fringe has a mind of its own like mine does.
The same goes for the very last piece at the back. I said out loud I wasn’t sure how well I did with that last piece, and that’s the truth of working the back of your own head. You can’t always see it, so you go a little by feel.
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Revlon One-Step Volumizer
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Who Gets the Most Out of This
If your hair goes frizzy the second a regular blow dryer touches it, this is built for you. I did my whole head in about 10 minutes, section by section, count to five, let it cool, and walked out the door to the mall wearing it exactly like that with a little hairspray. No touching up, no second pass.
It’s also a friendly tool if you’re not a pro at styling. There’s no round-brush coordination to learn. You pull, you count to five, you let it cool. That’s it.
One Tool vs. a Dryer and a Round Brush
The old way is a dryer in one hand and a round brush in the other, and that dance eats time and coordination. This replaces both. Where a separate round brush wins is control on very specific curl shapes, and if you want tight, defined curls you’d still reach for a big barrel curling iron. I even mentioned that in the video, if you want, you can curl it after with a big barrel curling iron.
But for a smooth, volumized, curled-under blowout with lift at the back, one tool doing both jobs is the whole reason I keep reaching for this.
A Few Tips Before You Start
Rough dry first. Get the dampness out with a regular dryer so you’re not starting soaking wet. Then work in sections, count to five, and always let each piece cool before you touch it. That cooling is what holds the shape.
For finishing, reach for a wet brush rather than a paddle brush, it softens the style without flattening the curl you just set. A stiff brush drags the shape straight again. Lock everything in with a quick shot of hairspray and you’re done.
Pros
- Smooths frizzy, just-dried hair in one pass without brushing first
- Gives real volume and lift at the back and crown
- Whole blowout took about 10 minutes
- Cool setting plus the turn-it-off trick makes the curl actually hold
- Curls under, out, any which way you like, plus a 6-foot cord for easy reach
Cons
- Stubborn bangs need the cool-down step and a little extra patience
- The back is hard to judge on yourself since you can’t fully see it
- Not a curling iron, so no tight defined curls
- Built for 120V USA outlets only
Frequently Asked Questions
What hair type does the Revlon One-Step Volumizer work best on?
It’s best suited to medium and long hair, which is what I have. The oval brush head needs enough length to grip and wrap around. Very short or very fine hair may not get the same wrap, though the volume and lift still help at the roots.
Do I need to fully dry my hair before using it?
No, but rough dry first. I used a normal blow dryer just to get the dampness out, then let this tool do the drying and smoothing. Starting soaking wet makes it take longer and work harder.
How do I get the curl to hold?
Count to five on each section, then turn it off and let it cool before you touch it. You can also use the cool setting to set it. If you brush a warm section out too soon, it just goes straight.
Which brush should I use to finish?
A wet brush works great for finishing because it doesn’t brush the style out too straight. It keeps the smooth shape while just softening it. A stiff paddle brush can flatten the look you just built.
Can I use it to add tight curls?
Not tight ones. This is a smoothing and volume tool that curls hair gently under or out. If you want defined curls, follow up with a big barrel curling iron after your blowout.
Will it work overseas with a plug adapter?
No. It’s designed for 120V USA outlets only, so a simple plug adapter won’t make it safe to use on higher-voltage systems abroad. Keep this one for home use in the States.
How much time does a full blowout really take?
About 10 minutes from rough-dried hair to done. I went section by section around my whole head, counted to five on each, and let it cool. Add a little hairspray and you’re ready to go.
Is it good for adding volume at the crown?
Yes, that’s one of my favorite things about it. Using it at the back of my head gives me a little extra volume and lift. You can place it close to the scalp for that lift, which a regular round brush blowout doesn’t always give me.
Does it damage hair with heat?
It has a ceramic coating for even heat distribution, and I’m counting to five per section rather than holding it on one spot. As with any heat tool, don’t linger, and use the cool setting to set instead of extra heat where you can.
Learn more
Revlon One-Step Volumizer
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