The right brush can make or break a blowout, but finding a brush that gives you the performance and results you’re looking for can be a challenge.
After experiencing this first-hand on shoots and in the salon, Nick Stenson, Ulta Beauty Senior Vice President, Services and Trend, Matrix Artistic Director, NAHA award-winner and celeb stylist, says he knew he wanted to create a brush collection that’s easy to use and gives professionals all the tools they need to create the perfect look, no matter what type of hair they’re working on. 

Stenson introduced his Curious Brush Collection, a line of brushes designed by Stenson and offering something for every styling need, while also featuring a new way to combine nylon and natural fiber bristles. 

"The combination of natural and synthetic fibers found in the Curious Brush collection creates tension without sacrificing shine," Stenson adds. "The bristles are strategically positioned to promote air flow—allowing you to perfect each and every blowout faster and with ease."

Here's a quick guide to selecting the right brush for the job: 

 The Cushion Brush
Best For: Detail work, creating volume at the root and achieving a flat-ironed look.

• Use the Cushion Brush as an all-purpose finishing and styling tool, pushing into the hair to gain tension and straightness, or slip and shine for a beautiful, finished result.

• The criss-cross pattern along the brush edge acts as a comb, so you can target specific areas for teasing or styling, without snagging other sections. 

Pro Tips for Using the Cushion Brush

Watch this video for using the Cushion Brush on Short Hair

On Thick Hair: 

• Push down on the inner channel of the brush with your thumb as you run the brush through the hair in order to create tension and shine. The natural boar bristles down the center channel of the cushion brush are lower, allowing you to rest your thumb for better control of the hair. 

• On thick hair, use the nylon bristles that penetrate to the scalp to detangle and stretch the hair.

• To keep loose hairs down when setting a curl or sealing in a slicked-down ponytail, run the outer rim of bristles over hair. 

On Fine Hair: 

• As with thick hair, push down on the inner channel of the brush with your thumb as you run the brush through the hair in order to create tension and shine. 

• Using the outer rim of the brush like a comb to keep loose hairs down when setting a curl or sealing in a slicked-down ponytail is especially helpful for fine hair. 

• Tease hair near the root using the outer ring of bristles like a comb.

For Curly Hair: 

• Lock into the root using the outer ring of bristles while blow-drying to smooth curls and add volume. 

The Round Brush
Best For: Creating curls and volume as you blow-dry.

• Use the Round Brush (available in medium or XL) as you blow-dry to create curls, volume and shine with any type of hair. The varying fiber lengths give a perfectly-formed curl as you turn the brush in your hand, without the look of excessive round volume often achieved with a traditional round brush. 

Pro Tips for Using the Round Brush:

• Heat up the nylon bristles using a blow-dryer prior to use for a softer feel on the scalp. 

• Turn the brush in your hand as you blow-dry to form curls in short or long hair. 

• In selecting the proper brush, remember that both brushes promote a faster blow-dry while achieving the perfect tension and creating shine. If looking for curls and volume, opt for the round brush. For precision control, teasing, and keeping loose hairs in place, go for the cushion brush. 

• Play to the strengths of each brush using the tips above. Use Curious Cushion and Curious Round brushes in combination for blow-drying, volumizing, and promoting shine and curl with any type of hair.