Bouncy blowouts, slick buns, and curl hacks have been everywhere lately—and for good reason. “We spent the last few years really focused on hair and scalp health,” says celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan. “But women are ready for higher-maintenance styling routines.” Today’s trending hair looks bridge the gap between healthy and stylized hair. “The products of today can block out frizz and give strands mirrorlike shine, but without weighing down the hair or compromising hair quality,” says celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton. Here, we’ve gathered the innovative products and tools that make styling a breeze, all while nourishing strands along the way.
STYLING
Armando Grillo – Gianluca Carraro
The bouncy blowout trend is still going strong, as seen at Retrofête’s fall 2024 show
Irons and wands get a lot of credit, but it’s styling products that take your hair looks to the next level. “I personally could not do my job without hairspray,” Marjan says. “It is so versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to give the hair hold and texture.” To keep hair healthy, one of the most important stylers you should never go without is a heat protectant. “If you go in the sun and don’t put sunscreen on, you’ll burn. The same goes for your hair,” Appleton adds.
Best Smoothing Spray
Moroccanoil Frizz Shield Spray
The perfect combination of frizz-fighting protection and high-shine payoff, this spray is heat activated and contains the brand’s signature argan oil to leave hair feeling silky.
Best Drugstore Hairspray
TRESemme Ultra Fine Mist Hairspray
$8 at Walgreens$13 at Amazon$9 at Walmart
TRESemme’s Ultra Fine Hairspray has a flexible nonsticky formula that’s also humidity-resistant, making it a staple at New York Fashion Week. Plus, we love the upgraded fragrance.
Best for Slick Styles
Emi Jay Angelstick
You can apply Emi Jay Angelstick with your fingertips or straight from the tube for seamless flyaway control. The twist-up smoothing balm is ideal for tight buns, edges, and even your brows (when applied with a spoolie).
Best Styling Cream
Pattern Palo Santo Styling Cream
Ultra-hydrating Pattern Palo Santo Styling Cream, a new scented take on the brand’s bestselling cream, makes twist-outs, braid-outs, wash-and-go styles, and sleek buns a breeze.
Best for Shine and Heat Styling
Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat
Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat treatment prevents frizz for up to four shampoos. Best used on damp hair, it requires blow-drying with tension to activate its formula, which also nicely guards against heat damage.
Best Texture Spray
Bumble and bumble Thickening Dryspun Texture Spray Light
This lighter version of Bumble and Bumble’s beloved Dryspun Texture Spray adds soft hold and translucent grit to medium and thick hair with just a few spritzes.
Best Luxe Hairspray
Hair Rituel by Sisley The Invisible Hold Hair Spray
This hairspray is expensive, but with good reason: we’ve never used a formula quite so luxurious. Lightweight, non-sticky, and infused with vitamins and antioxidants, this hairspray helps secure our waves and curls for days.
Best Curl Cream
Rahua Enchanted Island Vegan Curl Butter
Rahua’s oil-based Enchanted Island Vegan Curl Butter makes it easy to keep curls strong, hydrated, and frizz-free while enhancing their definition. We also love its guava and coconut scent, which mentally transports us to a dreamy island getaway.
Best Hair Gloss
Ouai Hair Gloss
Hair glosses are the fastest way to breathe new life into hair. Ouai’s version uses hyaluronic acid to add shine and reduce frizz, and rice water to create a glass hair effect.
Best Styling Oil
Vegamour HYDR-8 Weightless Repair Hair Oil
This featherweight, silicone-free favorite smooths and strengthens hair with a combination of oils, including shine-boosting chia seed, frizz fighting vitamin C, and hydrating marula.
Best Hair Oil
Lolavie Lightweight Hair Oil
Lolavie has done it again—this lightweight hair oil has become a staple in our routines this year. It can be applied from midlengths to ends while hair is still wet for heat protection, or on dry, styled hair to boost shine and quell frizz.
Best Bond Building Treatment
Aveda Botanical Repair™ Bond-Building Flash Treatment
Have 10 seconds? Great—you have just enough time to work this bond-building in-shower rinse through your hair. Just one use helps reseal the hair’s cuticle and leave it looking (and feeling!) noticeably shinier and softer.
Best Frizz Tool
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Frizz Tamer
Now 10% Off
This genius little tube looks like a mascara, but it’s actually a frizz-fighting serum that can be swiped over errant flyaways for a truly flawless, slicked-back finish.
Best Bond Building Serum
The Doux Doux Drops
This versatile serum guards against temperatures of up to 420 degrees Fareinheit. It also uses vitamin E, jojoba oil, and baobab oil to keep textured hair shiny and strong before, during, and after the use of hot tools.
Best Thickening Spray
Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Hair Thickening Spray Density Boost Root Lift Thickening Spray
Now 16% Off
Give your roots an instant boost with this dermatologist-approved thickening spray from Dove. Specially created for fine hair, its vitamin B3 and E, zinc and peptide formula nourishes the scalp and lays the perfect foundation for long-term hair growth.
Best Hair Serum
Virtue Damage Reverse™ Serum
This targeted serum contains a split-end mending trifecta of pea protein, hydrolysed quinoa, and baobab seed oil, alongside the brand’s proprietary Alpha Keratin 60ku to nourish and condition hair.
Best Volume Styler
Roz Root Lift Spray
Most volume sprays are meant to be used on dry hair, but this root lifter from celebrity hairstylist Mara Rozak is designed to be used pre-blow dry as a heat protectant and volumizer. An added bonus: Sandalwood extract keeps oil at bay, so styles will last longer instead of falling flat between washes.
Best Hair Gel
Crown Affair The Flexible Hold Finishing Hair Gel
$42 at Sephora$42 at Violet Grey
With ingredients like jojoba milk and tsubaki seed oil, this gel-cream goes above and beyond just adding hold for hair. The unique formula is buildable but never flaky, and can be brushed through at the end of the day.
TOOLS
Dave Kotinsky//Getty ImagesThe humble pencil was the hair tool we never expected to see at LaQuan Smith
Once you lay down the foundation for sleek, shiny strands with product, innovative tools can make the difference between basic hair and Instagram-worthy results. These stylers work faster and smarter and include devices that swap high heat for airflow technology and irons that expertly curl your hair with the click of a button.
BEST HAIR DRYER ATTACHMENTSDyson Supersonic hair dryer and attachments$429 at Dyson$430 at Saks Fifth Avenue$430 at Neiman MarcusThe cult-favorite Dyson Supersonic got a major upgrade with new attachments, including one to help control flyaway hairs, a wide-tooth comb to detangle curls and lift roots, and a gentle air nozzle for sensitive scalps.BEST NEW HAIR DRYERZuvi Zuvi Halo Hair Dryer$349 at Neiman MarcusDrying without the damage? Sign us up. Zuvi’s patented LightCare technology swaps heat for light to dry water droplets on the surface of hair. The result: less damage to the strands–and scalp–and zero stripping of hair’s moisture.BEST MULTISTYLERShark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System$287 at Amazon$273 at Walmart$300 at NordstromThe Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System uses airflow technology to channel high-speed air to simultaneously dry and shape hair. Choose from five attachments, including curling barrels that automatically attach hair to the device for foolproof curls.BEST CURLING IRONT3 CurlWrap 1.25″ Automatic Rotating Curling Iron$200 at Amazon$200 at Walmart$200 at NordstromThe T3 CurlWrap takes the guesswork out of creating curls. With the flip of a switch, the auto-rotating barrel wraps hair around the iron and softly vibrates once it’s time to release the clamp.BEST FLAT IRONghd Chronos Styler$329 at Amazon$329 at Walmart$329 at NordstromMarjan loves the Ghd Chronos flat iron because it has new sensor technology that quickly delivers heat to the hair to smooth or bend in one pass. Plus, the iron is automatically set at 365 degrees, the optimal temperature for heat styling, so you never have to worry about frying your hair.BEST DRYING BRUSHKRISTIN ESS HAIR Soft Volume Blow Dry Brush$85 at Ulta BeautyAllow us to introduce you to your newest at-home hair hack: Kristen Ess’ top-rated Soft Volume Blow Dry Brush. The powerful tool has three wind speeds and three heat settings to smooth and volumize wet or dry hair in minutes, and even includes a handy style guide.BEST PADDLE BRUSHSisley Paris Hair Rituel The Radiance Brush$115 at NordstromHair Rituel by Sisley the Radiance Brush softly detangles strands, removes impurities, and stimulates the scalp to promote blood flow. (The latter is a key component in keeping hair follicles healthy.) The result: shinier, softer hair that maintains its style and shape.BEST PADDLE BRUSHBamboo Paddle Brush in LecheNow 29% Off$34 at emijay.comWe couldn’t pick just one favorite paddle brush. EmiJay’s version is made of bamboo, which gentle detangles and distributes oils from root to tip so hair appears softer and shiner. The acetate design is also so gorgeous.BEST HAIR GROWTH PATCHESThickening Hairpatches$79 at better-notyounger.comLike eye patches but for hair loss, these genius little peptide and antioxidant-infused stickers adhere to your hairline to help hair become thicker, fuller, and denser in just 12 weeks.BEST HAIR GROWTH DEVICECurrentBody Skin LED Hair Regrowth Device$859 at CurrentBodyThis helmet makes harnessing the hair regrowth power of light therapy super easy. It’s proven to increase hair count by 33 percent in 16 weeks—with each daily treatment lasting just ten minutes. Couple it with your favorite supplement or scalp serum for even better results.BEST HAIR TOWELCrown Affair The Hair Towel$45 at SephoraInstead of reaching for your body towel to dry hair on wash day, consider this elevated towel from Crown Affair instead that Bazaar editors are raving about. It uses a special microfiber blend to absorb water while minimizing frizz and breakage, and even has a built-in elastic band to help keep it secure as you wear it.
CLEANSE & CONDITION
Luisa LanzaBackstage at Batsheva fall 2024, models of all ages showed off the beauty of their natural hair
“Everything you do to care for your hair and scalp prior to styling really builds the foundation of any style, so it’s important to keep the end result in mind from the very start,” says Marjan. The right shampoo, conditioner, and hydrating mask can save precious time when styling and keep your hair looking and feeling lustrous. After all, “healthy hair begins in the shower,” Los Angeles hairstylist Mara Roszak says.
Best Clean ShampooRōz Foundation Shampoo$39 at Neiman MarcusThe shampoo in Roszak’s Rōz the Foundation Duo uses coconut-based cleansers to gently purify hair and scalp.Best Clean ConditionerRōz Foundation Conditioner$42 at Neiman MarcusRōz’s expert-approved conditioner douses hair with peptides and ceramides to create a smooth base for styling.Best Shampoo for Curly HairHerbal Essences Curl Define Shampoo$10 at herbalessences.comThe Herbal Essences Curl Define Shampoo uses lightweight camellia oil and aloe vera to gently cleanse and nourish hair for bouncier curls.Best Conditioner for Curly HairHerbal Essences Curl Define Conditioner$10 at herbalessences.comJust like its partnering shampoo, the formula of Herbal Essences’s Curl Define Conditioner aims to leave hair supremely nourished once it’s rinsed away, and is free of sulfates, parabens, and dyes.Best Mask for Damaged HairRedken Bonding Hair Mask$38 at Amazon$35 at Walmart$38 at Ulta BeautyCredit: AmazonRedken’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate five-minute Liquid Mask helps reverse damage from hot tools and chemical treatments by combining citric acid that strengthens and emollients that seal the cuticle of the hair.Best Hair OilCrown Affair The Oil$40 at Violet GreyCredit: Crown AffairThis hair essential from Crown Affair feels light as a feather
yet packs a punch with hydrating tsubaki-seed oil and meadowfoam-seed oil, a natural heat protectant.Best Dry Shampoo PowderOribe Serene Scalp Oil Control Dry Shampoo Powder$46 at oribe.comThis dry shampoo powder not only refreshes oily hair with a starch
blend and kaolin clay, it also protects the scalp’s microbiome with mango-leaf extract.Best Clarifying ShampooLiving Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo$36 at Ulta Beauty$36 at Amazon$33 at WalmartAny good clarifying shampoo will remove oil, this one from the hair health experts at at Living Proof also removes copper from hard water and stubborn product buildup to improve your hair’s overall health and feel.Best Dry ShampooAlo Glow Systems Restore And Refresh Clean Dry Shampoo$30 at Neiman MarcusThis dry shampoo smells amazing, but it’s also become our new essential for refreshing hair after a workout. It doesn’t leave a white residue, and we feel comfortable knowing the ingredients are clean and eco-conscious.Best Fragrance-Free ShampooAugustinus Bader The Shampoo$60 at augustinusbader.com$100 at sohoskin.comAugustinus Bader is bringing its patented TFC8 formula directly to your shower. The brand’s newly launched fragrance-free shampoo aims to increase hair volume and body while locking in moisture.Best ConditionerAugustinus Bader The Conditioner$60 at augustinusbader.comAnd as a plus for your hair care rotation, Augustinus Bader’s salon-ready conditioner can also be used as a hair mask (just leave it on a little longer).Best Restorative Hair MaskCeremonia Mascarilla de Guava$34 at Credo BeautyThis mask plays double duty, repairing damaged hair and split ends with blue agave and maracuja oil, while protecting color-treated hair from fade with guava, a potent source of vitamin C that creates a natural UV barrier.Best Clarifying Shampoo for Curly and Coily HairBread Beauty Supply Clear-Wash$24 at breadbeautysupply.comThere’s a good reason Bazaar editors named Bread Beauty Supply’s Clear Wash Detox Clarifying Shampoo among the best products of 2023. Its amino acid-rich, anti-bacterial formula thoroughly cleanses hair and scalp while regulating oil production, and also happens to be color-safe.Best Bond Repair Hair MaskAmika The Kure Intense Bond Repair Mask$64 at Amazon$53 at WalmartCredit: AmazonJust like your favorite night cream, this reparative mask from Amika has a rich, creamy texture that delivers on hydration. It features a blend of borage oil, mango and shea butters, along with the brand’s signature sea buckthorn as main ingredients to combat breakage and deeply condition.Best Volumizing Dry ShampooOlaplex No. 4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo$30 at Amazon$27 at Walmart$30 at NordstromCredit: AmazonAny good dry shampoo will tackle oil, but most leave product build-up on the scalp that can exacerbate hair issues. Olaplex’s take is clinically proven not to clog pores or leave a white, powdery residue—and it’s infused with the same bond-building technology as the brand’s other products, so you’re left with nothing but healthy hair.Best Conditioner for Damaged HairPantene Miracle Rescue Deep Conditioner$13 at Amazon$8 at WalmartCredit: AmazonPantene’s Miracle Rescue Deep Repair Conditioner makes it simple to treat dry, damaged hair with supreme hydration. The formula, which is worked through wet hair from mid-lengths to ends, features melting pearls of the brand’s famous Pro-V blend to restore hair’s health.Best Sulfate-Free ShampooL’Oréal Paris EverPure Clarify Sulfate-Free ShampooNow 10% Off$9 at Amazon$9 at Walmart$10 at Ulta BeautyCredit: AmazonProtect color from fading while getting rid of excess oil and build-up thanks to this gentle and effective clarifying shampoo from L’Oréal Paris. The supercharged vitamin C and glycine formula is perfect for combatting hard water exposure, and cleanses hair without stripping it of much needed moisture.Best Conditioner for Curly and Coily HairPattern by Tracee Ellis Ross Palo Santo Medium ConditionerNow 69% Off$8 at Pattern BeautyCurly hair always needs more moisture. Opt for this conditioner, which contains a nourishing blend of oils, including jojoba and olive, to hydrate curls and coils without weighing them down.Best Shampoo for Fine HairJohn Frieda Ultrafiller+ Thickening ShampooNow 24% Off$9 at Amazon$12 at Walmart$19 at everymarket.comCredit: AmazonStrengthening biotin and plumping hyaluronic acid combine in this shampoo from John Frieda to get hair looking super-thick after your first wash. Plus, its vegan formula doesn’t contain any sulfates or silicones.Best Conditioner for Fine HairJohn Frieda ULTRAfiller+ Thickening ConditionerNow 24% Off$9 at AmazonChase the ULTRAfiller+ shampoo with the brand’s thickening conditioner, which helps boost the look of hair immediately and over time with abiotin and hyaluronic acid blend.Best All-Around ShampooArkive Headcare All Day Everyday Shampoo$40 at Amazon$19 at WalmartCredit: Bloomingdale’sThis shampoo from British hair stylist Adam Reed is dosed with both a Baobab protein to moisturize and an oil version to condition the scalp and add shine.Best All-Around ConditionerArkive Headcare Headcare All Day Everyday ConditionerNow 13% Off$35 at AmazonCredit: Bloomingdale’sWe also love Arkive Headcare’s signature shampoo and conditioner scent, Future Bloom, an in-house blend of notes like vanilla, white musk and mandarin. Plus, their conditioner formula also happens to be B Corp-certified.Best Protective ConditionerK18 Biomimetic Hairscience DAMAGE SHIELD Protective Conditioner$36 at SephoraA pH-optimized conditioner that helps soften and detangle hair, increase shine, and protect against UV damage? Count us in.
SCALP
John Nacion//Getty ImagesLong braids hit the runway at Lapointe’s fall 2024 show
Styling products can leave a layer of buildup behind, leading to a host of hair issues. Roszak stresses the importance of clarifying the scalp, which can be done with all of these excellent scrubs, detoxing sprays, and lightweight treatments.
BEST SCALP CONDITIONERDr. Groot Scalp Revitalizing Solution Miracle in Shower Treatment$30 at AmazonThe ultralightweight Dr. Groot Scalp Revitalizing Solution Miracle In Shower Treatment delivers arginine, panthenol, niacinamide, and salicylic acid straight to the scalp and leaves even the driest hair noticeably softer and smoother in seconds, not minutes.BEST DETOX SPRAYBriogeo Scalp Revival Buildup Detox Spray$26 at Amazon$26 at Walmart$26 at DermstoreAbout 15 minutes before you shower, spray and massage Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Buildup Detox Spray ($26; ) over your scalp. The blend of skincare acids helps eat away at buildup from styling products like dry shampoo that can contribute to dull, dry hair.BEST SCALP SERUM FOR HAIR GROWTHGrandeHair Enhancing Serum$25 at grandecosmetics.comLike a multivitamin for your scalp, Grande Cosmetics GrandeHair Hair Enhancing Serum deposits peptides and amino acids right where you need them most to support healthy hair growth. Use it nightly to see an improvement in thickness and texture in eight weeks.BEST PRESHOWER TREATMENTFable & Mane HoliRoots Pre-wash Hair Treatment Oil$52 at Sephora$66 at WalmartFable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil has gone viral on TikTok for its ability to deliver healthier, shinier hair and a soothed scalp, thanks to the lightweight blend of castor oil, dashmool, and ashwagandha. Just be sure to give it a good rinse before shampooing.BEST SCALP TREATMENTVirtue Clarifying & Exfoliating Scalp Treatment$50 at SephoraVirtue Exfoliating Scalp Treatment has a delightful whipped texture and is packed with ingredients like keratin and jojoba oil that leave your hair healthier with each use.BEST DENSITY SERUMDensity Preserving Scalp DropsNow 50% Off$19 at AmazonMaintaining hair density is key when addressing hair loss. Philip Kingsley Density Serum has caffeine to stimulate the scalp and promote thicker, fuller strands, plus an anti- hair loss active to prevent shedding.BEST NEW DANDRUFF SHAMPOOHead & Shoulders BARE Dandruff Shampoo$20 at AmazonThis dandruff shampoo does more with less. It has only nine ingredients—but still delivers that flake-fighting power that we all expect from Head and Shoulders in a new eco-friendly bottle.BEST VOLUMIZING FOAMRevitalash Volume Enhancing Foam$152 at revitalash.comMassage this foam straight into your scalp and roots to instantly boost volume, hydrate the scalp, and address thinning hair with powerful ingredients like saw palmetto, biotin, lipids, and peptides.
ABOUT THE HAIR AWARDS
Meet the Experts
