Hair styling products allow you to achieve any style. Many contain polymers or other ingredients designed to hold hair in place while some also provide nourishment or restorative benefits.
Volumizing mousses are great way to thicken and lift fine hair without adding weight, for an effortlessly gorgeous finish use a hairspray with humidity defense as an added measure.
Gel
Hair gel can provide strong hold to tame flyaways for an elegant style, while also adding some shine.
Thinner formulas feature a runny, slippery consistency which works best with fine, delicate hair that easily becomes weighted down. Look for gels with strengthening protein ingredients to maintain flexible and healthy locks.
On the other hand, thick gels with heavier textures may work best for coarse hair types. Look for humidity-resistant products with added oils to combat frizziness and protect your locks.
Mousse
Mousse is an ideal way to add texture and volume to all types and textures of hair. Commonly distributed using aerosol cans, it forms into foam which can easily be applied onto damp locks before blow drying.
Straight hair requires extra volume and body, without being heavy-feeling, so adding some volumizing mousse before your blowout can give it extra lift without feeling heavy or frizzy. Mousse can also help control frizz and add shine for unruly locks.
Curly hair requires special products designed specifically to define and tame its unruly coils while simultaneously protecting strands against breakage. Mousses also help define waves or wavy styles by offering soft but firm hold that maintains the style throughout the day.
Pomades
Pomades are one of the oldest forms of hair styling products, providing a sleek, glossy finish for your style. Available from firm to light hold formulas with natural or high shine finishes, pomades are excellent products to use when creating pompadours, quiffs or uncut styles.
Traditional oil-based pomades can be divided into heavier and lighter hold types. Heavy pomades (often known as barber’s wax or grease) typically offer stronger hold while light hold pomades (known as brilliantine) function more like hair paste.
Water-based pomades offer another innovative variation on the classic formula, often being easier to wash out of hair than their oil-based counterparts. Brands like Suavecito, Layrite and Imperial offer water-based formulas.
Wax
Wax hair products differ from gels and pomades by not hardening upon drying, leaving a more natural finish that sculpts strands, adds texture, and increases volume with often having a matte or velvety surface finish.
Long hair can easily achieve a casual, beachy style when styled using just a small amount of wax. A pea-sized dab will do, allowing you to add piecey pieces as the day wears on and adjust its style as necessary.
Wavy lob hairstyles are among the easiest styles to create with hair wax. Simply apply it on damp strands, lightly blow-dry your locks until desired texture has been reached, and use your fingertips to comb through and play with the wax to achieve more sophisticated styles.
Scrunching Cream or Lotion
Stylers tailored specifically for wavy hair are essential. Packed with moisture-boosting ingredients like linden bud extract and mica to add shine while hair oils nourished her strands, our tester was delighted by how well this styler worked with her curls without feeling crunchy or oily; also serving as a heat activated styling product, she found it particularly effective at revitalizing flat curls with just one quick scrunch before air drying or diffusing them back out again.
Creams typically offer thicker textures than gels and serve to both condition and provide hold, whereas jellies have waterier consistency with more of a focus on frizz-fighting properties. Curl souffles offer something in-between these two, providing firmer hold than cream but maintaining some hydration benefits.
