2014 Beauty Awards: 15 Best Hair Products
Get shiny, healthy hair
Is your hair flat, tired, and uninspired? If you're looking for a way to put the va va voom back into your tresses, we can help!
We asked Health editors and a team of pros for their absolute favorite, top-performing hair products that actually deliver. Here's everything you need to buy for shiny, healthy, and voluminous hair.
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Volumizer
Moroccanoil volumizing mousse
($28; newegg.com)
"Whether you're looking for skyscraper volume or a little extra lift, this mousse creates full-bodied styles that last," says hair pro Paul Cucinello.
Make mousse work for you
It's not just for beefing up fine, limp hair: Mousse adds a soft (crunch-free!), weightless hold to braids, buns and tousled waves. Evenly work in a dollop from roots to tips.
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Shampoo
Dove Oxygen Moisture shampoo
($4; harmondiscount.com)
Got dry strands? Meet your salvation: "It restores luster to stressed-out hair," says celebrity hairstylist Kattia Solano.
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Mask
Oribe Gold Lust Transformative masque
($62; spacenk.com)
"Using this is like treating your hair to a spa day," Cucinello gushes. "It smells divine and leaves hair soft and bouncy."
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Thickening treatment
Viviscal hair and scalp serum
($29.99; ulta.com)
This lightweight gel contains menthol to stimulate the scalp and grapeseed extract to encourage hair growth. "After just one week of use, my client's hair seemed thicker," Cucinello reports.
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Conditioner for color
Biolage ColorLast conditioner
($17; ulta.com)
This fade-defying champ "keeps your dye job as glossy as the day you left the salon for weeks on end," Cucinello says.
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Shampoo for color
Vidal Sassoon Pro Series ColorFinity shampoo
($3; amazon.com)
"A ridiculously affordable option for color-treated hair that actually delivers—color stays rich and true," Cucinello says.
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Curl cream
John Frieda Frizz Ease Unwind Curls calming crè
($6; ulta.com)
"You get effortlessly buoyant curls," Solano says—with no frizz, thanks to lightweight emollients.
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Hair oil
Aveda Dry Remedy daily moisturizing oil
($27; nordstrom.com)
"My tormented strands drank it up," Blitzer says. "And the smell alone—an earthy, herbal blend—puts me in a relaxing trance."
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Blow-dry cream
L'Oréal Professionnel Liss Unlimited Smoothing Dual serum
($19; amazon.com)
"You'll get a salon-perfect blowout—it could put me out of business!" Cucinello jokes.
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Dry shampoo
Pantene Pro-V Root Reboot dry shampoo
($17; amazon.com)
"This spray absorbs oil and disappears, leaving no residue," Blitzer notes. "The fresh scent disguises post-workout hair BO."
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Hairspray
Living Proof control hairspray
($24; ulta.com)
"It shapes and holds—it's like Spanx for hair!" Blitzer says. Provitamin B keeps hair touchable, never sticky.
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Leave-in treatment
Neutrogena Triple Repair leave-in treatment
($9; amazon.com)
Our experts report that its proteins strengthen weakened ends, while its conditioners shield hair from heat styling.
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Hair dryer
Bio Ionic 10X dryer
($329; ulta.com)
A splurge, yes, but worth it: Ionic technology and infrared energy deliver a faster blowout. And it weighs less than a pound.
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Conditioner
Kérastase Nutritive Lait Vital Irisome Complex
($25; amazon.com)
"This softens strands without limpness," Solano says. "Once rinsed, hair is silky-smooth and full of movement."
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Hair color
L'Oréal Paris Superior Preference Mousse Absolue
($15; ulta.com)
It's amazingly user-friendly, testers say: A dual-chamber canister holds the dye and developer, dispensing the perfect ratio with each pump. Zero mess!
Hue-it-yourself
When touching up your roots, apply dabs of conditioner to sections of hair you want to avoid.