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This versatile styling product does much more than you think.
Byrdie / Brian Kopinski
Mousse is a great product for all hair types, says LA-based hairstylist and image consultantSophie Rose Gutterman.
Think of it as a lighter version of a gel.
My girls withfine haircan use a volumizing mousse at the roots to give your blowout body.
PHOTO: Amazon
Its also a tool every curly-haired person should have in their beauty arsenal, according to NYC hairstylistShab Caspara.
We asked 60testersto try 37 hair mousses to find the ones that should be bathroom cabinet fixtures.
When all was said and done, these 13 hair mousses came out on top.
PHOTO: Byrdie / Joy Kim
Our testers raved about how big and bouncy this product made curls.
It managed to define each coil and wave without weighing it down and eliminated signs of static.
The formula is super lightweight, it was barely perceptible once the hair was dry and adequately scrunched.
After styling, every strand looked fresh and felt silky.
There was no need for any additional productsthis mousse did it all.
It provided hydration and the bounce I always hoped to achieve with the products I normally use.
The formula gave our testers hair a noticeable lift at the roots and helped accentuate and hold their styles.
It was full and looked very sophisticated.
This natural formula contains lots of yummy-smelling ingredients, including orange and tangerine peel oils.
Meanwhile, its volume-boosting abilities come courtesy of sugarcane extract andcorn starchtwo natural thickening agents.
This moisturizing mousse made the hair soft, shiny, and free from static.
Arielle, tester with hair pop in 1A:It did give me more volume and body.
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That being said, it doesnt sacrifice volume for all that hydration.
Both our testers reported a major boost in fullness.
I love the scent.
PHOTO: Byrdie / Maggie Sperduti Matesevac
Almost that ‘I just had my hair done at the salon’ smell.
One tester raved that it made her strands plush and airy without any heaviness or crunchiness.
Another said it left her hair soft and shiny, preventing herblow-dried-straight hairfrom gradually reverting to wavy.
Stephanie, tester with hair bang out 1A/B:Like, wow.
I’m honestly so impressed as my hair is baby-fine and often doesn’t hold that much product.
My hair is fuller, bouncier, and has much more defined volume at the roots.
Oh, and it smells like a dream, according to our testers.
Our testers agreed this mousse gave their hair the definition and hold they were after.
The formulas cloud-like consistency didnt cause any stickiness, and the curls still felt soft and smooth.
It is lightweight yet has enough hold to tackle Afro hair.
My curls are defined and frizz-free and my hair appears healthier and shinier than before I used this product.
But this silky mousse from Paul Mitchell smooths hair out and keeps it that way.
PHOTO: Ulta
It protects your hair as you style it.
Better still, it maintained the root elevation with no discernable midday drop.
It also felt ultra soft and noticeably thicker when running fingers through it.
PHOTO: Byrdie / Cara Milhaven
Its worth noting that our thicker-haired tester didnt have as much luck with this mousse.
Jackie, tester with hair punch in 2B:I was amazed after styling my hair with this.
However, they agreed that this mousse has a flexible, natural finish.
What to Look for in Hair Mousse
In short, mousse is a really versatile styling product.
It can do everything from boosting volume and giving the appearance of thicker hair to sculpting curls andpreventing flyaways.
It can even improve the condition of your hair.
Start with towel-dried, slightly air-dried hair (think 50% remaining moisture).
Gutterman adds that you’re able to even use mousse as a style refresher.
She has fine, curly haira tricky-to-style combo that has required excessive product experimentation over the years.
Mousse is one of her fail-safe favorite stylers.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Joy Kim
