Mousse is a staple in my hair product arsenal, but some ladies have FOTF (fear of the foam) or don’t feel it’s necessary. But when it comes to volumizing and texturizing (is that a word?), you can’t deny its superpowers; and with the right one, you’ll get nothing but lovely lady locks (never crunchy ’90s hair). I squirt myself a palm-full and work it into my roots and the top half of my head before blow-drying to get the volume I desire, but you can use all over your mane, especially if texture and curl are what you’re going for.
Here are the the best mousses on the market for all different hair types and goals:
1. Tresemme Climate Protection Mousse ($5): This product is hailed as one of the best drugstore options and gets rave reviews for giving volume and shape sans crunchiness or stickiness AND holding your style strong in the elements (humidity, wind, static, hot-and-heavy makeout). The only thing it loses points for is the nozzle (some people complain it stops working), but at that cheap price, it’s still worth a try (and you can always take it back to the store and get a new one if it quits on you).
2. Rene Futerer Vegetal mousse ($15-$25): I used to use this religiously and still love it. You can tell it’s a high-quality mousse because of its creaminess, and it provides great volume, shine, and hair hydration with a natural look and strand softness. It’s perfect for the person who wants touchable volume and bounce, but not “big hair.” In Atlanta, I recommend picking this up at stunning White Salon and Spa or Dragonfly salon; online check Amazon and Dermstore.
3. Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse ($37): Please note this is the holy grail of haircare. Beauty expert/blogger Emily Foley (check out her blog here) says, “If God himself made a mousse, it would be Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture. I have super thick hair, so I don’t go to mousse for volume; I want that cool, piece-y textured look, and that is what this gives you. Perfectly imperfect, totally touchable, and never crunchy. Crunchy mousse is so 1997.” DailyCandy also confesses these are the best and notes that the Grandiose creates “larger-than-real-life volume,” while the Curl mousse “defines natural spirals.”
4. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Full Form Mousse ($29): The first time I used this during my birthday beach week, I called all my friends into the bathroom while I was blow-drying my hair and was like, “OMG girls, look at this mother effing volume!!!” Granted, I’d been day-drinking so my excitement was escalated, but still. I love volume and I love this product for achieving it (although I am definitely going to be trying Oribe Grandiose for that whole larger-than-life thing). It holds well with no crunchiness, and the “thickening” aspect truly does boost thinner/fine hair. B & B gives a legit stylist tip that I adhere to: To give extra height after blow-drying, apply a little more mousse at the crown. Then lift and rough-dry with hands.
5. Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse ($4): Curly girls swear by Herbal Essences and it’s not just because you have an orgasm every time you use it (those commercials ARE real, right?). The Totally Twisted enhances curls without weight hair down, but sisters with spirals also like the Set Me Up Mousse to achieve natural-looking waves with strong hold. And per Herbal Essences standards, it smells ahhh-mazing.
There’s nothing to fear here.
LYLAS,
Ashley