Like many young women who grew up in the ‘90s, I had no idea I had textured hair until high school. My best friend had the type of stick-straight baby blonde hair that hung down her back with barely a whiff of frizz. I, on the other hand, tried to mimic her hairstyling routine (which consisted of brushing it before bed… and nothing else) and wound up with a poofy, cloud-like ‘do that levitated off my scalp. It took until I was firmly in the throes of puberty for the concept of using products to cross my mind, and it was still another year or two after that to understand that perhaps my hair would never be naturally straight—and to finally put down the flat iron. My hair was wavy and remains so to this day. 2B, fine, thick waves that require a little more love than the stroke of a boar bristle brush.
Now I’m incredibly grateful for my wavy hair. It emanates that bed-head Olsen twins vibe all on its own—no heat necessary—and only needs a handful of products to satisfactorily style. Finding the right products, however, has taken a bit of trial and error over the years. Thick creams, which are so nourishing for tighter curl patterns, are too heavy on my hair, but watery serums don’t pack enough punch to keep my S-wave texture smoothed and defined throughout the day. Luckily I’ve found a lineup of tried-and-true formulas to style my wavy hair and keep it looking its best from day to night. Even better? It takes less than five minutes to accomplish.
