L'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin StrongHold Hairspray
This longtime European favorite is finally available (now fluorocarbon-free) in the U.S. Trigger-happy stylists love that they can keep spraying it on and brushing it out throughout a 12-hour shoot, without any buildup or stiffness.
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Hairstylist Richard Marin "can't live without" Elnett: "I've been using it my entire career, and you just can't beat it for hold," he says. "You can even brush it out to restyle."
And New York City hair whiz Helena Faccenda gushes that it's "the greatest hairspray in the world. I will not go to work without a can in my bag."
It's a "must-have for teasing and setting hair," says stylist Juan Carlos Macques. "It's easy to brush through but holds every style."
René Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo
Whether it's used to degrease after a workout, to resuscitate limp hair after a long flight, or just as a quick lazy-girl's way to skip the whole shower–blow-dryer thing, dry shampoo has become a must-have. René Furterer Naturia was one of the first on the market and remains one of the best.
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Stylist Ruby Weiser says its kaolin clay and rice powder formula "soaks grease right up if you don't wash your hair every day," which is one of the reasons fellow hairstylist Kevin Mancuso, Nexxus' creative director, uses the spray on runway models' roots for instant volume.
Celebrity hairstylist John Dahlstrom likes the way it can "pump up the volume" of elegant updos. The trick, he says, it to be aggressive: "Rough hair up with your fingers to distribute the powder."
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original Formula Hair Serum
Look at vintage fashion shoots and you can easily tell which photos were taken BFE and AFE (Before Frizz-Ease and After Frizz-Ease). ELLE readers voted the silicone-based serum an all-time favorite because it "keeps curly hair tame" and gives "the right amount of shine."
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Stylist Serge Normant uses the wonder potion on dry hair. (But "very little and never near the root," he says.)
Because it "doesn't weigh down hair," indie-girl favorite Kevin Ryan uses it as a final finishing touch 30 seconds before his celeb clients run out the door.
Magic Move Pomade
Stylists love the soft matte hold of this Japanese styling paste, which adds texture to hair without adding grease.
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"It's made of soybeans, not silicone, so it's moisturizing and never builds up," says hairstylist Kattia Solano, owner of New York City's Butterfly Salon. "It comes in three strengths—light, medium, and hard—so it's good for every texture of hair."
L.A. stylist Taylor Lucas of Lucas Salon massages Magic Move into towel-dried strands before blow-drying. "It gives matte definition, and the heat from the dryer expands it to create extra body. Hair looks styled but not contrived."
Stylist Peter Butler uses the cream to separate pieces and prevent flyaways: "Magic Move Soft's formula doesn't get greasy, and you can never add too much."
Hot Tools Curling Iron
The super-affordable Hot Tools curling irons heat up fast, so busy celebs and models aren't kept waiting on set.
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Normant prefers the medium barrel: "It's good for semiwavy hair, like Sarah Jessica Parker's."
On and off the set of Gossip Girl, stylist Jennifer Johnson uses her Hot Tools to add waves to Blake Lively's style. "I keep long layers in Blake's hair so when I curl it, the different lengths add more body," Johnson says.
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum
ELLE readers love how this "boosts shine" and "calms curls without weighing them down." And stylists are fans as well: When packing their kits for humid exotic locales, many won't leave home without this defrizzing dynamo.
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Dhalstrom promises that it works on "every hair type" as a "prepping or finishing tool."
It's especially good for precision cuts, says stylist Tippi Shorter, who has used it to shape Rihanna's blunt bob and to "smooth dry ends."
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray
An industry—and beauty editor—favorite, nothing gives va-va-voom body quite like this stuff.
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" Bumble and bumble Thickening Spray is, hands down, the best volumizer," says Frédéric Fekkai stylist Abir Abergel. He sprays it on roots, flips the head over, and blow-dries with medium heat. "High heat flattens hair," he says.
Stylist Ben Skervin, whose client list includes Madonna and Keira Knightley, promises that just a few spritzes will "make even the finest strands voluminous."
Parlux Superturbo 3200 Compact Hair Dryer
The perfect blowout is "wild and sexy and glamorous and chic," says Paris stylist Alex Rebecchi. To achieve this, he and other experts choose Parlux's hair dryer as their blower of choice.
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It's "lightweight but really powerful," says Rebecchi.
Stylist Sean Jahanbigloo also prefers the "powerful" Parlux. "Ninety-five percent of the time people have issues with the way their hair turns out, it's because of a weak blow-dryer."
Kérastase Sérum Nutri-Sculpt
It may be hard to imagine that the genetically blessed likes of model Daria Werbowy contend with the same beauty issues as the rest of us, but when it comes to hair, the stresses of incessant styling and blow-drying often leave them in dire straits. Werbowy reaches for the ultrarestorative Kérastase Sérum Nutri-Sculpt, she says, because "it controls my frizz."
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Bicoastal hair guru Miki says that the silky serum turns anything it touches "smooth and shiny," while Abergel applies it before blow-drying and again as a finishing touch poststyling.
"It closes the cuticle without adding weight and reflects a lot of light," he says.
Kiehl's Creme With Silk Groom
For a red-carpet debut, Kiehl's classic styling cream is a consummate favorite and has been used on the strands of well-coifed celebrities like Jessica Biel.
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It "polishes any hair texture" and "gives that certain `I take care of myself' sheen," says star stylist Hallie Bowman.
Miki suggests working a dab of Silk Groom into a "wet or dry mane," for an emergency dose of moisturizer that will save dry, brittle hair from breakage.
Abergel applies the cream when hair looks fried or unruly: "It has a creamy consistency and works like a leave-in conditioner."
