Whenever I get my hair blow-dried, I ask for a “’90s Cindy,” referring to the voluminous blow-dried styles sported by supermodels Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer at the time. One particular image from that same era has stayed in my mind forever: the 1990 cover of Rolling Stone magazine featuring the ladies of Twin Peaks. Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, and Madchen Amick pose in tank tops and jeans, their hair as big and full of secrets as any David Lynch bizarre series. But I’ve always loved big hair. Whether it’s Ronnie Spector’s beehive, Dolly Parton’s country curls, or Brigitte Bardot’s bouffant, there’s something about high-riding hair that makes you feel like you’re ready to rule the world. As Parton says, “Life is short. Dream big and keep your hair big.”
At the beginning of the year, big hair was expected to be the biggest trend of 2024. Miley Cyrus showed off big “Barbarella” hair at the Grammys, Christian Cowan, Marc Jacobs and The Bronze sent models down the runway with gravity-defying hairstyles. “Mafia wives” were everywhere. Bouffant hairstyles appeared in period dramas and TV series such as the Emmy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Feud: Capote vs. Swans. It was big hair’s time to shine – or at least I thought so. As soon as the words “big hair” left the lips of the trend seers, we stopped hearing about it, except for the spectacular hair scenes of Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey and Kourtney Kardashian. (Maybe the big hair renaissance is just really slowly happening?) Either way, my dear beauty buddies, we need to bring big hair back for fall, for real this time!
(Image source: Getty Images / Gerard Julien)
Think about it: Fall is the perfect time to add volume to your hair, whether it’s for a Halloween costume or to try out a pre-holiday look. You have nothing to lose except your hairspray. I decided to make it part of my mission to get voluminous hair myself. Sexy Hair, a brand known for its volumizing products, introduced me to one of their ambassadors, Graham Nation, a celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Venus Williams, Maddie Ziegler, and Emma Chamberlain, to make my voluminous dreams come true.
The hardest part was deciding what kind of extravagant hairstyle to go for. Should I go for a big Priscilla Presley bouffant or a regular ’90s bouffant? I was imagining the bouffant hairstyle Geri Halliwell had in the Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There” video. In the end, I settled on something that was retro-inspired and easy to recreate at home (with practice): a mini bouffant half-up style.
First, Graham applied Healthy Shine Show Blowout Spray ($23) to my wet hair, combed it through all strands, then layered on Big Altitude Blowout Mousse ($23). “It feels like a blow-dry mousse that’s cooling or icy,” Graham says. “You don’t feel it doing anything to your hair; it just expands the cuticles and adds volume.”
Sexy Hair
Healthy Shine Show Blowout Spray
Sexy Hair
Big Altitude Bodifying Blow Dry Mousse
Sexy Hair
Big Root Pump Plus Volumizing Spray Mousse
He then roughly dried my hair and set it in Velcro rollers, first small ones around my head and then larger ones on top. He also spritzed it with Hi-Tide Texture Finishing Hairspray ($23), a lightweight hairspray that Graham says makes hair more manageable.
Mermaid Hair™ USA
Velcro Roller Kit + Clips
Sexy Hair
Texture High Tide Texturizing Finishing Hairspray
The next step was my favorite part: backcombing. Using a rattail comb, Graham started at the very front of the soon-to-be fluffy section, and for each section, he sprayed a bit of Hide Tide spray, then pushed the comb down to the roots and lifted about an inch. (Important note: don’t detangle your hair by repeatedly moving the comb up and down while still in the hair, as this can tangle and make it look messy.)
Now it’s time to create your bouffant hairstyle. At first, it can be tricky to decide which part of your hair you want to add height to. “Sectioning is key to creating bouffant hairstyles,” Graham explains. “Decide how far away you want your bouffant to be from the front and how much of your front hair you want to leave out. The area just below the crown of your head is where you’ll put your pins, but if you start at the back, you won’t get enough height.”
Another tip Graham recommends is to hold all your hair in place with small clips before pinning it up, then check in the mirror to make sure it looks nice: “If you have enough of the right product, like the right mousse or hairspray, your hair won’t fly out everywhere. But if you don’t have enough product, your hair will look like freshly washed hair, slick and shiny, and unmanageable.”
The final step in finishing my voluminous hair was to add curls. After using rollers to create volume, Graham wanted to add more definition all over using a 1.5 inch curling iron. “The bigger the diameter of the curl, the more volume you’ll have and the less curl you’ll have, so you need a big iron for this style. He used the iron to curl my hair away from my face to add volume.
(Image courtesy of Marie Lodi)
Sexy Hair
Sexy Hair Big Volume Flex Texture Spray
Graham finished off the look with the new Sexy Hair Volume Flex Texture Spray ($23). “Texture sprays have gotten so strong over the last few years, with everyone putting weird drying agents in them like charcoal or matcha and it was all over the top,” Graham explains. “With Volume Flex, we’ve tweaked it to be an easy-to-use texture spray. It’s a fine mist, and I love that most texture sprays come off like a dry shampoo.”
P.S.: I loved my big hair so much that I changed outfits three times and took hundreds of photos! I am truly here for the big hair revolution.
in front:
(Image courtesy of Marie Lodi)
rear:
(Image courtesy of Marie Lodi)
Shop my favorite products for full, fluffy, healthy hair
Sexy Hair
Big Weather Proof Frizz Control Finishing Spray
This humidity-fighting spray has been reimagined with a new scent and formula that not only fights humidity and reduces flyaways, but also protects hair from heat and UV rays. Graham pointed to a video that tested WeatherProof and a clothes steamer to replicate humidity, and said she was “amazed” by the results.
Joico
Joico Rise Up Spray Volume & Texture Powder
Perfectly sized to toss in your bag or take with you on the go, this cute Joico root powder will add volume when you need it most, and it also contains nourishing, antioxidant-rich Moringa Seed Oil to keep your hair healthy.
Leonor Gleyre
Leonor Grail Paris – Conditioner Naturel – Heat protection and volume spray for fine hair
This multi-purpose spray not only adds volume to fine hair but also protects it from heat damage, while ingredients like quinoa, acacia and moringa add shine and support.
Philip B
Maui Wow Volumizing Mousse
Mousse is back! But it’s a lot better than your old mousse. This mousse from Philip B. is infused with marine extracts to add volume and thickness, and wheat proteins to lock in moisture.
We’ve learned how to properly detangle our hair, but maybe it’s ok to take a short cut every once in a while and use this bumper from The Hair Shop?! Made from 100% Remy hair, this hairpiece adds instant volume to the top of your head. BUY IT!
#MyIdentity
#MyHero Collagen Repair Softening Treatment
After 3 days of having fluffy locks, it was time to give my hair some serious care. I used my all-time favorite hair care product, #Mydentity #Myhero Collagen Repair, which contains 10 types of keratin and amino acids that strengthen and repair damaged hair. I spray it all over my head after shampooing and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing and conditioning. My hair feels so soft and healthy. I couldn’t live without it!
Emi Jay
Mini boar bristle brush, pink sugar
I’m obsessed with this mini boar bristle brush from Emi Jay. I want it in more colors! Whether I’m combing through fluffy hair or making it look sleek, this brush is so gentle on my hair and so cute!
T3
Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler Blowout Kit
If you want to achieve voluminous hairstyles in no time, then this T3 Air Styler is the perfect choice. It comes with a ceramic curling attachment that helps you achieve the perfect blow-dry style without damaging your hair with heat.
Amica
Amika Park Up Dry Shampoo
This is my favorite dry shampoo because it doesn’t leave a white residue like other dry shampoos, it absorbs oil and refreshes my hair, and it smells amazing!
Fenty Hair
The Rich One Moisture Repair Shampoo
Let’s talk about the new Fenty shampoo and conditioner. They smell amazing and are super effective at moisturizing your hair. The magic lies in the brand’s proprietary ingredient, Replenicore-5 complex. This complex contains amino acids, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, Barbados gooseberry, recycled jackfruit extract, and green tea to keep your hair strong, healthy, and protected.
Fenty Hair
The Rich One Moisture Repair Conditioner
This conditioner is one of the few I’ve tried that moisturizes my processed blonde hair without making it feel heavy. This amazing scent is a mix of yuzu, amber, vanilla, flowers and sandalwood. It smells like a dream!
