Perfecting a sleek bun or ponytail takes a little bit of time and effort, especially when it comes to ensuring that frizz, flyaways, and baby hairs are perfectly held in place by products like gels and styling creams. But sometimes the process of slathering a cream or gel on my hair and working it into an updo can be a little messy. This is where flyaway wands come in.
I like to think of a flyaway wand as a mascara for my edges and baby hairs: it's a styling product that comes in a tiny tube featuring a brush with bristles, allowing me to gently brush over the hairs around my hairline to hold them in place and tame any annoying frizz. I, for one, love the convenience of them (I can throw one in my bag in case of an emergency and go!), but they also work wonders when trying to style my hair without having to use too many products at once.
I have yet to perfect the slickback look, but these flyaway wands are my go-tos when I want to keep my hair frizz-free with just a few small swipes.
Under-$10 Favorites
You don't have to splurge on products that are slick back-friendly. These picks get the job done for under $10.
Got2b took its beloved strong-hold hair gel and turned it into a travel-friendly, pocket-sized product that can be used to tame even the babiest of baby hairs and brows. Much like the original formula, it dries down quickly and holds the hair in place for extended periods without leaving behind the dreaded sticky, white residue.
You can use this argan oil-infused formula to slick down stubborn pieces of frizz and flyaways (it especially comes in handy when trying to perfect a slick bun), but be mindful that because its texture is closer to a serum than a gel, it may not provide the strongest hold for thicker or textured hair.
This under-$10 product features avocado oil, which moisturizes and softens the hair, while mango seed butter prevents baby hairs from breaking off further.
Light, Cream Formulas
When you think of frizz-taming products, some of the first things to come to mind are gels, but there are lighter formulas that can also keep flyaways and baby hairs out of your face without the flakiness or residue.
Dae recently took its Cactus Fruit Styling Cream and turned it into a miniature, on-the-go version. It includes ingredients such as dragon fruit extract to moisturize the hair around the edges, while prickly pear seed oil is intended to add shine.
This stick is filled with scalp- and skin-friendly ingredients, the most important being lactic acid, which prevents the cream itself and other products from building up and causing flaking at the hairline. Hyaluronic acid also acts as a hydrator to strengthen the hair.
Bold Holding Products
These are products that provide a stronger hold than soft creams and serums, and they're designed to smooth out those pesky hairs that just can't seem to stay down.
Lolavie's styling wand is made with a thicker formula that resembles a paste—it accomplishes the same thing as the brand's full-size sculpting paste, just in smaller packaging. The brush itself is also dual-ended, with one end for applying the product and the other for smoothing.
This wand comes with an extra-long brush, and it holds styles in place without the use of sticky waxes that typically cause flaking and buildup.
Celebrity hairsylist Chris McMillan finally launched his long-awaited haircare brand over the summer with a lineup of styling products and hairsprays, but I've been most excited about his taming hair wand, which is good for smoothing down hair quickly and on-the-go, and it even includes special heat protecting ingredients if you have to touch up the outer areas of your hair with heat after applying.
Ingredient-Forward Must-Haves
These wands hold the hair in place while also featuring moisturizing ingredients that hydrate the hair and scalp and prevent breakage.
Yes, this wand can be used to slick down baby hairs and edges, but more importantly, it's a serum formula that hydrates the hair and uses caffeine to stimulate the scalp.
Kitsch's Taming Wand is one of the best under-$20 solutions to smoothing hair quickly and easily. It includes ingredients like biotin and vitamin E to moisturize and strengthen baby hairs and flyaways (they're essentially just broken hairs after all), and it's small enough to slip into a clutch or purse, so you can whip it out whenever you're in need of a touch-up.
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