45 Best of Beauty Award-Winning Hair Products That Will Keep Your Crowning Glory All the More Glorious (2024)

Hair isn't just on the top of our heads; for so many of us, it's also top of mind. No matter how fine or thick our strands may be, no matter our curl pattern (or lack thereof), and no matter if our chief complaint is dandruff or chemical damage, we think about our hair—and the products we use on it—a lot.

So, as you might imagine, Allure editors have put just as much thought—quite possibly more, knowing us—into figuring out which shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and stylers are the most worthy of taking up space on the limited real estate that is your shower shelf and bathroom counter.

With these well-tested winners, you can make the most of your waves with smoothing and sculpting formulas, experiment confidently with permanent (and not-so-permanent) color, and extend your style a day or four with revitalizing dry shampoo (just pick your preferred format—spray or sprinkle). We can't stop you from contemplating your hair—we wouldn't want to!—but we can take the guesswork out of shopping for it.

Best of Beauty Awards 2024: Hair Care

Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's very best shampoos, curl creams, and dry shampoos.

• Best Co-Wash
• Best Treatment for Thinning Hair
• Best Scalp Treatment
• Best Leave-In Conditioner
• Best Hair Mask
• Best Hair-Styling Products

Best Shampoo & Conditioners

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Fine Hair: Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Density Boost Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner

Why It Won: Our fine-hair testers were full of praise for Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Density Boost Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. The volumizing duo gets to the root of flat hair (with circulation-boosting niacinamide) while leaving the length so much softer and silkier (with silicones).

Tester Feedback: "My hair contains multitudes—fine strands, and color-treated ones, a healthy dose of grays, dry ends, sensitive scalp," says executive beauty director Jenny Bailly. "This duo somehow meets everyone where they are… soothing my scalp and softening roughness and frizz without weighing down my roots. The lather of the shampoo is delicious and the conditioner leaves a light, just slightly floral scent behind."

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Dry Hair: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner

Why It Won: Dry hair doesn't need to dread a daily Everything Shower with Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner. Incredibly creamy, they make stripped and straw-like hair supple again, hydrating like nobody's business with jojoba oil-packed formulas that—big bonus—are safe for color-treated hair.

Tester Feedback: "Every time I use this duo, my hair feels almost impossibly soft and looks shampoo-commercial-levels of shiny," says content director Kara McGrath.

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Damaged Hair: Bumble and Bumble Bb.Bond-Building Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Why It Won: Bumble and Bumble Bb.Bond-Building Repair Shampoo and Conditioner are like a trust fall for your hair. When it's at its most vulnerable, they rebuild support, fight frizz, strengthen, and, with the sweet help of honey, reinstate the healthy sheen that damage erased.

Tester Feedback: "This bond-building shampoo and conditioner really breathe new life into my blonde hair," says senior audience development director Lexi Herrick. "The pair moisturizes and smooths my dry, color-treated strands, leaving them soft and shiny."

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Damaged Hair: K18 Damage Shield pH Protective Shampoo and Damage Shield Protective Conditioner

Why It Won: We'd argue that no shampoo is as efficient at removing all the ick (dirt and grease) while simultaneously protecting the integrity of your hair and scalp as K18 Damage Shield pH Protective Shampoo. But that's only scratching—er…shampooing—the surface. This cleansing powerhouse and its creamy counterpart, Damage Shield Protective Conditioner, protect hair from damage, which means big wins for you: less frizz, more shine, brighter color.

Tester Feedback: "I use half a dozen hair products on a weekly basis; dry shampoo, hairspray, gel, you name it," says social director Kassidy Silva. "To give my hair a reset, I use the K18 shampoo and conditioner once a week and like to keep the shampoo on for at least five minutes to really cleanse my scalp before moving on to the conditioner."

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair: Redken Acidic Color Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner

Why It Won: Formulated with amino acids to lock in optimal shine, Redken Acidic Color Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner help highlights and double-processed strands stay salon-vibrant for weeks. Even if your hair isn't dyed, you can expect its vitamin E to undo dullness in a noticeable way.

Tester Feedback: "Both the shampoo and conditioner have a great, clean scent (smells like a salon!) and my hair felt soft and manageable with lots of bounce post-wash," says Alison Ward Frank, global head of talent.

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Curly Hair: Curlsmith Frizz Control Cleanser and Frizz Control Duo Conditioner

Why It Won: Made with nourishing coconut butter and argan oil, Curlsmith Frizz Control Cleanser takes the gentlest approach to shampooing spirals, helping to keep unwanted fuzziness at bay. Meanwhile, Frizz Control Duo Conditioner seals the deal—and the cuticle—whether you rinse it out or use it as a leave-in for extra smoothness.

Tester Feedback: "I thoroughly enjoy how this dynamic curl duo helped whip my curls into shape and tame them without adding additional product after washing out a blowout," says social media manager Bianca Richards. "The scent is super tropical with notes of milky mango, creamy coconut, and sweet papaya, which all remind me of visits to Puerto Rico."

Best Shampoo & Conditioner for Dandruff: Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Shampoo and Conditioner

Why It Won: "Chic" and "dandruff" are words you don't typically see in the same sentence. Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Shampoo and Conditioner have changed that. But they don't just look and smell elegant, they tackle the fungal foundations of oily flakes (with piroctone olamine) and soothe your scalp (with aloe).

Tester Feedback: "My scalp is chronically dry and itchy, but sweet relief comes in the form of this shampoo and conditioner duo," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "They wash all the flakes lingering on my head down the drain without drying out my strands in the process."

Best Co-Wash

Hairstory New Wash Original

Why It Won: Don’t call it a two-in-one. A truly clever co-wash, Hairstory New Wash Original relies on sunflower seed and evening primrose oils—not your typical detergents—to gently cleanse and remove buildup while moisturizing so well you can feel free to skip conditioner.

Tester Feedback: "I normally have to use a detangling product on my hair after I shampoo, but after using this, I could just combed my hair and it wasn't tangly at all," says senior visuals editor Lauren Brown. "My hair felt super clean afterward, too."

Best Treatment for Thinning Hair

Women’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Unscented Foam

Why It Won: Minoxidil was the first drug to ever be FDA-approved for hair regrowth, and in the decades since, Rogaine (which just clocked its seventh win) has become synonymous with it. The brand makes it especially simple to use via a once-daily topical treatment in an easy-to-apply foam format that doesn't just show promise—it shows results.

Tester Feedback: "After losing a ton of my hair to a sudden hormonal imbalance (thanks, birth control), I've tried just about every hair growth remedy—both homeopathic and prescription—out there," says senior news editor Nicola Dall'Asen. "Rogaine is just about the only thing that I can guarantee will help you grow new hair. That's because minoxidil is one of the only ingredients clinically proven to do so. Just don't do what I tend to and forget to apply it most of the time; this formula requires daily application to do its thing."

Best Scalp Treatment

Best Scalp Scrub: Odele Scalp + Body Scrub

Why It Won: When shampoo alone won't bust the product buildup you've accumulated, the sugar granules in Odele Scalp + Body Scrub clear away the stubborn dirt and dead skin cells on your scalp before cleansing. And yes, you can share the softening, sugar-based formula with the rest of your body, too.

Tester Feedback: "I really like how fine the grit is in this scrub. At least for me, that texture makes it easier to really work it into my scalp rather than feeling like there are just chunks of sugar sitting on top of my hair," says McGrath.

Best Scalp Tonic: Raw Sugar Living Rosemary Vinegar Hair Rinse

Why It Won: When frequent washes are not your thing, Raw Sugar Living Rosemary Vinegar Hair Rinse serves as a non-stripping, root-to-tip cleanse for between-shampoo showers. Rosemary hydrates while white and apple cider vinegars restore shine and scalp balance.

Tester Feedback: "I use this right before I jump in the shower, parting my hair into sections and massaging the clear serum into my scalp," says special projects associate manager Talia Gutierrez. "I struggle with product buildup and flaky, dry scalp, but since using this, my scalp feels clean but not irritated."

Best Leave-In Conditioner

Saltair Moisture Bound Leave-In Conditioner

Why It Won: The amount of frizz-fighting moisture Saltair has squeezed into a lightweight spray is truly mind-boggling (and hair-smoothing). But Moisture Bound Leave-In Conditioner is one of those feats of chemistry that you have no choice but to accept once you see how its coconut, argan, monoi, babassu, and pracaxi oils brilliantly address dryness.

Tester Feedback: "My hair feels very soft, and I don't get any greasy residue or weighed-down-ness after using this leave-in," says McGrath. "It also smells nice but not overpowering."

Best Hair Mask

Best Hydrating Hair Mask: Fekkai Super Strength + Repair Mask

Why It Won: Overachievers are so annoying—unless it's the Fekkai Super Strength+ Repair Mask. This creamy, five-minute treatment knows how to repair bonds, hydrate, smooth, strengthen, detangle, and—wait, we're not done—help fuse split ends so hair looks and feels super healthy.

Tester Feedback: "This mask is not just a luxe in-shower experience; the impact of its super-nourishing formula can be felt days after use," says shopping director Shanna Shipin. "A little goes a long way and it leaves your hair noticeably softer, which is great if you don't wash your hair all that often."

Best Strengthening Hair Mask: Cécred Reconstructing Treatment Mask

Why It Won: Beyoncé wants you to know that Cécred Reconstructing Treatment Mask is not a deep conditioner. Sure, it'll make your hair shiny, but this is a jar of damage-repairing, breakage-reducing protein powerhouses like fermented keratin and hydrolyzed rice—a true gift to chemically weakened strands.

Tester Feedback: "This is amazing," says Herrick. "The consistency is like honey and clouds. It smells very luxurious and leaves my hair so shiny and smooth."

Best Hair-Styling Products

Best Curl Cream: Aveda Be Curly Advanced Curl Enhancer Cream

Why It Won: An instant favorite among testers with curl types from 2A to 3C, Aveda Be Curly Advanced Curl Enhancer Cream skips the silicone to smooth and shape with a plant-derived peptide blend and kokum seed butter. And with its high levels of hydration, it practically serves as a leave-in conditioner, too.

Tester Feedback: "This cream checks all my curly-hair styler boxes: It defines my curls, has a minimal scent—which is important, I think, when you're working with thick hair—and gives medium hold," says Shipin.

Best Hair Gel: Ceremonia Pequi Styling Gel

Why It Won: There's no greater proof of how much hair gel has evolved than Ceremonia Pequi Styling Gel. Leagues away from the icky, sticky formulas of the past, this versatile gel lets you define curls or create a slicked-back style without stiffness, thanks to natural wonders like pequi oil, aloe vera powder, and açai extract.

Tester Feedback: "This is the rare product that works both on air-dry days and on days when I've blown my waves out," says McGrath. "It adds non-crunchy definition and volume to my natural texture, but also adds sleek shine to slicked-back styles."

Best Hair Volumizer: Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken and Lift Spray

Why It Won: Whether you've just stepped out of the shower or your second-day style has fallen flat, a few spritzes of Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken and Lift Spray at the crown of your head followed by a quick shot of heat from your blow-dryer brings out springy volume without a rigid or residue-covered feel.

Tester Feedback: "My hair is long and heavy, so gravity isn't really on my side," says shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis. "However, a few spritzes of this magic in a bottle at the roots and my hair is higher than Snooki's poof in 2009."

Best Hair Texturizer: Fekkai Full Blown Volume Dry Texturizing Spray

Why It Won: Flat, limp hair gets a boost of fullness and dimension with Fekkai Full Blown Volume Dry Texturizing Spray, which features a seriously smart balance of ingredients. As green coconut water plumps hair with hydration, zeolite, a natural mineral, absorbs excess oil at the scalp so your style isn't weighed down.

Tester Feedback: "This texturizing spray gives my hair so much volume," says Herrick. "It's excellent for prepping before curling and really helps hold the structure. It also smells like Fruit Loops (yum!) and lasts forever."

Best Wave Enhancer: Living Proof Curl Enhancer

Why It Won: It may have "curl" in the name, but nothing loves on your waves quite like Living Proof Curl Enhancer does. The leave-in formula simultaneously softens and defines for both immediate and cumulative improvement, coaxing your wave pattern’s curves out of their shell without weighing hair down.

Tester Feedback: "Finding a product that works well for fine, wavy hair can be a feat," says McGrath. "This one brings out my wave pattern but doesn’t make my strands look greasy."

Best Curl Enhancer: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Why It Won: A treatment and styling product in one, SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie brings bounce, shine, and definition to even the thickest, frizziest coils. Just a tiny bit of its neem oil, coconut oil, and silk protein combo is all thirsty hair needs to feel quenched and look beautifully conditioned.

Tester Feedback: "This is one of my O.G. curl essentials—it stands the test of time," says Richards. "When my curls are soaking wet, I apply a generous amount in sections, then use a diffuser on low to medium heat. It gives my curls healthy shine without frizz."

Best Finishing Oil: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil

Why It Won: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil—now with a more subdued fragrance and a recyclable glass bottle—imparts unmatched smoothness and shine to dry hair. It also delivers outstanding heat protection if you use it out of the shower, making it ideal to apply right before you break out the styling tools.

Tester Feedback: "Raking a few drops of this quick-to-absorb hair oil through my ends is the difference between a good hair day and a great hair day," says senior beauty editor Paige Stables. "Besides controlling frizz, the formula really makes my blonde shine!"

Best Frizz Smoother: Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream

Why It Won: If you've yearned to knock every styling product off your bathroom counter in a dramatic sweeping motion and replace them with a single product, Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Soft Power Air Dry Cream is that product. This light lotion, formulated with B vitamins and plum oil, makes wispy flyaways disappear while conjuring touchable wave and curl definition. Quite a magic act.

Tester Feedback: "So good! It absolutely delivers on its de-frizzing promises and as a bonus has a nice, light, fruity fragrance," says Shipin.

Best Hairspray: Nexxus XXL Volume Medium Hold Spray

Why It Won: No matter how fine your hair, Nexxus XXL Volume Medium Hold Spray holds it in place without weighing it down. It provides flexibility without a frozen, sticky finish, locking out look-sabotaging humidity to ensure, hours later, that your style remains where it started.

Tester Feedback: "There is no frustration like spending hours achieving perfect curls only for them to immediately fall once you step outside," says Silva. "With a few spritzes of this hairspray, my curls stay intact all night long and have enough flexibility that I can still toss them up into an inevitable updo by the end of the evening."

Best Blowout Styler: Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist

Why It Won: Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist enhances the styling effects of heat while guarding you against its tendency to cause damage. The bond-building formula, bolstered by a pea peptide, even helps speed up the blow-drying process to bring out your hair’s best bounce and body.

Tester Feedback: "Volume and my hair have never been friends,” says Silva. "But with four spritzes of this mist on my wet roots, when I'm about 75% dry, volume and I become besties."

Best Hair Mousse: Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Mousse

Why It Won: We love when an effortless look is actually effortless. Whatever your natural texture may be, the nonaerosol Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Mousse makes summery hair perennially easy with its extra-light foam formula, shaping and hydrating without a heat-styling tool in sight.

Tester Feedback: "I'd describe my natural hair texture as flat as a pancake, but taking a few pumps of this airy mousse through damp strands leaves me with body and texture I didn't know I had," says associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh.

Best Hair Mousse: hOURS Full-Time Plumping Mousse

Why It Won: Instead of so many mousses' telltale crunchy feel, the castor oil in hOURS Full-Time Plumping Mousse offers hair healthy moisture that contributes to bouncy, soft results—results that last for hours without letting hair go limp.

Tester Feedback: "Mousse was a dirty word to me for the majority of my life—I did my time in the crunchy curl trenches in middle school," says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "But I've done a full 180 since discovering this one. My hair retains a ton of water post-shower and gets weighed down super easy, but adding two pumps of this to my wet hair inflates it like a freakin' balloon. It's also responsible for the longest-lasting blowout I've ever had. It's a miracle product to me."

Best Edge Styler: TPH Slick Edge Control Cream

Why It Won: TPH Slick Edge Control Cream lets you sculpt your baby hairs with surgical precision. Just a teensy amount on your fingertips or an application brush gives you unparalleled control and shine without creating any infuriating flakes.

Tester Feedback: "I love how sleek and glossy this cream makes my edges look," says associate beauty editor Annie Blay. "It doesn't have the strongest hold, but it is compact enough for me to throw in my bag with a small edge brush for touch-ups throughout the day."

Best Pomade: R+Co Control Flexible Paste

Why it won: R+Co Control Flexible Paste lets you artfully sculpt your style without a statue-stiff finish, leaving hair soft and semi-shiny with mango and aloe extracts.

Tester feedback: "My husband likes to push his hair back with a flexible-hold pomade daily," says senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor. "'It holds hair back without being crunchy or shiny,' he says, for a look that I'd describe as being more Aaron Samuels, less Danny Zuko."

Best Twisting Cream: Donna's Recipe Sweet Potato Pie Extra Creamy Hair Cream

Why It Won: How completely delightful that some of the yummiest things, like sweet potato, vanilla, and cinnamon, are also some of the most beneficial for hair and scalp. In Donna's Recipe Sweet Potato Pie Extra Creamy Hair Cream, they join some of the most moisturizing and nourishing oils and butters (avocado, sweet almond, tangerine, shea, and mango) to create a concoction that treats natural curls (especially type 4 coils) like royalty.

Tester Feedback: "I try to wear my natural curls as much as possible," says editor in chief Jessica Cruel. "To get this twist out, I first blow out my hair and then apply curl cream to my stretched coils."

Best Spray Dry Shampoo: Batiste Original Dry Shampoo

Why It Won: At this point, monuments should have been built to honor Batiste Original Dry Shampoo. The beloved rice starch and hydrolyzed keratin formula has earned countless loyal fans over the years because it's simply so good at refreshing and re-oomph-ing grease-sticken strands in a matter of moments.

Tester Feedback: "This was the first dry shampoo I ever tried and, so far, nothing beats it," says McGrath. "It soaks up oil—like, actually—but the excess brushes out easily, so you don't get too much buildup even after day three or four."

Best Powder Dry Shampoo: Crown Affair The Dry Shampoo

Why It Won: At first glance, The Crown Affair The Dry Shampoo looks like a jar of translucent finishing powder that belongs in your makeup bag. But this ingenious format, complete with kabuki brush, makes it easy to precisely apply the persimmon powder and tapioca starch on the oiliest parts of your roots to give you back volume—and let you get away with some shampoo procrastination.

Tester Feedback: "On day two (and three) hair, or when my hair just needs a little livening up, I dust this powder along my roots using the chic kabuki brush and—voila!—suddenly you would never know my hair wasn't freshly washed," says Stables.

Best At-Home Hair Color & Dye

Best Permanent Hair Color: eSalon Custom Hair Color Set

Why It Won: So much more than your typical at-home box hair color, the eSalon Custom Hair Color Set is a truly personalized experience. After you fill out an extensive questionnaire and share photos, an actual colorist factors in your goals and hair history to provide you with exactly what you need, right down to developer strength. And even with such concierge-level service, it's still significantly more affordable than a salon appointment.

Tester Feedback: "The finished result was so flattering and natural, it was like the shade was made for me—because it was," says contributor Liana Schaffner.

Best Semi-Permanent Hair Color: Good Dye Young DYEposit

Why It Won: Available in a range of rich natural and vivid shades, Good Dye Young DYEposit (which the brand refers to as "semi-temporary") is a once-a-week way to change or enhance your hair color, no matter where you want to land on the spectrum: super-natural (brown, black) or out-of-this-world (green, purple). And because it falls into the same slot in your routine as conditioner, you can expect the coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil, and broccoli seed oil to leave your hair as soft and shiny as it is vibrant.

Tester Feedback: "This is so easy to use and gives long-lasting, playful color over my gray hair," says Kathryne Hall, visuals director.

Best Temporary Hair Color: Hally Shade Stix

Why It Won: Ciao, chalk! Bold, one-day color has gotten a much-needed mess-free makeover with Hally Shade Stix that let you make a quick change—not a quick and dirty change. The color wand lets you easily streak your hair with fun shades like green and pink and after just a minute of dry time, you can blend it in with the built-in comb. Wash it out when the day is through without leaving a trace.

Tester Feedback: "These bring me back to my hair-chalking days," says McGrath. "The Shade Stix quickly add streaks of color to your hair that actually wash out with one shampoo, making them perfect for special occasions."

Best Clear Hair Gloss: Ouai Hair Gloss

Why It Won: No matter your hair color, you can boost its vibrancy with Ouai Hair Gloss’s universal shine-magnifying abilities. Just five minutes in the shower gives the sugar beets, rice water, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol ample opportunity to infuse hair with three washes worth of visible silkiness.

Tester Feedback: "I almost laughed when I read on the back of the bottle that you only need a pea-size amount of Ouai's Hair Gloss for extra-shiny hair, but they weren't kidding," says Dall'Asen. "A miniscule amount of this nutrient-dense gloss goes above and beyond, giving even the most desperately dry hair (hello, mine) new life and a revived shine."

Best Color Hair Gloss: dpHUE Glossy Glaze

Why It Won: Dull color is such a downer, but boosting your natural or not-so-natural shade is quick and mess-free with dpHUE Glossy Glaze. After shampooing, in a couple of minutes—that's no exaggeration—it deposits a hint of pigment and a heap of glassy sheen while also protecting hair from UV damage and frizz. Available in five shades and a clear option, it's the perfect pre-event pick-me-up when you can’t get in to see your colorist.

Tester Feedback: "This is so dang easy to use and somehow transforms my attitude from I-need-a-color-appointment-yesterday to call-me-for-all-your-hair-modeling-needs," says Bailly. "My big issue with home hair-coloring is the whole in-and-out of the shower situation. But this works in three minutes in the shower—just shake, distribute the liquid from mid-lengths to ends, wait (briefly), and rinse. I use the golden blonde shade to brighten my blonde highlights and smooth my mind-of-their-own grays."

Best Toner: Oribe Bright Blonde Radiance & Repair Treatment

Why It Won: Nothing endears us to a product more than instant results and that's what the Oribe Bright Blonde Radiance & Repair Treatment delivers. The vivid violet post-shampoo brightener tones away the brassiness in blonde hair, while coconut, olive, and watermelon seed oils work with shea butter and lavender extract to soften the signs of bleach damage.

Tester Feedback: "A 60-second treatment that will brighten your blonde, remove brassiness, and nourish your hair? Yes, please," says Stables.

Best Powder Root Coverage: Madison Reed The Great Cover Up Root Touch Up + Brow Filler

Why It Won: You can't help but feel a bit like an expert art restorer when you take Madison Reed The Great Cover Up + Brow Filler's brush to your roots to conceal grays with its seamlessly color-matching pressed powder. It goes on in mere moments but doesn't budge under sweaty or rainy circumstances, and you can even use it as a brow powder, too.

Tester Feedback: "I gave up on hiding my grays a couple of years ago. My approach now is to just blend them. And when I'm still a few weeks out from my quarterly balayage appointment, this Madison Reed compact gives me a hand," says Bailly. "The blonde duo brushed along my part line brings a lot more harmony to my roots. And when I'm trying to pack light, the darker of the two shades does a great job filling my brows—the kit comes with a dual-ended brow brush-spoolie, too."

Best Spray Root Coverage: Clairol Root Touch-Up Color + Volume 2 in 1 Spray

Why It Won: It's not just grays you can spritz away with the Clairol Root Touch-Up Color + Volume 2 in 1 Spray. This peroxide- and ammonia-free formula can also be used to camouflage thinning, filling in roots for realistic results.

Tester Feedback: "I can't stop tying my hair up in a tight, slick-backed ponytail," says Gutierrez. "I love the sleek style, but wearing it as often as I do has caused some thinning at my hairline. I'm self-conscious about it, so I spray a bit of this root cover-up on areas where damage is most noticeable. Not only does it give my hairline a fuller look, but it also covers up incoming (and incredibly stubborn) gray hairs near my temples."

Written by Marci Robin

How we test and review products for Allure Best of Beauty

Ubiquitous with the beauty market's cream of the crop, Allure's little red Best of Beauty seal is known worldwide as being a trusted indicator of the year's top products—and we do not take that trust for granted. Each year, we painstakingly test tens of thousands (yes, really) of products across over a dozen categories, including Hair, Skin, Makeup, Nails, Fragrance, Splurges, Steals, Tools, Breakthroughs, and Sensitive. We employ a large group of testers—including editors, top industry professionals, and other experts— to ensure representation for a wide range of ages, genders, skin tones, and hair textures, as well as dermatological sensitivities and conditions.

How we determined Allure's Best of Beauty Hair Winners

For our Best of Beauty winners in the Hair category, we considered each product's performance across the following categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance (where relevant), and product experience (including texture and wear). We tested over 7,000 products for 24 weeks on different hair types, textures, and shades. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from relevant experts.

To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Like what you see from Allure's Best of Beauty Awards?

Discover more 2024 Best of Beauty Winners:

• Best of Beauty 2024: Sensitive Skin Winners
• Best of Beauty 2024: Steals Winners
• Best of Beauty 2024: Splurge Winners

Watch us test our Allure 2024 Best of Beauty Hair winners: