My hair is easily the one part of my beauty routine I spend the most time and money on. It’s frizzy yet flat with extremely parched ends, meaning air drying without some serious intervention isn’t an option. This convinced me that I was destined for a life of naturally limp and lifeless hair, until I tried the best hair mousses the beauty industry has to offer.
This one simple addition is the difference between lacklustre locks and a blow dry that looks salon-fresh. The best mousses tame flyaways, add volume, define natural texture and boost shine with just a couple of pumps. If your mind went straight to the sticky textures and crunchy finishes of the 1980s mousses, don’t fret the modern day version is nothing of the sort. Lighter than the best curl gels, they leave no trace in the hair but offer ample hold for lasting styles. A hair mousse and one of the best hair dryers are all you need for an eternal good hair day.
In my lifelong quest for lifted rodeo hair that doesn’t take hours of heat styling, I have tried and tested a range of hair mousses for various different hair styles to see which brands made a noticeable difference to both my natural waves and my bouncy blow-dries. I’ve also enlisted the help of our News Editor, Jadie Troy-Pryde, who has naturally curly hair and loves a mousse to define her texture. Below are the best hair mousses for all budgets, no matter what your hair is crying out for.
1. Living Proof Full Texturising Foam
(Image credit: Space NK)
I never really thought I needed a mousse for my hair when heat styling it, but this was the first product to prove me wrong. Although my hair is thick, it rarely has any shape unless I spend hours on a bouncy blow-dry, which I just accept as inevitable. But after using the Living Proof mousse, my hair boasts noticeable body that holds its volume throughout the day. I used a few pumps from roots to ends on damp hair and was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t leave a film or any greasiness in my hair, nor did it make my ends crispy when blow-dried. Instead, it provided that sought-after oomph that didn’t deflate as the day went on. It’s my new go-to when I’m blow-drying my hair and want extra bounce and hold that lasts, without any gritty texture.
2. Bouclème Super Volumising Foam
(Image credit: Lookfantastic)
Our News Editor, Jadie Troy-Pryde, swears by the Bouclème mousse for defining her curls. “I’ve been perfecting my curly girl routine for almost two years now, and the Bouclème super volumising foam is currently one of my go-to products. It gives my hair amazing volume while ensuring that my curls are still bouncy and frizz-free, and – miraculously—they also don’t drop in the days after washing,” she says.
3. Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse
(Image credit: Space NK)
If there’s one thing this Oribe mousse delivers on, it’s texture. As soon as I blow-dried my hair after applying, I was amazed by just how much my limp roots were transformed. The difference was immediately clear in terms of volume, but it also managed to boost texture and make my hair look fuller. And although it provides ample texture, it doesn’t make my hair at all greasy, sticky, stiff or crunchy, which is no mean feat. It’s lightweight and a little bit goes a long way, so it’s not hard to justify the slightly higher price tag.
4. Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume
(Image credit: Sam McKnight)
This is a mousse that I have recommended time and time again, and I’ve come to describe it as a mousse for people who hate mousses. That’s because this formula is more foamy (the clue is in the name) and lightweight than a traditional thick, whipped mousse, meaning it’s easy to distribute evenly through the hair and boasts a true weightless feel. It doesn’t provide as much noticeable texture as the Oribe mousse, for example, but that’s good news if you dislike the heavily textured look or have hair that requires something lighter. It delivers serious lift for a bouncy blow dry and boosts shine too, so it’s best suited to those who regularly heat style their hair and want a salon-fresh finish.
5. Amika Plus Size Perfect Body Mousse
(Image credit: Cult Beauty)
If you have fine hair and have always been wary about using a mousse, this Amika formula is exactly what you need. It does a brilliant job at keeping heat-styled hair in place for longer and defines natural waves and curls without any crunch. It offers medium hold, some texture and body, which is ideal for finer hair types that can be easily weighed down by heavy-duty products. Plus, it works for blow drying or air drying, so it offers plenty of versatility for different hair types.
6. Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Curl Activating Mousse
(Image credit: Lookfantastic)
This is the mousse I turn to when I want to embrace my natural waves but give them more definition without any frizz. The light formula defines waves and curls in a couple of pumps without any crunchiness or stickiness, whilst providing bounce and lift at the roots. It works wonders on both air-dried and diffused hair, and it can even be used between washes when your hair needs a pick-me-up. It’s easily one of the most affordable mousses I have tried that stands up to the pricier options on the market.