Whenever I get a blowout, I ask for “the ‘90s Cindy,” referring to the voluminous blowout style that supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer sported back then. A particular image from the same era permanently lives in my mind: the 1990 cover of Rolling Stone featuring the women of Twin Peaks. Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, and Madchen Amick are posed in tank tops and jeans, their hair as big and full of secrets as David Lynch’s strange series. But I’ve always had a thing for big hair—whether it’s Ronnie Spector’s beehive, Dolly Parton’s country curls, or Brigitte Bardot’s bouffant, there’s just something about high-level hair that makes me feel ready to rule the world. As Parton says, “Life is short; keep your dreams big and your hair bigger.”
At the beginning of the year, big hair was poised to be, well, the biggest trend of 2024. Miley Cyrus sported big “Barbarella” hair at the Grammys, while Christian Cowan, Marc Jacobs, and The Blonds sent models down the runway with gravity-defying ‘dos. “Mob Wife” was everywhere. Bouffants popped up in period films and television series like the Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, and FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans. It was time for big hair to shine — or so I thought. As quickly as the words “big hair” left the lips of trend soothsayers, we stopped hearing about it, save for some stunning hair moments from Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, and Kourtney Kardashian. (Perhaps the Big Hair Renaissance is really just a slow burn?) Either way, my dear beauty friends, we need to bring back big hair for fall, seriously this time!
Think about it—fall is the perfect time to experiment with some hair height, whether for a Halloween costume or to try out a look before the holidays. What have you got to lose, besides some hairspray? As part of my mission, I decided to get big hair myself. Sexy Hair, the brand known for its volumizing products, hooked me up with one of its ambassadors, celebrity hairstylist Graham Nation, whose clients include Venus Williams, Maddie Ziegler, and Emma Chamberlain, to help my big hair dreams come true.
Figuring out which big hairstyle to do was the hardest part. Do I go full-on Priscilla Presley with a big ol’ bouffant or stick to my go-to ‘90s fluffy hair? I had envisioned myself wearing Geri Halliwell’s piecey bouffant in the Spice Girls video for “Say You’ll Be There.” Ultimately, I settled on something retro-inspired, and I could replicate fairly easily at home (with practice): a half-up style with a mini bouffant.
First, Graham applied Healthy Shine Show Blowout Spray ($23) to my damp hair, combing it through my strands before layering it with the Big Altitude Blowout Mousse ($23). “I feel like a blow dry mousse has come in and out of coolness,” says Graham. “You can't even feel it affect your hair, it just adds expansion to the cuticle to give you that volume.”
Next, he sprayed SexyHair Root Pump Plus ($23) into my roots to get the maximum amount of volume.
Then, he rough-dried my hair before setting it in Velcro rollers, starting with smaller rollers towards the perimeter of my head and then bigger rollers on top. He also spritzed in the High Tide Texture Finishing Hairspray ($23), a lightweight hairspray that Graham says makes hair more workable.
The next step was my favorite part—backcombing! Graham used a rattail comb, and starting with the very front of what would become the bouffant, he went section by section, spraying a little bit of the Hide Tide spray, and pushing the comb down to the roots so it lifted them about an inch. (Important note: Don’t keep the comb in your hair and move it repeatedly up and down to tease; this could tangle the hair and make it look messy!)
Then it was time to create the bouffant! Figuring out which parts of your hair to create the height can be tricky at first. “To get a bouffant, it's all about sectioning,” explains Graham. “Figure out how far you want the bouffant to be from your fringe, and how much fringe you want out. Right below your crown is where you want to put your pins in. But if you start too far back, you won't get enough height out of it.”
Another thing Graham says to do is to put all of your hair into place with a small clip before you pin it and make sure it looks good in the mirror. “If you have enough of the right product, like the right mousses and hairsprays, your hair shouldn’t go anywhere. But if you don’t have enough product, it’s still going to be slippery and shiny, like freshly washed hair, which is when it will get out of hand.”
The final step to my big hair look was adding some curls. After using the rollers and creating the bouffant, Graham wanted to add more definition all around by using a 1.5-inch curling iron. “The bigger the barrel, the more body you're gonna get and the less curl you're gonna get, and this style is a bigger iron situation. Using the iron, he curled my hair away from my face, giving it more volume.
Graham finished the look with the new Sexy Hair Volume Flex Texture Spray ($23). “Texture sprays have gotten super potent over the years, where everyone was putting all of these crazy drying agents in them, like charcoal or matcha, to where they became too much,” explains Graham. “Volume Flex dialed it back to where it's a workable texture spray. It’s a fine mist, which I love because most texture sprays come out like a dry shampoo.”
P.S. I loved my big hair so much that I had three outfit changes and took a million photos! I am truly here for the Big Hair Revolution.
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Shop My Favorite Products for Big Bouffants and Healthy Hair
This anti-humidity spray got a makeover with a new scent and formula. It not only fights humidity and tames flyaways, but it also protects hair from heat and UV rays. Graham mentioned a video in which they tested Weatherproof against a clothing steamer to mimic humidity and said he was “blown away” by the results.
Small enough to throw in your bag or take for traveling, this cute little Joico root powder gives you a puff of volume when your hair needs some oomph. It also contains nourishing and antioxidant-rich moringa seed oil, which helps keep hair healthy.
Not only does this multipurpose spray bring volume to fine strands, but it also protects hair from heat damage. Ingredients like quinoa, acacia, and moringa ensure hair is shiny and supported.
Mousse is back, baby! But, like, way better than the mousses of the past. This one from Philip B. features marine extracts that make hair look fuller and thicker while wheat proteins help keep moisture locked in.
I know we learned how to properly tease our hair and all, but is it okay if I take a shortcut sometimes and use this bumper from The Hair Shop?! Made with 100% Remy Hair, this hairpiece adds instant volume to your crown. I'm sold!
After working my bouffant for three days, it was time to give my hair some serious TLC. I turned to my #1 favorite hair care product: #Mydentity #Myhero Collagen Repair, which is made with 10 keratin and amino acids that help strengthen and repair damaged hair. I spray this all over my head after shampooing and leave it in for a few minutes before rinsing and conditioning, and my hair feels so soft and healthy. I can't live without it!
I am so obsessed with this mini boar brush from Emi Jay, I need it in more colors! Whether I'm brushing out my bouffant or want a sleek look, this brush is super gentle on my hair, and it's cute to boot!
A great way to get a head start on your voluminous 'do is with this T3 Air Styler! It comes with ceramic curling attachments that give you the perfect blowout look without damaging your hair with heat.
This is my favorite dry shampoo. It soaks up oil and refreshes my hair without leaving any white residue like other dry shampoos. Plus, it smells ah-mazing.
We need to talk about the new Fenty shampoo and conditioner. The scent is heavenly, the hydration it brings to my hair is divine! The magic is in the brand’s proprietary Replenicore-5 complex, which contains amino acids, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, barbados gooseberry, upcycled jackfruit extract and green tea to keep hair strong, healthy, and protected.
This conditioner is one of the few that I've tried that brings moisture to my processed blonde hair without feeling heavy. And if you're wondering what makes up the incredible scent, it's yuzu, amber, vanilla, florals, and sandalwood. Dreamy!
