GLAMOUR columnist Jen Atkin reveals the sleek and shiny hair hacks her celebrity clients swear by
Poker-straight hair with a sharp centre parting and sleek texture are all the rage this season - just look at the glass hair trend that's dominated catwalks, red carpets and social media this year.
Plus, our favourite celebrities, from Bella Hadid, to Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian, have also been sporting the look.
Want to emulate the look? Our resident hair columnist, Jen Atkin, who works with the Kardashians and Jenners, has shared her foolproof guide to getting the look.
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Prep is absolutely key to achieving this look
Always prep with OUAI Leave In Conditioner for extra smooth hair and added heat protection. Its a hydrating pre-style spray that also acts detangler and heat protectant for frizz-free hair. I love anything that gets you out of the door faster! Mist onto damp hair prior to brushing and/or heat styling for added conditioning, thermal protection, and frizz-free hair.
My 7-step routine for getting the look
1. Prep damp hair with OUAI Leave In Conditioner
2. Blow dry using the Dyson Blow Dryer
3. Prep hair with OUAI Memory Mist
4. Go over hair with a flat iron
5. Spray a shine mist all over for glossy shine
6. Rub Tancho Stick over flyaways
7. Fill in part with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pro Palette
A barber's brush is my secret weapon
I use a barber’s brush to tame flyaways. Start by using a hair oil at the roots to slick your hair back using a barber's brush for a shiny/snatched pony or bun. The hair oil is also restorative so it’s a win/win.
A good treatment masque or Olaplex No 3 weekly is also key for super smooth hair. Olaplex is great for delivering protein into the hair before and after any chemical treatments. Many salons will carry it so you can ask your colourist to be have it added to your colour for extra protection.
Need to upgrade your straightener for a super sleek look? Here are the latest and greatest buys:
Best Keratin hair straightener
Remington Keratin Protect Intelligent Ceramic Hair Straighteners,
£99.99£35.99, AmazonWhy we love it: Remington's Keratin Protect Intelligent Straightener features a patented heat protection sensor that continuously measure’s your hair’s moisture levels and adjusts the temperature to prevent excessive heat while styling. This gives you three times more protection from damage. Available in both grey and rose gold, it has ceramic coated plates that are infused with Keratin and Almond oil and which transfer micro-conditioners to your hair for smooth, healthy-looking locks. There are five different temperature settings, it has a super-fast 15 second heat-up time and an auto-safety shut-off feature.
Best steam hair straighteners for afro hair
L'Oréal Professional Steampod At Home,
£235£159, AmazonWhy we love it: Now this is quite interesting, and if you've never heard of it, it's time you did. Taking a break from chemical formulas from time to time should be a no brainer - hair care included. This L'Oréal straightener is as close as we'll ever get to naturally straightening your hair; it comes with a little pod, which you fill with water to literally steam your hair straight. And it totally works! Tempted/ Use these LookFantastic discount codes to save money on your order.
Best hair straighteners for afro hair
Revamp Progloss Digital Ceramic Hair Straighteners,
£89.99£66.76, AmazonWhy we love it: These hair straighteners have ceramic plates and 32 (!) heat settings - from 80-235C - which make them perfect for a wide range of hair types including afro hair. The oil-infused plates leave hair shiny and healthy looking, and they straighten hair with just one swipe.
Best hair straighteners for thick hair
ghd Max Hair Straightener, £179, LookFantastic
Why we love it: Designed to style long, thick and curly hair types in half the time, these ghd hair straighteners have wider plates than ever before and new innovative technology which means less damage, no frizz and an impressive 80% more shine.
"I struggle to get my hair looking sleek and glossy but I'm really impressed, I've never straightened my hair this quickly and could do this in three minutes," Social Media Director Chloe Laws said.
"You can use bigger sections of hair and the bigger plates definitely work a lot quicker, in two strokes it already looks really good. Even if your hair isn't that thick, it will still save you a lot of time."
Read our full ghd Max Styler Hair Straightener review.
ghd hair straighteners
GHD White Platinum Styler, £189, John Lewis
Why we love it: Ghd consider this their ultimate hair straightener, and we can't argue with them. After testing the Platinum Styler for a couple weeks, it became a personal favourite of our writer. A hell of a multi-tasking machine, it straightens even the most frizzy hair types without damaging it (as the temperatures adapts to each strand) and it also works wonderfully to create Hollywood-worthy curly hairstyles, for those days when you're feeling a lil bit extra. And the best bit? You can save money on your purchase using our GHD discount codes.
Best hair straighteners for fine hair UK
Remington S5901 Coconut Smooth Hair Straightener, £24.99, Argos
Why we love it: With digital temperature controls and a fast heat-up system (they take just 15 seconds to get hot), these hair straighteners boast Advanced Ceramic Coated Plates with Coconut Infused Micro-Conditioners. This basically means your hair is protected from humidity all day long. You can personalise the heat emitted with thanks to variable temperature settings.
Best hair straighteners for damaged hair UK
Remington HYDRAluxe Pro Straightener,
£149.99£96.91, AmazonWhy we love it: Remington's new HYDRAluxe pro hair straighteners boast built-in Hydracare Mist Technology that lets out a cool mist to protect your hair against heat damage. They also have a moisture-lock ceramic coating that keeps your hair hydrated and moisturised. The Hydracare function is super easy to use - all you need to do is sfill the reservoir with water before styling.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these Boots discount codes.
Best smart hair straighteners
Glamoriser Bluetooth Smart Straightener, £49.99, Argos
Why we love it: The styling tool of the future. This hair smoother is installed with clever bluetooth technology that reacts to your personal hair needs. Want to know the ideal temperature for your hair type? No problem. Fancy planning your hair schedule? The diary function will remind you when it's time to re-straighten. Add in an auto shut-off function for peace of mind, and you'll wonder how your hair ever survived without it.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these Argos discount codes.
Best affordable hair straighteners
Remington Ceramic 230 Straightener S3500, £24.99, Boots
Why we love it: "When my >£100 hair straighteners broke at the end of a very long month, I needed something affordable to tide me through," Commerce Writer Sophie Cockett said. "Little did I know, I'd be sticking with these £21.99 hair straighteners for years afterwards. They're my favourite hair straighteners I own, styling my naturally thick and frizzy hair in an instant. And leaving it feeling softer than ever. They have antistatic Ceramic coated plates that help towards maintaining softness, and they reach a top speed of 230ºC in a super quick 15 seconds. I love them a lot."
Read our full Remington Ceramic 230 hair straightener review.
Best mineral hair straightener
Cloud Nine The Original Iron, £159, John Lewis
Why we love it: We are big fans of mineral beauty products. The trend that took the industry by storm a couple years of ago is still going strong, and now it has reached hair tool technology - yep, we're talking about a mineral hair straightener. The mineral-coated plates of Cloud Nine's Original Iron is proven to be kinder to hair, much like mineral makeup to complexion.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best hair straightener for travel
Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener, £199.99, John Lewis
Why we love it: If you're after sleek hair anywhere, Babyliss' latest 9000 cordless straightener is magic. The trailblazing tool offers three heat settings and gives up to 30 minutes of styling time at the hottest temperature, thanks to a lithium-ion battery. And, if you're worried about it switching on in your bag, it has a safety feature that prevents it turning on accidentally and a heat-proof cover that enables you to pack it away straight after use.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best hair straightener for frizzy hair
T3 SinglePass X Straightening Iron, £119, LookFantastic
Why we love it: To understand the high price tag of this straightener you have to try it. It's probably one of the best in the market for those who have lost faith in their old tools. If you think only a Brazilian blowout or a keratin treatment is the only thing that would do justice for your frizz-prone hair, invest in this bad boy.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these LookFantastic discount code.
Best hair straighteners for short hair
GHD Gold Mini Styler, £119, LookFantastic
Why we love it: The perfect straightener for short hair and fringes, Ghd's mini styler is a luxe option for your everyday styling, and the narrow plates are ideal for precise movements. This straightener also has a smart system that puts itself on sleep mode if not used for 30 minutes (for the forgetful ladies out there). Pro tip: use it on the roots making a downward "U" movement to add a little oomph to the base of hair that looks flat.
Use this LookFantastic discount code to save some pennies when you order.
Dyson hair straightener
Dyson Corrale Hair Straighteners, £399, John Lewis
Why we love it: If you're looking for groundbreaking technology – Dyson is your guy. Not only has the brand revolutionised the haircare market by applying its trailblazing vacuum know-how to hairdryers and curling wands, they've made a sideways jump into heat styling – modified to make it much friendlier to our strands. Not only have they incorporated their new Corrale with flexible manganese copper alloy plates to give the smoothest, snuggest glide and control, this new move enables them to control the conduction of heat evenly across each strand of hair. Oh, and it's cordless too, with a 4-cell lithium-ion battery gives you up to 30 minutes of cord-free styling time.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these John Lewis discount codes.
Best cordless hair straighteners
BALMAIN Cordless Straightener, £200, Selfridges
Why we love it: The best hair straightener for travelling is this cordless hair straightener from Balmain. It makes sleek, smooth hair super easy to achieve, even when you're on-the-go - with thanks to three heat settings and titanium plate technology. The handle is ergonomic which makes it super comfortable to hold, and the LED display is easy to follow.
Save when you shop for the best hair straighteners with these Selfridges discount codes.
