I Swear By These Products For The Perfect Slicked-Back Hairstyle

Slicked-back hairstyles are my saving grace. Don’t feel like washing your hair? Slicked-back style. Only have 15 minutes to get out the door? Slicked-back style. Want to look hot and powerful? Slicked-back style! I’ve always admired the look on slicked-back queens Kerry Washington and Selena Gomez, but was unsure if I could pull this look off myself. After many trials and tribulations, I have found my holy grail products that help me achieve my version of the slicked-back look.

I’ve always struggled with my curly hair, which has resulted in years of frying it with blow dry brushes, flat irons, and other damaging hot tools. While I haven’t packed away my tools for good, having slicked-back styles in my rolodex has done wonders for my heat-damaged hair. Not to mention what it’s done for my confidence. I previously thought I would only feel confident going out with my hair down and straight, but I didn’t realize how powerful a slicked-back bun makes me feel. I’m proud of how confident I feel showing off my Lebanese nose, which I’ve tried to hide in the past by keeping my hair down. All this to say, it’s crazy how much of an impact a hairstyle can have on your life!

When it comes to actually creating my slicked-back styles, I have a few very important steps. First up is prep. My NuFACE has helped me sculpt and tone my face. And while you might be asking, “Maggie, why does your face matter when prepping for a hairstyle?” to which I respond, “Well, when pulling your hair back, so much of your skin is visible, so I want to make sure that I look snatched all the way from my neck to the top of my hairstyle.” Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I prep my hair with a little bit of hair oil to keep my strands strong and shiny. Second, I use a mousse to do most of the slicking because it leaves my hair soft while still keeping everything in place. Once the general shape starts taking form, I use a boar bristle brush to pull back all of my hair and keep it smooth and bump-less. Once securing with a hair tie into a bun or ponytail, any stray hairs or flyaways can be tamed with a hair wax stick. Then I use concealer, cream blush, bronzer, and highlighter to fully sculpt my face to match my sculpted hair.

Whether you’re trying to cut down on getting-ready time, reduce the amount of heat you use on your hair, or find your inner confident queen, I 100% recommend trying out a slicked-back look. Ahead, find all of the products that I’ve found to create the best slicked-back style.