The Best Hairbrush I've Tried Is Under $25
This is a fact: If you pay attention to hair and you love accessories, at some point you've desperately wanted needed a Mason Pearson brush. It's surrounded by a cloud of ardor that leaves you convinced owning one will change everything. I know that feeling. I've been there.
When I finally secured a Mason Pearson mixed style ($205; barneys.com), I unboxed it and waited for everything to change. Except...it didn't. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the brush, but it didn't make my hair healthier, glossier, or better-looking when air-dried. I have long, thick, naturally wavy hair, and prior to the Mason Pearson, I hadn't owned a brush in years. Rather, my routine was to comb through in the shower and leave it be; brushing would only serve to un-wave my waves, whether the natural kick or the carefully worked-for version. Brushing would pull out the body and give me the bad kind of volume (big and fluffy, a few ticks lower than static-electricity level).
Surprised and disappointed to have not been converted, I ditched the idea of being someone who brushes her hair and was pleased with how things were going until Tangle Teezer's Finishing Brush ($22; dermstore.com or ₤15; tangleteezer.com) made its way to me. I was a skeptic and this one-bubblegum pink and looking like the IRL size of something from Barbie's Dream House-didn't seem promising. But, I kid you not, the first time I pulled it through my days-old waves, I was stunned. Stunned.
Here's what my hair looks like freshly curled:
Right after I do my hair, the tendrils are more defined and it's not super soft (the trick I've learned is to spray aggressively with Oribe Après Beach-it helps with longevity and the look, but isn't conducive to running your fingers through your hair).
Here's the magical brush:
Pink, pink, pink.
Here's what my hair looks like after being brushed:
The difference isn't drastic,which is actually the point. If I'd taken that Mason Pearson (or any other brush that's crossed my path) to my waves, the end result wouldn't be pretty. It's why I've staunchly avoided hairbrushes over the last decade. Instead, the finishing brush gave the effect of perfectly finger-combed waves: broken up, glossy, and shockingly easy to run your hand through, with an overall effect that's polished-"finished," if you will-without altering what I started with.
Hooray to the cheaper option finally being the better one (!).
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