I Splurged on This Fancy Hairbrush and Have Zero Regrets
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In May of 2020, I announced to a few fellow shopping writers that I purchased a $62 hair brush because "the marketing got me." Seriously, I have the Slack receipts to prove it.
The brush in question is from Crown Affair, a brand launched last year by then 28-year-old Dianna Cohen. She's known for having great hair and working for companies like Away and Into The Gloss — so, yeah, her brand's aesthetics appealed to my millennial penchant for calming colors and high-quality imagery. But after using The Brush No. 001 for a year, I can confirm that Crown Affair has more to offer than pretty pictures and a good website.
Handmade in Italy, the brush features a lightweight beachwood paddle and a rubber cushion punctuated with both boar and nylon bristles. This combination helps detangle hair, redistribute natural oils, and stimulate the scalp all at once. In turn, it also increases blood flow, keeps follicles healthy, and creates volume.
"A nylon bristle brush would help to detangle the ends but wouldn't help much in the sense of redistributing oils or helping to rid the scalp of build-up," Los Angeles-based celebrity hair stylist Marissa Marino explains. "A boar bristle brush would help the scalp, but not [do] much in the way of detangling the ends," she adds. That's what makes a brush that does both so attractive.
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Shop now: $62; crownaffair.com
To get the most out of its dual bristle brush, Crown Affair recommends using it to detangle hair in the morning, refresh strands in the afternoon, and distribute natural oils before bed. The brand also suggests brushing out hair before a wash to eliminate build-up for a deeper clean. And while it's ideal for those with medium to thick hair who are prone to oily scalps, if you have curls, it could cause frizz.
Ordering a $62 hair brush seemed like an extravagant, unnecessary purchase while I was locked away in my sixth-floor walk-up last summer, but it was actually the perfect time to splurge on the beauty tool. I genuinely looked forward to the ritual of brushing my hair. It was like I was transported to the Victorian era, and this was not just a daily task but an activity — something to do while waiting for a vaccine.
Even as I venture out of my apartment more, I still use the dual bristle brush every day. It provides volume and shine with a little scalp massage to boot. Order one now to start your own ritual, whether you're embracing the simpler things or getting back out there.
