The Return of Mousse: ‘80s Hair Horror Turned Red Carpet Go-To

Karlie Kloss rocking a perfect blowout. (Photo: Getty Images)

There’s no better time of year than the peak of awards season to glean major #hairinspo and hit the reset button on our own tired, winter-worn locks. One surprising secret weapon to emerge from the best of red carpet glam sessions? Mousse. That’s right, the foamy, volumizing go-to hair product of the ‘80s is having a major comeback. But unlike their crunchy, retro counterparts, the newfangled formulations are less dense and made to create texture, volume, and hold without turning hair into a hay-like crisp. “Mousse isn’t just a one-trick pony, like a lot of other styling products,” says stylist Matt Fugate, who gives Karlie Kloss her bombshell blowouts. To master mousse’s new frontier, we talked to some of the red carpet’s best hairstylists for tips straight from the red carpet.

The style: Soft waves

Rachel McAdams with soft waves. (Photo: Getty Images)

Seen on: Rachel McAdams at the SAG Awards

Get the look: “When it comes to perfect beachy waves, mouse is a necessity,” says celebrity stylist Mark Townsend, who styled McAdams for the SAG Awards. To achieve a similar bendy texture, the stylist starts by applying a golf ball-sized dab of mousse to damp roots. After rough-drying hair with a blowdryer and fingers to near completion, smooth out the strands using a round brush until hair is completely dry and smooth. Curl random sections of with a double-barrel iron.

Pro tip: “To top off the look, I try something different that I’m now obsessed with: Instead of using a sea salt spray to get that lived-in texture, I coat my hands with a small amount of mousse and rake it through hair with fingers,” he says. “That tiny bit of mousse evenly distributed on the hair creates the perfect lived-in texture without losing any shine.”

Mousse to try: Look for an airy formula that dispenses in soft puffs, like Shu Uemura Ample Angora Volumizing Light Foam ($39). Townsend reaches for Dove Style+Care Nourishing Curls Whipped Cream Mousse ($5) which foams in a swirled peak, just like whipped cream.

The style: Volumized ponytail

Natalie Dormer with a red carpet-ready ponytail. (Photo: Getty Images)

Seen on: Natalie Dormer at the Golden Globes

Get the look: “When perms were common, women would load up with mousse, then scrunch and crunch their curls. Now mousse is used to achieve smoother look that has more volume than one would get with gel,” says Brian Magallones, a celebrity stylist who works with actors like Christina Ricci and Rachel Bloom. To create a sophisticated pony like Dormer’s, start with a little more than a golf ball-sized dollop of mousse applied from root to tip on damp hair. Next, flip the head downward and blowdry hair to amp up volume. “This really helps to get the roots lifted,” says Magallones. Use a large-barrel curling iron to add wave to the hair, teasing roots lightly, then secure into a mid or low-level ponytail, keeping some hair around the hairline to add softness.

Pro tip: “I use mousse for this look rather than gel because the goal is volume rather than sleek,” he says. “It really helps to give the look a soft, effortless vibe.”

Mousse to try: Use a volumizing mousse to achieve new hair heights, like Davines This Is a Volume Boosting Mousse ($26) or Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse ($30). Both produce a whipped consistency and add body to strands.

The style: Supermodel blowout

Karlie Kloss with a blowout at the CFDA Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)

Seen on: Karlie Kloss at the CFDA Awards

Get the look: Matt Fugate, the stylist behind Karlie Kloss’s blowout, creates her romantic-but-modern look by applying a quick shot of mousse to the roots at the crown of partially-dried, damp hair. Use a comb and blowdryer to dry the hair while gently backcombing roots. Finally, shape the hair using a boar bristle brush and light tension. “Letting the hair set around the brush creates body and movement and the mouse locks in the hold,” he says.

Pro tip: “The biggest mistake I see people make with mousse is applying the product when their hair is too wet, so make sure you rid your hair of most of its moisture before moussing,” he says. “For girls with really thick hair, or super blonds with porous hair, a light rough dry is needed before mousse should be applied.”

Mousse to try: A thickening mousse, like Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse ($27), helps build body and shine.

The style: Faux bob

Gigi Hadid with a faux bob. (Photo: Getty Images)

Seen on: Gigi Hadid at the American Music Awards

Get the look: Mousse can be used in two different ways to create a look similar to Hadid’s faux, brushed-back bob. Start by separating wet hair from ear-to-ear along the nape of the neck. Apply a dollop of mousse to the lower section of hair, then cornrow or pin curl the hair as close to the neck as possible to hide it. “The mousse will make the hair easier to work with,” he says. “Once it is secured, the mousse also helps ensure that no flyaways are seen from underneath.” To complete the look, apply mousse to damp hair and blowed it away from the face in round, sweeping motions and secure in place with pins.

Pro tip: “Mousses disperses through the hair more evenly than other products,” the stylist says. “You don’t want to leave mousse in the hair for too long before activating it with a blowdryer. If you have a lot of hair, try apply the mousse in sections.”

Mousse to try: To slick back and secure hair, use a strong hold mousse like Kerastase Mousse Bouffante ($37) or Blo Pro Body by Blow No Crunch Volumizing Mousse ($20). To create lift for a blowed-back look, try a volumizing mousse that leaves hair looking touchable, like Sachajuan Hair Mousse ($31).

The style: Wavy strands

Elizabeth Olsen with wavy hair. (Photo: Getty Images)

Seen on: Elizabeth Olsen at Tom Ford’s fall fashion show

Get the look: The inspiration for Elizabeth Olsen’s look at the Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2015 Womenswear Collection event? A modern take on Michelle Pfeiffer’s wavy coif in Batman Returns. Townsend curled tiny sections of hair with a .75-inch iron, then raked through the hair with a touch of mousse to amplify curls. “The result is piece-ey, effortless, and cool,” he says.

Pro tip: “When using mousse on dry hair, wait for heat styling to cool before applying,” the stylist advises.

Mousse to try: Look for a mousse made to define curls, like Ouidad Playcurl Curl Amplifying Foam ($26).

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