Though I’m careful to avoid mechanical damage while drying and styling, a few tiny hairs inevitably spring up after a blowout—hovering at my crown like static come to life. And updos? Another struggle entirely. Unlike my colleague and dear friend Molly Barstein, slicked-back styles have never been my strong suit—even after a step-by-step tutorial in her bathroom. She is known for her perfectly coiffed buns; my baby hairs, on the other hand, refuse to fall in line.
Despite my best efforts, my flyaways have an agenda of their own. Over the years, I’ve come to resist the pressure to look polished for hours and let the wispy little pieces do as they wish. That is until I discovered the best flyaway wands, which make taming rogue baby hairs feel less like a battle and more like a finishing touch.
Vogue’s Favorite Flyaway Wands
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“Flyaway wands deposit a very small amount of lightweight hold exactly where you need it, usually along the hairline, part, and crown where short hairs stick up,” Aaron Grenia, professional hairstylist and cofounder of IGK Hair Care, tells Vogue. “The mascara-style brush smooths those pieces down while the formula keeps them in place without making the hair stiff or greasy.”
Before flyaway wands, the pros implemented all sorts of methods to conceal them in plain sight—especially during fashion shows and photo shoots and while getting celebrity clients red-carpet ready. “We used a lot of backstage tricks [to tame flyaways], like hairspray on a toothbrush, clear brow gel, even a touch of hand cream in emergencies,” Grenia says. “These methods worked, but they weren’t always clean or consistent. Dedicated flyaway wands basically give that same precision in a much easier, more refined way.” Ahead, everything you need to know about using—and choosing—the best flyaway hair wands to smooth unwanted stray hairs in seconds.
In This Story
- What’s the difference between a flyaway wand and hair gel?
- How to Use a Flyaway Wand
- What hairstyles can be achieved with flyaway wands?
- How We Tested
- Meet the Experts
Best for Frizz Control: IGK Good Behavior Frizz and Flyaway Taming Wand
- Why We Love It: IGK’s flyaway wand is a no-brainer for hair types that are particularly prone to frizz. “Our hair wand not only tames flyaways but controls unwanted frizz too (plus it smells amazing),” says Grenia. That’s because one of the star ingredients, snow mushroom extract, boasts exceptional water retention, locking moisture into your hair, sealing the cuticle, and preventing humidity from creeping in. Meanwhile, spirulina extract boosts shine for glossy hair.
- Key Ingredients: Spirulina protein, snow mushroom extract
- More to Know: Free of wax, parabens, sulfates, silicone, mineral oil, and PEGs
- Size: 0.46 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Promises up to 24 hours of long-lasting frizz control | Excessive application can make hair overly shiny |
| Wax-free formula keeps hair touchably soft and flake-free |
Best Naturally Derived: Ceremonia Pequi Flyaway Gel Wand
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- Why We Love It: Ceremonia’s flyaway gel gives you not one but three applicators to choose from in one product. There’s a precise mascara-style wand for initial application. Then, pop the cap off and you’ll find that the applicator has a dual-sided flat brush and comb to press and perfect. The gel itself is a medium-hold formula composed of 95% naturally derived ingredients ripe with botanic ingredients. Among them are pequi oil, which helps soften strands while dialing up natural shine, and aloe vera powder for lightweight hydration for a sleeker finish. Plus there’s a dose of antioxidant-rich açai extract.
- Key Ingredients: Açai extract, aloe vera powder, pequi oil
- More to Know: Vegan, cruelty-free, alcohol-free, soy-free; sustainably sourced packaging
- Size: 9 mL
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Dual sided—three brush options in one tool | Despite the featured flat brush, not as suitable for styling edges on coily textures |
| 95% naturally derived formula |
Best Drugstore: Garnier Fructis Sleek Shine Frizz Tamer Slicking Hair Serum Wand
- Why We Love It: For a drugstore option, look no further than Garnier Fructis’s slicking wand—at just $10, it’s way less than your average over-priced smoothie. The clear, serum-like texture glides easily over stray hairs—promising up to 12 hours of glossy hold. Plus the affordable formula is infused with argan oil and plant-based keratin (derived from hydrolyzed wheat, corn, and soy proteins), which helps reinforce strands while boosting shine.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed castor oil, argan oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed corn protein, tocopherol
- More to Know: Cruelty-free, vegan
- Size: 0.27 fl oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Affordable price point | Some find the wand can snag in hair |
| Non-greasy and lightweight |
Best Strong Hold: Mermade Hair Hair Gel Wand
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- Why We Love It: Australian brand Mermade Hair features a fanned-edge brush, designed to sweep and secure baby hairs exactly where you want them in one swipe. This is a stronger-hold formula thanks to the inclusion of acrylates copolymer, but there are some naturally derived key players too. Glycerin and panthenol help maintain softness and flexibility, so hair stays controlled but never stiff.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, acrylates copolymer, panthenol, pvp, hydrogenated castor oil
- More to Know: Paraben-free, sulfate-free
- Size: 0.5 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Strong hold with a non-crunchy, non-greasy finish | Includes formaldehyde releasers, which can cause irritation on sensitive-skin types |
| Fanned-out wand effectively smooths flyaways |
Best K-Beauty: Unove Frizz-Calming Sleek Hair Finishing Stick
- Why We Love It: When former Allure editor in chief and K-beauty expert Michelle Lee is in Korea, she stocks up on hair mascaras a.k.a. flyaway wands. “I have lots of short, straight broken hairs that stick straight up at the root, and hair mascaras are the only products I’ve found that can tame them without making my hair look greasy or flat,” Lee tells Vogue. Unove’s option is particularly popular stateside and packed with botanical proteins to strengthen while it sleeks; meanwhile, panthenol and hyaluronic acid support hair hydration. And while stocking up on K-beauty alternatives, Lee also points to the Nakara Hype Fit Hair Mascara as an excellent choice.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrogenated castor oil, evening primrose oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, tocopherol, panthenol, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- More to Know: Free of parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde releasors, phthalates, mineral oil, and sulfates
- Size: 0.33 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Protein-rich formula | Not alcohol-free |
| Non-sticky or flaky finish |
Best Styling Cream: Dae Cactus Fruit 3-In-1 Styling Cream Taming Wand
- Why We Love It: Dae’s taming wand boasts more lightweight styling-cream texture than a traditional gel. The slim, ultraprecise wand (reminiscent of a straw cleaner) targets baby hairs and flyaways without snagging. Plus the formula boasts potent botanic ingredients—antioxidant-rich dragon fruit helps lock in moisture, while cactus flower extract supports elasticity and prickly pear seed oil hydrates. Even the packaging is thoughtful, crafted from sugarcane-derived bioresin and 100% post-consumer recycled materials.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, orange peel oil, dimethicone, coconut oil, grape-seed oil, shea butter, prickly pear seed oil, cactus flower extract, dragon fruit extract
- More to Know: Vegan, cruelty-free; free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates
- Size: 0.6 oz / 20 mL
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| No residue or crunchy texture | Over-application could be heavy for fine-hair types |
| Precision applicator |
Everything You Need to Know
What’s the difference between a flyaway wand and hair gel?
Don’t assume that flyaway wands are just hair gels in a mascara tube—Grenia explains there are key formula differences too. “It’s really about polishing the finish, not freezing the style. When it dries, you won’t notice a white residue like some hair gels,” he says.
Grenia explains that most flyaway wand formulas tend to hold for a few hours while remaining flexible, because humidity and movement can cause stray hairs to reemerge. “That’s why it’s nice to keep one in your bag; it’s an easy, quick touch-up without having to redo your whole style,” he adds.
How to Use a Flyaway Wand
How to use a flyaway wand feels obvious: Twist open the cap and gently swipe the applicator where needed.“The most important tip is to use very little product and just lightly skim the surface of the hair,” he says Grenia. He explains that you should also slightly switch up your approach, depending on the hairstyle you’re going for. Below, he breaks it down:
- Hair-Down Styles: Once your hair is styled—whether that be curls, a bouncy blowout, or pin straight—assess where you see stray hairs boinking out and treat your flyaway wand as the finishing touch. “Focus only on the areas catching the light hairline, part, and top layer,” he says.
- Slicked Styles: Half-up or fully slicked-back buns and ponytails can take a much more generous approach when using a flyaway wand. “You can apply a bit more and use the wand almost like a detailing tool to guide direction,” Grenia says.
What hairstyles can be achieved with flyaway wands?
The sky is the limit when it comes to using flyaway wands. “They’re great for sleek ponytails and buns, smooth blowouts, braids, updos, and even natural textures when you just want control at the hairline without losing movement,” says Grenia. These products, he explains, act as a finishing touch that makes hairstyles look camera-ready and polished in real life. So yes, you can set down the blurring tool in your photo-editing app.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from pro hairstylists and beauty experts—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to flyaway wands, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, wand style, finish, hold, wear time, whether it leaves hair crunchy or with residue, and the hair-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Aaron Grenia is a professional hairstylist based in New York and cofounder of IGK Hair Care
- Michelle Lee is a renowned Korean beauty and skin-care expert with over 25 years of industry experience. The former editor in chief of Allure and Nylon, she also served as vice president of global editorial at Netflix, bringing her sharp editorial eye and deep cultural insight to every role
