The 3 Hair Products Every Girl Needs

Explore the beauty aisle of your favorite store and you'll likely find dozens of different hair styling products and treatments. Some promise to increase shine, boost volume, sculpt your locks, or create a smooth and glossy finish. How many of these products do you really need to create a picture-perfect hairstyle? The answer: just three! I've found that taking a back-to-the-basics approach when styling hair can still work to enhance shine, keep hair looking lustrous, and keep out-of-control tresses well tamed.

Pick up just these three hair products, and you'll be well-prepared to create a salon-inspired look:

#1: Anti-Frizz Serum or Spray

An anti-frizz serum or spray is a must-have hair product during any hot and humid summer, but can also keep flyaways at bay year round. You can use this product as a spot treatment when you want to tame a few strands, or run a small amount of serum through your hair before blow drying to prevent frizz. A little goes a long way, so make sure to work up to larger amounts or you'll be dealing with product overload that will make your hair appear greasy. You can find this product in a travel-size version, so you can take care of touch ups throughout any busy day.

#2: Straightening Balm

Want to achieve a super sleek and glossy look without spending an hour with the flatiron? Use a straightening balm to smooth down frizz and then brush and dry hair using a paddle brush. Pull the hair taut while drying and your hair will stay straight and shiny for hours. This strategy works particularly well for short and medium-length hair styles. If you do have longer hair, you'll need to be patient while drying and take the time to section out your hair. Still, straightening balm offers plenty of other benefits. It will create the illusion of finer hair when you have super-thick or coarse hair, and can also keep flyaways under control.

#3: Flexible-Hold Hairspray

Keep that hairstyle in place for hours on end with the help of flexible-hold hairspray. Unlike hair gel that can make your hair appear stiff and greasy, or pomade which can make your hair look oily and dirty, a lightweight flexible-hold hairspray will give you that tousled look or lock your strands in place without the stickiness. Flexible-hold hair spray can also be used to keep frizz under control when wearing your hair down, but is especially effective for preserving curls, taming loose strands when hair is twisted in an updo, and for keeping hair looking soft.