Allure Readers’ Choice Awards 2023: 11 Hair Awesome Hair Care Products Our Readers Can’t Get Enough Of

Our readers are undoubtedly loyal to their favorite hair products — devotion that shows time and time again through the 2023 Allure Readers’ Choice Awards in our Hair Care category. And they absolutely should be devoted — hair is so personal. No two strands are the same, so when you find that holy grail leave-in conditioner or the hot tool that gives you the the perfect blowout, stick with it! That’s not to say there’s never room for new products to come in and sweep you off your feet. 

The 2023 winners list is filled with some newer launches that proved worthy from the start, along with some tried-and-true favorites that you never doubted. At this point, it’s safe to say Olaplex is one of the most beloved hair brands out there. The brand snagged seals for its No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner yet again, and a new seal for its No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask. Batiste Dry Shampoo Original is also a returning winner — y’all really love the volume and texture this gives the hair, along with its under-$10 price tag.

Some newcomers to the list include the Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Originale Hair Oil for its high-gloss shine and the Bb.Curl Reactivator, which breathes new life into all types of curls. Don’t think for a second that hot tools went under the radar this year. You crowned Revlon One-Step Volumizer this year’s MVP blow-dryer. 

See and shop the hair products that Allure readers voted the best of the best this year. Your hair routine will thank you. And be sure to check out our other 2023 Readers’ Choice categories, like skin care and makeup, to see if your favorite products made the cut. 

All the Winning Products:

Readers’ Choice Awards: Hair 

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo sets itself apart from other shampoos with its focus on maintaining and repairing hair’s bonds — the key concept behind all Olaplex products. In addition to cleansing, it promises to help reduce breakage, frizz, and other evidence of damage, And from the looks of its latest Readers’ Choice Award, it keeps that promise.

There’s no rule that says you have to use a shampoo and conditioner from the same collection, but for the second year in a row, you’ve told us that you enthusiastically follow up your Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo with Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner. The bond-enforcing formula leaves hair shiny and smoother while making split ends less apparent.

So, if we’re hearing you correctly, you like Olaplex? The No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask is one of three Readers’ Choice Awards the brand is snagging in 2023. The 10-minute treatment works across the hair-type spectrum to deliver a noticeable difference in smoothness and shine. It’s a once-a-week way to undo the styling damage you’ve done over the other six days.

It’s not that there aren’t other great blowout brushes out there. It’s just that they probably wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the immense popularity of the Revlon One-Step Volumizer. With its ceramic coating, three heat speeds, and combination of nylon and tufted bristles, this dryer-brush hybrid has transformed folks who claimed they could never give themselves a salon-level blowout into at-home hairstyling wizards.

Already a two-time Readers’ Choice Award winner, OUAI Leave In Conditioner continues to impress with its weightless moisture and detangling prowess — the result of ingredients like tamarind seed extract, vitamin E, and panthenol. “​​Normally, my hair would be frizz-town in the humidity, but this spray kept it smooth through a 20-minute walk under an umbrella, pre-dinner drinks, and a five-course dinner,” says Allure deputy beauty director Elizabeth Siegel. 

Curls rarely wake up looking the way you originally intended the day before. That’s where Bb.Curl Reactivator comes in, saving the (second or third) day with its majorly moisturizing blend of avocado, coconut, and jojoba oils, as well as shea and cocoa butters. Used on damp or dry hair, it works its defining magic with a few spritzes and a little zhuzhing.

A four-time Readers’ Choice Award winner, Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray is back. It promises a “lived-in” look that is much cooler than the look we naturally live in: full, piece-y, and more or less devastatingly gorgeous. Spray it on dry hair for an instant transformation.

In a puff of delightfully scented rice starch emerges Batiste Dry Shampoo with its fourth Readers’ Choice Award in a row. This classic hair refresher absorbs greasiness at the roots so hair gets a boost that never gives away how many days it’s been since you used actual shampoo.

Marula, camellia, and argan oils come together in Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Originale Hair Oil to ensure soft, moisturized hair with antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins. Use it before shampoo, after blow-drying, for random touch-ups — it’s ready to add strength and shine any time you need it.

Even with so many at-home hair-coloring options on drugstore and big-box shelves, eSalon Custom Hair Color Set continues to win this prize because it goes above and beyond. It comes with not only your custom hair color in the permanency level of your choice (and developer, of course) but also gloves, a tint brush, shampoo and conditioner packets, stain guard and remover, and even access to a licensed colorist because, let’s face it, most of us could really use some virtual hand-holding during the hair-coloring process.

The Wet Brush Original Detangler looks a whole lot like other brushes, but the readers who overwhelmingly voted it best hair tool know it’s something special. The unique bristles skate through hair for pain-free detangling. Use it on dry hair whenever you wish, but the fact that it’s so much less damaging on wet hair — when it’s most vulnerable — will make you especially grateful.