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collage of Demi Moore, Selena Gomez and Zendaya© Getty

8 beauty editor-approved tips for sleek, 'expensive-looking' hair

Achieve A-List-worthy hair without their budget

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Melanie Macleod
Wellness Editor
January 13, 2025
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What do Zendaya, Beyonce, Selena Gomez and Demi Moore have in common?

Aside from glittering careers and shelves weighed down with awards, they all embody the trend for "expensive hair" – a look defined by Cult Beauty's expert buyers as "sleek, shiny and luxurious-looking hair."

The beauty retailer says that the expensive hair trend is set to continue to thrive in 2025, sharing that high-gloss treatments and salon-quality products for at-home use are key to achieving this polished look. 

Demi Moore flicking her hair  at the Golden Globes© Penske Media via Getty Images
Demi Moore proving just how expensive her hair looks at the Golden Globes

While Zendaya and co. obviously have the world's best hair stylists on hand, HELLO!'s Beauty Collective has a few tricks of its own when it comes to expensive-looking hair, from salon treatments and professional haircare, to budget-friendly tips. Read on for your best hair year yet…

Lydia Mormen: Having the right haircut

Lydia debuted her new look at London Fashion Week

"Type 'expensive hair' into Google Images and you'll be served tonnes of pictures of straight, glossy blow outs - something that plagued me growing up when I'd only feel put together after flattening my curls with the straighteners. 

"Expensive hair in 2025 is about making the most of your own texture - not trying to fit into a misshaped mold. For me that looks like investing in a curly cut. Visiting a salon that knows how to care for your curls and shape them, so that your style looks intentional, was one of the best things I ever did - and I think intentionality with any hair type helps your look to appear more put together and expensive.

"My curly bob made me feel chic and sophisticated - and there wasn't a single straight hair in sight! If you're in London, try Charlotte Mensah's Notting Hill salon. They'll help you learn to love your hair - plus you'll get to try a slice of her famous Nutmeg Pound Cake."

Glynis Barber: The in-salon treatment

Woman taking a selfie in a denim shirt

"When it comes to my hair, I've got away with murder considering what I put it through.

"I spent two years flat ironing it daily for a  TV show I was doing - and I don't treat my hair much better on my days off either, applying a sea salt spray to achieve a beach curl. 

"These sprays are drying and can leave your hair looking straw-like if you overuse them. On top of that, I use a heated curling rod to accentuate the curl a little - a lot to put my hair through on a daily basis!

MORE FROM GLYNIS: I totally changed my skincare routine when I turned 60 – see 10 products I swear by 

"My saving grace is my amazing hairdresser, Paul Edmonds, who I've been seeing for many years. He'll often look at my hair and tell me: 'I'm giving you a collagen treatment today.'

"Created by haircare brand Eufora, it is the most incredible organic treatment. It's applied post-shampoo, then left it on for 20 minutes while you sit under a steamer to really drive it into the hair cuticles. The rich treatment adds moisture and gloss to parched strands and lasts for about six weeks.

"This treatment transforms my hair from dry and fluffy to sleek and shiny. It's so effective that I don't do any treatments at home, but I always make sure I use a good shampoo and conditioner. 

"I love natural hair care brand Davines – their 'Golden' range, in particular. It adds moisture and shine and keeps my golden highlights feeling fresh, perking up my colour and keeping my hair looking healthy."

Ateh Jewel: A glossy colour

woman smiling in pink

"I grew up spending all of my money trying to achieve the 'expensive hair' look. I spent hundreds on chemically straightening my hair and getting power blow dries.

"I stopped relaxing my hair at 37 and now regularly see Subrina Kidd, my fairy coil mother, who helped me lean into loving my 4C coils. For me, expensive hair now means healthy, lush, dense, juicy coils and rich deep colour, which makes me feel expensive and decadent darling!

"For my expensive-looking colour, I absolutely love Josh Wood and I went to visit him recently at his Holland Park Atelier, where he gave me a rich, deep mocha colour mixing his Josh Wood Colour Hair Gloss in Chocolate and Smokey Brunette £19 each, 

"Product-wise, I love Sebastian Professional Dark Oil Lightweight Silkening Fragrant Hair Mist, which uses a blend of jojoba and argan oil to give my coils an expensive gloss after I've made them pop with Manta's Kinks, Coils and Curls Brush."

Donna Francis: At-home care

Donna hasn't had Botox yet

"As a child of the 80s when big, make-an-entrance hair signalled your worth - think Joan Collins in the American TV series Dynasty - I am all in for this expensive hair trend. It's a little more glossy and refined this time around and it's all about getting your hair in top condition by using quality shampoo and conditioner. 

k18 hairmask next to a box of it

"I've discovered the best way to achieve this comes with a price tag unfortunately, and my go-to product, the K18 'Molecular Leave In Hair Mask', £30, is the quickest way to get there. It has transformed my hair. What was once dry and limp is now glossy and full of body. It's well worth the investment."

MORE FROM DONNA: This mask transformed my menopausal hair 

Melanie Macleod: The styling tool

"For me, the most expensive-looking hair is a freshly blow-dried, bouncy, smooth mane. Think Princess Kate and JLo's envy-inducing locks.

"I sadly can't afford weekly blow dries, but ghd's Duet tool is the closest I can get at home. It creates smooth, frizz-free bounce that looks almost salon-worthy in 25 minutes. With a spray of Living Proof's 'Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo' on day three, I can get four days out of one styling session. 

ghd Duet

"As a devotee to heat styling, I credit my healthy hair to religiously using heat protection spray, and in my kit at the moment I have Cloud 9's 'Magical Quick Dry Potion Spray', £20, Color Wow's 'Dream Coat', £26.95, and Matrix's 'Miracle Creator', £13.30."

READ: I spent £1.4k on hair tools – was it worth it?

Beautiful woman smiling

Vanese Maddix: Classic care

"My hair always feels its best and most expensive when I've had a trim to get rid of dead ends. 

"I've found that trims every three months help my hair grow quickly and stay healthy. To support my routine, a treatment I discovered in the last two years and absolutely love is Kerastase' 'Fusio-Dose', which I occasionally book when visiting the Amazon Salon

"Whether I want to tackle dryness and dullness or combat frizz, there's a booster for every need. Since it's only available in-salon, it feels like a real treat. By addressing my current hair needs during the treatment, my hair is left sleek, shiny and tangle-free, making it much easier to manage in the weeks that follow."

READ: Demi Moore swears by this shampoo to maintain her glossy hair 

Beatriz Colon: Anti-frizz treatments

headshot of a young woman in a white shite and a tweed waistcoat

"In the lead-up to heading back home to Puerto Rico the tropics (aka humidity) this holiday season, I knew I couldn't handle the instant transformation from sleek blow-dry to the puffy frizz that appears the second I land.

"I decided to try a keratin treatment with my hair stylist for the first time before flying to keep my glossy hair intact, and I fear I may never go back! 

"For the first time in years, I'm letting my hair air dry, knowing it will stay nice and smooth. It still maintains good movement and isn't pin straight, the perfect combination for expensive-looking hair. "

SHOP: 8 of the best overnight hair masks we - and our hair - seriously rate 

Sidra Imtiaz: Sleek styling

sidra selfie

"I'm currently struggling with unexplained hair loss so I've made a conscious effort to try and take care of my hair and style it more – which might sound counterproductive, but the insecurity that comes with hair loss means I'm doing all I can to boost my confidence.

"Expensive hair is my goal, but styling it just isn't something that comes naturally to me. Unlike makeup and skincare, which I immersed myself in from a young age, hair was always my sister's territory and I was her willing guinea pig. 

RELATED: My hair is stronger than ever after adding this to my routine

"In my recent experiments, I've found nothing looks as sleek, glossy and luxurious as a soft wave, which I learnt to do last year after eons of trying.

"The best tool for me is a thick curling tong without a handle. I use one from Mane by Jen Atkin. A soft wave combined with an arsenal of shine-imparting, growth-inducing products are what I rely on whilst I work out the root cause of my hair thinning."

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