HomeMakeup & Hair5 Best Hair Wax...

5 Best Hair Wax Sticks for Achieving the Ultimate Sleek Updo

Slicking back your hair should seriously be considered an Olympic sport. I swear, my arms are Pilates-level sore after five minutes of repeatedly shaping my updo, using a million different brushes, and going through every hairspray in my vanity. But fear not, there is an unfailing solution to the art of the sleek hairdo: a hair wax stick.

These sticks are designed to keep flyaways and baby hairs at bay, while smoothing out unwanted bumps. Whether you want to try out a high bun and need some extra-strong reinforcement keeping those little hairs down or are looking for some edge control, there’s a grippy formula out there for your hair needs. Luckily, Cosmo’s lovely editors have been slicking and testing a bunch of different formulas to find the top hair-smoothers for various hair types in 2024.

Ahead, the best hair wax sticks for the sleekest hair out there.

The Best Hair Wax Sticks for Sleek Styling in 2024

Briogeo Style + Treat Yuzu + Plum Oil Hair Styling Sleek Stick

Pros
  • Filled with nourishing ingredients
  • Doesn’t leave hair feeling crunchy
  • Easy to apply on the go
Cons
  • We wish it came in a larger size

I used to be a hairspray devotee, spraying and sculpting my hair like a ballerina before a recital. Then I realized that putting my hair in a ponytail doesn’t have to involve a complex routine of hair pulling and pain. I truly achieve the same look with Briogeo’s Styling Stick. Not only does it keep my pony pulled back (even the pesky flyaways) for hours on end, but it also nourishes my hair while doing so.

It’s infused with plum and grape oils for added hydration and vitamin B extracts for nourishment. Basically, it works to treat my hair while simultaneously holding it all in place.

The Best Hair Wax Sticks for Sleek Styling in 2024

Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream with Taming Wand

$18Shop Now

In Stock

Pros
  • Doesn’t leave your hair sticky
  • Fruity scent
  • Great for baby hairs
Cons
  • Hairs might get caught in the wand
  • Might not be a strong enough hold for coarse hair types

If you want precise shaping without a sticky formula, let us introduce you to Dae’s Styling Cream. “I often find that a lot of edge control formulas can be very heavy and dry with white-ish residue—that isn’t the case at all with this wand from Dae,” says associate editor Chaise Sanders. “The applicator is nice and gentle on my baby hairs, but I find it a bit soft for edges if you have coarser hair. Overall, I love how the product itself isn’t annoyingly sticky and that the formula is buildable so I can use as much or as little as needed.” Bonus: It smells absolutely amazing.

The 11 Best Hair Wax Sticks of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Tigi Bed Head Hair Stick

Now 25% Off

$20 $15 at Amazon$21 $18 at Walmart$27 $16 at Ulta Beauty

Pros
  • Great for long wear
  • Great for all hair types
  • Large size
Cons
  • Leaves hair feeling slightly tacky

This very product can be accredited to much of the viral wax stick hype. If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, TikTok-famous, won’t-leave-a-hair-behind type of formula, this is your best bet. Not only will your pony not budge, but the large surface area of the stick will give you the smoothest, bump-free finish out there.

The strong formula does come with a price—your hair will feel a bit tacky, but still super glossy-looking! So there is a slight sacrifice to be made. But worth it for the smoothest of slick-backs, IMO.

The Best Hair Wax Sticks for Sleek Styling in 2024

Nexxus Slick Stick Strong Hold Hair Wax

Now 33% Off

$16 $11 at Amazon$16 at Walmart$18 $11 at Ulta Beauty

Pros
  • Is great for long wear
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Might feel slightly sticky

 

Want that supermodel sleek bun without the hefty price tag? This stick from Nexxus glides right across your hair to snatch any type of updo. “Most hair gels and styling creams do little to tame my unruly baby hairs, but this Nexxus wax stick works wonders,” says commerce editor Sarah Maberry. “After hearing through the grapevine that it’s one of Sofia Richie Grainge’s secrets to a slick bun, I knew it had to be good, and it definitely lived up to the hype.” All that from an affordable drugstore brand for the price of $15? Yes, please.

The Best Hair Wax Sticks for Sleek Styling in 2024

Emi Jay Angelstick®

$38 at emijay.com

Pros
  • Filled with moisturizing ingredients
  • Fits into your purse
Cons
  • On the pricier side for the size

Emi Jay makes some of the cutest hair accessories out there, so it’s no surprise that they made a hair wax stick to help you style your hair before topping it off with their beloved claw clips and scrunchies. It’s infused with hair-loving ingredients like castor oil and vitamin E, so it nourishes your strands while holding everything in place. “I love this stick—it’s so nice because it doesn’t get clumpy and it’s super easy to travel with,” says beauty editor Beth Gillette. Take it from her perfectly sleek hair during NYFW below!

The Best Hair Wax Sticks for Sleek Styling in 2024

Cre: Cosmopolitan

 

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

More from Author

All About Shelley Long’s Daughter Juliana Tyson Kissick

Actress Shelley Long, most well-known for her role as Diane Chambers...

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story Coming to Hallmark

A new Holiday Touchdown movie is set to arrive on screens this...

Johnny Mathis, 89, Retiring from Performing Due to Age and ‘Accelerated’ Memory Issues

Johnny Mathis is retiring from live performing. On Wednesday, March 26, Mathis’ Facebook...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

Fans Praise Kelly Clarkson’s Makeup-Free Look: ‘Thank You for Being Normal’

In a sneak peek of the Thursday, March 27, episode of Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, the three-time Grammy winner, 42, appeared as a guest — seemingly without a drop of make-up. The Kelly Clarkson Show host went for a relaxed vibe, wearing a gray sweatshirt and...

All About Shelley Long’s Daughter Juliana Tyson Kissick

Actress Shelley Long, most well-known for her role as Diane Chambers in the TV sitcom Cheers, has one child: a daughter named Juliana Tyson Kissick. Juliana is the daughter of Shelley and Bruce Tyson, a securities broker. Shelley and Bruce got married in 1981 and had Juliana on March...

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story Coming to Hallmark

A new Holiday Touchdown movie is set to arrive on screens this holiday. On Thursday, March 27, Hallmark Media, NFL and Skydance Sports announced their new original film, Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, which will be premiering during Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas. Following the release of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs...

Johnny Mathis, 89, Retiring from Performing Due to Age and ‘Accelerated’ Memory Issues

Johnny Mathis is retiring from live performing. On Wednesday, March 26, Mathis’ Facebook account announced that the 89-year-old crooner will stop performing live, due to “age and memory issues, which have accelerated.” The singer will continue to perform three more shows on his “Voice of Romance Tour” before his final performance...

Chanel Ties Paris Fashion Week Up With a Bow

Long before the “bow girl,” in all her coquettecore glory, became a fashion archetype, there was Chanel. This morning at Paris Fashion Week, the French house wrapped the Grand Palais in a massive black ribbon to celebrate one of its most beloved motifs. (One which dates back to the...

Miu Miu Was Cool-Girl Catnip

Miu Miu has a knack for bringing It girls not just to the front row, but onto the runway. Today at Paris Fashion Week, the former group included Sydney Sweeney, Nara Smith, Alix Earle, and Renée Rapp. (And at least one It guy: A$AP Rocky.) At the Palais D’Iéna, the walls had...

Saint Laurent Solidifies the Season of the Big Shoulder

There was one big thing that united Saint Laurent’s winter 2025 collection: huge, powerful shoulders. Models paraded around the perimeter of a large oval onyx floor wearing every single version of the massive shoulder. They appeared on ’80s power-suit-style dresses in vibrant colors, oversized outerwear, and even...

Reading Festival organisers quizzed over waste

The organisers of one of the UK's largest music festivals have been grilled over the tonnes of waste and tents that are left behind each year. Reading Festival attracts tens of thousands of people to Little John's Farm in the Berkshire town on the August bank holiday weekend...

Ray Meade: ‘When they told me I had MS, I thought I was done’

Like most of us, guitarist Raymond Meade had a slow and quiet summer in 2021. The pandemic had put a stop to live touring with Ocean Colour Scene, with whom he had played since 2016. And without recording studios, he was unable to continue with his successful solo career. But...

Oasis sale ‘may have misled fans’ says watchdog

Ticketmaster "may have misled Oasis fans" with unclear pricing when it put their reunion tour on sale last year, the UK's competition watchdog has said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the company may have breached consumer protection law by selling "platinum" tickets for almost 2.5 times...

Window cleaner in quest to confirm priceless Shakespeare portrait

Window cleaner Steven Wadlow has spent more than a decade trying to prove he is in possession of a priceless, authentic Shakespeare portrait. His quest is now being told in a Netflix documentary. What is the story behind the find? Steven, who lives in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said his...

What is the Signal messaging app and how secure is it?

The free messaging app Signal has made headlines after the White House confirmed it was used for a secret group chat between senior US officials. The editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to the group where plans for a strike against the Houthi group in...