UrbanUpdate

Bumble and Bumble Sumotech> $28, Buy now at Amazon

Over years of GQ Grooming Awards, I’ve mussed up my hair with hundreds of hair products: gels, creams, pomades, salt sprays, waxes, pastes, clays, mousses. Half of those are just different ways to describe the same thing: Hair stuff.

We’re always looking for the latest and greatest, new innovations that make it easier to get your hair the way you want it to look. (And to stay there, damn it!) Often, there’s a lot of nuance, the types of details that are easier to notice when you test three pomades back-to-back-to-back. In the end, we find the best pomade out there—but what good is that for a guy who doesn’t even know what a pomade is?

You’re not alone. I’ve led a lot of friends, family members, and coworkers on their journey to hair salvation. Maybe they’ve never put something in their hair before. Maybe they have one thing that their other friend told them was the best, and they don’t exactly know why they use it. Maybe they tried a gel in the third grade and have been horrified ever since.

It’s where I started too, as a teenager who decided finding the right hair product was the missing key to nip any 14-year-old insecurities in the bud. (It was not.) Thankfully, I had a mentor in the game, a hair stylist named Natalie. She led me away from the hard gels of my elementary school era and the David Beckham-inspired faux hawk of my tween era into something better, something more properly suited to working the minefield of cowlicks in my Barry-Bonds-steroid-era-sized head.

You should start with the same thing she recommended to me, Bumble and Bumble Sumotech.

The hardest part of picking a new product, whether it’s a first foray or a transition from something you’re currently using, is making sense of all the jargon and figuring out what will actually help your hair look better. The Sumotech cuts through it all. It’ll work for most people better than anything they’ve used previously, and it’s neutral enough that you’ll know exactly where to go if it isn’t a perfect fit. Not grippy enough? Look for something with high hold, like a clay. Not shiny enough? Move to a pomade.

It’s easy to put in and doesn’t feel too goopy, but it has enough hold to let you push hair in one direction and have it stay there. It functions something like a mix between a cream and a wax. It replicates that hold and texture you get from having healthy hair unwashed for a day and change, but it’s way more consistent. Plus, it doesn’t “set” like that gel you probably tried as a teenager, so you can shift things around midday or run your hands through your hair—which you do more than you think.

2 More Entry-Level Styling Products We Love

Dove Men+Care sculpting paste$6

Amazon

If you’re getting into the product game and want to start with something more budget-friendly, try the Dove Men+Care Sculpting Paste. It’s not quite as flexible or re-workable, and it feels a little bit heavier, but it’s a low fuss option for a low fuss guy. Plus, you can buy it at any drugstore.

Malin + Goetz sage styling cream$24

Amazon

If your hair is a little longer, go for the Malin + Goetz Sage Styling Cream. As most guys grow their hair out, they usually find a problem with their “short hair” product: it’s a little bulky if you try and cover all of those luscious locks with it, and you don’t need quite as much control now that gravity is doing its part. This cream adds a little control and a little shine, but stays light enough to let those luscious locks flow.Related Stories for GQGQ RecommendsBest StuffBathroom and ShowerHair