How to Use a Styling Oil to Create These 17 Hairstyles

Style AND substance! Hair oil hits two birds with one stone.

We’re confident that everyone needs a styling oil in their hair product arsenal. You can’t tell us that your ends couldn’t use a good hydration boost every now and again! One of the reasons we love styling oil so darn much is because it’s hydrating and useful at the same time. But, for almost every other style, oils have your back for nourishing your hair and adding shine. Read on to learn all the ways we love to use styling oil.

Styling Oil: Maybe the Most Versatile Styling Product?

How to use styling oil for new looks defined glossy
Ideal summer style: perfectly soft curls.

1. Defined, Glossy Curls

If you’re a curly girl, we’re sure you already have a favorite oil on hand. We’re big fans of Suave Coconut Oil Infusion Damage Repair Oil Treatment for curly hair. Coconut oil is extra-hydrating, and it helps give dry, curly hair that soft feeling. Use this styling oil as the last step to coat your ends and define individual curls, no matter what look you are going for.

How to use styling oil for new looks flyaway free ponytail
Sleek ponytails are big for 2017.

2. Flyaway-Free Ponytail

Struggling with pesky flyaways disrupting your sleek style? Styling oil can fix that in a snap. To make sure your hair looks sleek and shiny (and not all heavy and oily), only use a small pea-size amount of product. Spread the oil across your fingertips, and run them through your hair. For the best results, focus that oil on the areas you struggle with the most. Then, pull your hair back into a ponytail, using a boar-bristled brush to smoothen. Rock that sleek pony, sister!

How to use styling oil for new looks pin straight hair
Styling oil makes this look extra-shiny. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

3. Polished, Pin-Straight Hair

Seriously shiny, straight hair coming your way! Styling oil is your new BFF on straight-hair days. You can follow our full tutorial for creating pin-straight hair to get this look. As the last step, use one drop of styling oil rubbed between your palms. Run your palms over your hair to add shine, hold down flyaways and hydrate your hair.

How to use styling oil for new looks beachy waves
Beachy, messy waves are a summer staple.

4. Perfectly Beachy Waves

Here’s a little-known secret! If you want to get that perfect beach wave look and want them looking a bit less crunchy, a lightweight oil will help get the look. This works great if you’ve got naturally loose curly hair, overnight waves, or you curled your hair to get the look. Just use a bit more oil than usual depending on your hair length, or around a good quarter-size amount, and run through the bottom half of your hair. Focus the oil on random sections to get that hair drying from the ocean look all day.

How to use styling oil for new looks folded updo
An updo we all can do. Photo credit: indigitalimages.comii

5. Shiny Clipped Updo

This perfectly precise updo is great for formal occasions. For a style like this, we like to start off with straightened hair. Add shine and that sleek look by using Nexxus Oil Infinite Nourishing Hair Oil. Then, just pull all of your hair into a low ponytail. Fold that tail in half, and pin to the back of your head. You can make the even sleeker by topping off this style with a shine spray!

How to use styling oil for new looks half updo
Twisted looks are almost too fun to create.

6. Twisted Half Updo

Want to create that gorgeous piecey texture that goes along with this style? Just run a drop of styling oil through your curled hair, then you can create the twists. The little bit of extra oil on your fingers will help to make the twist defined and shiny. Pin the twisted sections to the back of your hair, and you’re rockin’ and rollin’.

How to use styling oil for new looks fishtail braid
A fishtail works for both day and night.

7. Elegant Fishtail Braid

Styling oil is an essential when braiding curly hair. Because curly hair can be quite dry and fragile, adding styling oil to the ends before braiding helps keep them looking and feeling healthy. You can follow our tutorial to create a fishtail braid on curly hair. All that style and none of the breakage!

How to use styling oil for new looks tousled waves
Scrunch for the oil to focus on the ends of your hair.

8. Tousled Waves

Looks like wavy bobs will never be out of style! We’re loving this look with that little extra bit of bedhead. The best way to get it? Scrunching your curls with a little bit of oil. We like Suave Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil for a hydration boost. Apply a small dab of oil to your palms, and scrunch upwards into hair.

How to use styling oil for new looks slicked back hair
This runway-inspired look has also been spotted on the streets. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

9. Slicked-Back Hair

Obviously, you can (and should!) use styling oil to slick back your hair. The amount of oil you’ll need depends on how thick and long your hair is. Apply the oil from your hairline, and comb back through to get that wet look. Bonus: This works just as well if you’re rocking a hair oil treatment, and want to go out and about.

How to use styling oil for new looks
Slicked-back hair works for pixie lengths too.

10. Ultra-Polished Pixie

The same thing works for pixie-length hair. We especially like when pixie haircuts are given a deep side part. Part your hair way to the side, and apply the hair oil to both sides. Comb through, and you’ve got one cool crop.

How to use styling oil for new looks shiny blowout
Styling oil before for sleek hair, no oily residue after. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

11. Shiny Blowout

Not all styling oil hairstyles need to be slicked down. We’re loving this shiny blowout style that you can create by applying the styling oil before you start to dry your hair. Then rev up that dryer and grab your round brush to create this gorgeous, professional-looking blowout.

How to use styling oil for new looks natural curlicues
Loving these perfectly coiled curls.

12. Natural Ringlets

You can easily use a styling oil to add a little bit of shine and smooth out the texture of overnight curls. These gorgeous corkscrew curls are created with flexi-rods. When you take out your flexi-rods in the morning, you can spruce up your curls with a touch of oil. We’re loving ApotheCARE Essentials The Mender Hair OilJust a dab will do you for defining and softening those spirals.

How to use styling oil for new looks slicked-back side
An edgy, oily style.

13. Slicked-Back Side

OK, how cool is this slicked-back style? It’s the ultimate look for an edgy night out. You’ll need styling oil, and two or three bobby pins to create the look. After creating a deep side part, apply your styling oil just to the shorter side of your head. Slick that hair backward, and secure into place with your bobby pins to make sure it stays in place all night.

How to use styling oil for new looks bombshell waves
For that ’60s style wave.

14. Bombshell Waves

We’re drooling all over these luscious bombshell waves! To create a style like this you’ll need to use large hot rollers. Prepping your hair with an oil helps to keep the curls more wavy than tightly curled. The bigger the rollers are, the wavier this style will look. Once those waves have set, smooth them down with a boar-bristled brush.

How to use styling oil for new looks tight chignon
A pulled-back chignon is the sleekest look of all.

15. Tight Chignon

Calling all ballerinas! Need a quickie chignon that keeps your hair out of your face? Slick down the sides of your hair with oil first. It will give your sweet ballerina style extra edge, and will help hold any baby hair in place. Then, just wrap up your hair into your usual bun at the nape of your neck.

How to use styling oil for new looks messy bed head
Our favorite way to upgrade day old hair. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

16. Messy BedHead

We said we love the messy bedhead look, right? It’s a particularly great look for rocking second (or third, ‘cos we’ve all been there) day curls. Run just a pea-size amount of oil through your hair focusing on the ends to ease down those curls and get that piecey texture.

How to use styling oil for new looks defined pixie
No slicked down looks here!

17. Defined Pixie

For a non-oily take on the defined pixie, concentrate styling oil just on the very ends of your hair. It will help hold down any stubborn hairs that don’t want to play nicely with your look. You can also use the oil to help you create a piecey fringe by applying it only to particular ends and pinching together.

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