Zara Makes Hair Products Now — And We Tried All Of Them

Major clothing retailer Zara has been in the beauty game for a minute — the brand has had fragrance for nearly 20 years and introduced Zara Make-Up in 2021 — but this March marks the launch of the first full Zara Hair collection.

To lead the brand’s foray into the hair care space, Zara tapped renowned hairstylist Guido Palau to help formulate, curate, and design the line. As a legendary hairstylist who has worked with every designer you can think of (he keyed the hair looks for Miu Miu, Valentino, Loewe, and Schiaparelli just this past season), he knows hair better than anyone else. And in putting together the Zara Hair Everyday Basics collection, he created six products that he believes are the pillars of any stylist’s kit. Per Palau, the products are all supposed to be easy to use and layer to create any look you desire — whether you want to add volume, hold, curl, texture or shine.

But to find out if the collection delivers on all of its promises, they needed to be put to the test. Read on for my honest thoughts about every Zara Hair product.

Fast Facts:

• Brand: Zara Hair
• What’s in the line? Zara Hair’s core collection consists of six key styling basics, including a Hair Spray, Light Hair Balm, Dry Texturizing Spray, Volumizing Mousse, Blow Dry Spray, and Curl Activator
• Price: Each product in the collection costs $22.90
• Who is it for? The range was designed to be easily useable and accessible for every hair type and any level of hair styling ability
• Where can you buy? zara.com

I’m usually one to skip hairspray day-to-day because I’ve used many that make my hair stiff, hard to brush out, or restyle, but this one has made me realize how helpful it can be when I’m wearing my hair in a casual style. The mist is light, non-sticky, and smells fresh (but the smell doesn’t linger and become a perfume.) The Hair Spray helped my waves from falling limp, even after brushing them out — no crunchy, dry hair here. Rating: 10/10

My favorite product in the Zara Hair line is easily the Light Hair Balm; it’s now a go-to in my routine. I love how it works on wet hair as a detangler and makes my hair feel really smooth and healthy when it dries. But it’s also one of my favorites for styling dry hair — whenever my hair is looking a bit thirsty, frizzy, or in need of a refresh, one pump does wonders. It adds shine without making my hair feel oily or heavy, no matter how much I use. Rating: 10/10

Because I have fine hair, I love a dry texturizing spray to add some fullness, so this was the product I was most excited to try. The spray is entirely colorless and has non-powdery finish, so it didn’t make my hair look dull and dusty (which can be an issue with my hair color). It’s gritty — which is the point of texturizers — but a little too much so, that I found I don’t love using it on freshly washed hair. However, it’s excellent for giving my hair a zhuzh on the second day after styling or if the weather is making my hair fall flat. Rating: 9/10

The mousse was the product that surprised and impressed me the most. I got great bouncy, shiny volume when I used a tennis ball-sized blob focused mostly on my roots and blowdried my hair. (I also used a Tangle Teezer Vented Blowdry Brush to lift and direct my hair as it dried.) When I added some waves with a curling iron afterwards, I could feel the style holding its shape, even when I played with my hair with my hands. Usually whenever I blowout my hair, it totally deflates overnight and doesn’t hold up to the next day, but I was shocked to find that my hair still had a lot of the volume and style the next morning after using the mousse. Rating: 9/10

This is the kind of product I usually worry about applying correctly or using too much and making my hair feel tacky and product heavy, bur the nozzle made it easy to control. I even used a liberal amount (like four or five spritzes per section), and still did not end up with any spots that looked greasy or didn’t dry completely. I could tell that Blow Dry Spray gave my hair a pretty, shiny and soft finish, but I think for my hair needs, I will be reaching for the mousse over the spray. But for a long, sleek and straight hair look this would be just the thing. Rating: 8/10

My mostly-straight-with-some-unruly-curls-and-cowlicks natural hair pattern doesn’t lend itself to air drying, but I was hoping this could really “activate my curls.” It definitely encouraged some texture and bends, but I still didn’t love how this made my hair look. (I prefer taking a little more control over the styling). However, I was impressed at how soft my hair felt once it dried. I would definitely reach for this again over a salt spray that gives similar texture, but leaves my hair feeling brittle. Rating: 7/10

Worth It?

With every product priced at $23, Zara Hair is at a very Goldilocks price point, in between the under $15 products at the drugstore and the $40 range for luxury (and also hairstylist founded) brands like Oribe and R+Co Bleu. Zara’s products are similarly priced to salon brands like Wella and Redken, which feels well matched in performance and experience (fragrance, packaging, etc.) If anything, Zara Hair might have an edge on salon brands, because the come with the Guido seal of approval and the brightly colored, minimalist packaging is so cute.

Final Verdict:

Overall, I enjoyed trying out every product in the Zara Hair line and I think the collection delivers on the promises of utilitarian, everyday products that are easy to use. Even as someone who isn’t talented at doing my own hair (and does mostly the same thing every day), the products were basically fool proof. I never accidentally used too much, or paired the products incorrectly — in fact they were super easy to apply and layer without ever making my hair feel heavy or overdone.

While I don’t know if I’ll personally continue using every product in the collection, I can see each one of the products being something someone would love with the right hair type and routine combo. I will definitely continue to use the Light Hair Balm and Hair Spray regularly, and I like having the option of the other products like the Volumizing Mousse when I want to change it up.

For the $23 price tag, it’s at least worth picking up the product you are most interested in giving a try while you’re buying a new crop top. But don’t be surprised if you’re tempted to buy the whole collection anyway, because they do look so fun and inviting on your bathroom shelf.