Alicia Keys’ Hairstylist Says She Uses This One Product on Every Client

There's a reason NYC hairstylist Nai'vasha is dubbed the industry's unofficial Curl Queen. With clients like Tracee Ellis Ross, Alicia Keys and Lupita Nyong'o, Nai'vasha is a pro when it comes to styling natural curls and showcasing their full glory (or switching it up with a head-turning braid or two, or three). The hairstyles she creates read more as works of art—sky-high volume, embellished rope braids, and architectural wonders. Thus, we were thrilled to invite her in to the Byrdie studio to share her five can't-live-without staples for her Just Five Things. Lucky for us, she wasn't one to keep secrets, and we now know that the product behind her clients' airy volume is a spray wax from Oribe, and the way she creates a masterpiece like this is all thanks to a craft store artistic wire.

Watch the video below to find out Nai'vasha's Just Five Things and shop them below!

“I use this every single time I work with a client. So I can spray it on the hair and it will not move. It literally makes the hair stand mid-air.” 

“I use artistic wire to make really tight, smooth, plain ponytails. A lot of times you don’t don’t realize that inside that big, glorious hair…that’s what’s holding it up.” 

“So yes, the Mason Pearson brush is a bit pricey, but it is worth every dime. I can brush the hair and there is literally no marks or demarcation.” 

"This metal-tip carbon comb is a must-have in my kit. I use to perfect to [make a super clean] part in the front and I use it in front of my flat iron so that it comes out perfect and smooth."

“My diffuser is a must. If nothing else is in my kit, my diffuser is there. Curls will come out as if they air-dried.”