I can't stop thinking about Nicole Kidman's voluminous waves at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. To be fair, her entire look has been living rent-free in my brain (that Schiaparelli gown!), but her glam especially has me swooning. As Kidman stepped foot on the red carpet ahead of the Babygirl premiere, her strawberry blonde tresses looked effortlessly fluffy—like she just so happened to wake up with flawless waves. Adir Abergel, Kidman's longtime hairstylist, dubs the creation "big sexy hair" with an emphasis on sky-high volume that appears minimal yet lasts all day. I might have watched his Instagram Reel upward of 16 times, and I might have done a little sleuthing to find out exactly what products he used.
It turns out he relied on a specific hair-thickening treatment to achieve Kidman's swoon-worthy waves. Below, find Abergel's entire "big sexy hair" tutorial from start to finish.
To prep Kidman's hair for heat, Abergel first applied Virtue's Damage Reverse Serum generously through her lengths. "Damage Reverse" may sound a bit hyperbolic, but if there's ever a product to actually resuscitate strands, it's this Virtue formula. It contains a hair-identical protein to repair broken hair bonds—my own split ends appear nonexistent whenever I use it.
Now, for the hero product: Virtue's Flourish Thickening Styling Treatment. It's a creamy styler (launched recently this summer!) that plumps each individual strand for long-lasting volume. Like most volumizing products, the formula has a slight tackiness to help the hair hold its new, lifted shape.
It's wonderful for transforming fine, thin hair into a lush mane, but it's also great for thicker-haired individuals looking to better control their style. I, for one, have denser strands prone to frizz and usually hesitate before using hair-thickening treatments; with this Virtue formula, my 'do appears effortlessly tousled. Not to mention it provides extra heat protection up to 450°F.
Once Kidman's hair was adequately prepped, Abergel parted her hair in the center and blow-dried with a large round brush for extra volume. Once he finished each section, he pin-curled it and let it cool completely, only unraveling once Kidman's entire mane was fully dried.
Next, Abergel grabbed a two-inch curling iron and wrapped it around big sections of hair; this technique creates those signature loose bends he's known for. Once Kidman's full head was curled, he gave it a spritz with a light-hold hair spray.
Abergel finished off the look by warming Virtue's Healing Oil in his palms before running it through Kidman's strands to break up the precise bends. This, he says, is how he achieves that effortless, airy finish. (The oil also smells amazing, which is reason enough to snag the healthy hair hydrator.)
And there you have it—big, sexy hair with just three styling products (well, four if you count the hair spray). I thankfully have Virtue's thickening treatment at home, so you can catch me re-creating Kidman's look stat.
More Volumizing Stylers We Love
Dae products also have incredible scents; this wave spray makes my curls smell particularly yummy.
If you know me, you know how I feel about Rōz products. Mara Roszak is the queen of effortless, undone waves, so rest assured you'll be well-equipped with her line of haircare products and stylers.
My day-two hair is instantly revived after a spritz of this texturizing spray.
I used to shy away from mousses and foams, but the new crop of hydrating formulas (such as this hair-enhancing formula) provides all the curl definition without the dreaded crunch.
Specifically designed for thinning hair, this new thickening foam from Aveda delivers lasting, instantaneous volume that will trick people into thinking you have twice the amount of hair you actually do. (Scouts honor—it will be our little secret!)
Bombshell is just the right word to describe this texturizing spray; it's practically a secret weapon for that dreamy '90s bounce.
This is technically not a volumizing product, but I couldn't help but include this shine-enhancing formula on the list. I use it every single time I blow-dry!
Here's another mousse that changed my mind about mousses. It provides lift at the root without making my strands feel too "gritty."
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