Air Heads. Drop the

TRULY, MADLY , DEEPLY

What do these hair oils and styling creams have in common with Stan Smith sneakers and Mansur Gavriel bucket bags? A quiet cool that’s elevated them to cult status.

By Hannah Morrill

When a new hair product launches, there’s no sure way to know if it will become a cult hit. But we have noticed one really good indicator: It inspires not just love, but theft. Models steal it from hairstylists, friends “borrow” it from friends, and beauty editors snatch it from neighboring desks. It’s so good, you want it, and you want it now— criminal codes and social mores notwithstanding. A product goes cult “when people recommend it with passion,” says Laura Zaccaria, a senior beauty buyer at Urban Outfitters. “There’s an emotional connection.” But if we’re being totally honest, that whole word-of-mouth thing takes time and works much better if you’ve got connected friends. We found 12 hair products that get passed around like a hot piece of gossip. Now, to do a little pilfering of your own.