The Best Hair in America 2013

There's nothing short-lived about the popularity of Anne Hathaway's cropped cut. Since the actress went short for her Oscar-winning turn in Les Misérables, her pixie has continued to evolve—from dark and texturized to ice blond, and back again. For an abbreviated haircut that still feels feminine, Hathaway’s hairstylist, Adir Abergel, maintains length and softness around the face. "Everything should be cut using scissors and a comb, never with a clipper," Abergel says. In Miami, according to Riley McLachlan, owner of Snip salon, clients "love being liberated from the chore of blow-drying," making Hathaway's low-maintenance look a favorite.

René Furterer Style Finish Vegetal Styling Wax "adds a bit of texture and movement," Abergel says; he blasts hair with a Velecta Paramount Paris blow-dryer to get a "polished look"; for sleek sides, mist a toothbrush with FEKKAI Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray and comb through.

René Furterer Style Finish Vegetal Styling Wax, $24; beauty.com

Velecta Paramount Paris blow-dryer, $159.95; amazon.com

FEKKAI Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray, $10; folica.com

When Julianne Hough swapped her flowing barrel waves for a modern, collarbone-grazing bob, she graduated to major-league hair-icon status. The secret to Hough's coveted cut? Her stylist, Riawna Capri, trims hair when it's dry. "With wet hair, it's difficult to see the texture, and the finish tends to be more blunt," Capri says. "A dry cut allows for a softer line." In laid-back Arizona, where midlength hair has grown in popularity, women love the look for its "lived-in, second-day feel," says Michelle Zeller, owner of Dollyrockers Salon & Boutique in Phoenix.

For matte texture, Capri recommends Unite Creamy Paste Styling; volumize an updo by "back-combing at the root" with The Marilyn Brush Teasing Brush; light yet nourishing Black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment acts as a primer, protecting hair from "heat, sun, blow-dryers, and curling irons."

Unite Creamy Paste Styling, $19.82; amazon.com

The Marilyn Brush Teasing Brush, $9.34; amazon.com

Black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment, $18; black15in1.com

While she may be growing them out now, Michelle Obama's blunt bangs inspired a wave of copycat cuts—even her commander-in-chief husband tried the look, albeit via Photoshop. "It's so versatile," says her stylist, Johnny Wright. "For fuller, thicker bangs, start a bit farther back on the crown. But if you want a wispier fringe, stay closer to the hairline." In Washington, DC, stylist Joey Hervey at the Saint-Germain by Molécule Salon says clients are turning to bangs as an alternative to injections. "If you can't smooth forehead wrinkles, hide them!"

Wright protects hair from heat damage with Optimum Amla Legend Billion Hair Potion; more than just a straightener, the Corioliss K3 Titanium flatiron "infuses keratin into the hair while styling," Wright says; Denman Thermoceramic Hot Curling Brush smooths flyaways without causing static.

Optimum Amla Legend Billion Hair Potion, $10.99; walgreens.com

Corioliss K3 Titanium flatiron, $210; corioliss.com

Denman Thermoceramic Hot Curling Brush, $19.68; amazon.com

Universally flattering long, layered hair never falls out of favor, so it's no surprise that this year's winner, Jennifer Lopez, has worn the look off and on since she was just Jenny from the Block. Runner-up Jessica Biel rarely strays from the timeless length either. "It's a very sexy style that works on almost everyone," says Lopez's hair guru, Oribe. In Philadelphia, women love this "bombshell hair," says Laurentius Purnama, owner of an eponymous salon. Best of all, he adds, "loose layers are so easy to style."

Apply Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil to damp hair before styling for "luster and frizz control"; Oribe defines layers with Murray's Superior Hair Dressing Pomade; the versatile Mason Pearson hairbrush works for every style, Oribe says: "straighten, blow out, or tease hair with it."

Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, $48; neimanmarcus.com

Murray's Superior Hair Dressing Pomade, $2.49; amazon.com

Mason Pearson hairbrush, $120; nordstrom.com

Platinum: Gwyneth Paltrow

Spun Gold: Jennifer Aniston

Honey: Emma Stone

Ginger: Jessica Chastain

Ombré: Khloé Kardashian Odom

Cocoa: Mila Kunis

Prevent dryness and breakage with Living Proof Restore Targeted Repair Cream; Canalé recommends Kérastase Elixir Ultime The Imperial to protect color from UV damage; Shu Uemura Satin Design "smooths hair for a mirrorlike finish."

Living Proof Restore Targeted Repair Cream, $28; nordstrom.com

Kérastase Elixir Ultime The Imperial, $38.99; amazon.com

Shu Uemura Satin Design, $38; shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com