Interview

Gels haven't been publicly acceptable since the 1990s—for a variety of obvious and generally well-deserved reasons. Nonetheless, we reserve latent desire for a nubile look, and hair stiffer than hair spray and less so than wax. Bumble and bumble goes against the part with its new line of gel products, BBGel and Gellac.

In fact, gel is more useful in styling than mousse or spray: For those for whom the 90s will always mean Brian Littrell singing under a rain machine, quickly dampen dry hair with a thickening or styling spray; add BBGel to one section or the entire head, depending on the desired effect. Let it get dry and hard, and then take a brush to it and softly loosen the hair. Instead of cracking or flaking, the gel works as a miracle styling product leaving runway-quality body and texture. For those for whom 90s included Rosie O'Donnell shellacking fruit for post-apocalyptic consumption, you can use Gellac to keep curls or waves, or make a chignon or pin curls that will last decades. For body, slick back the hair from the crown of the head. These products contain no alcohol, so they don't flake or dry out hair, which should prove useful for the popular slicked-back do's of the Spring 2009 collections. (LEFT, MODELED BY MARYNA LINCHUK)


BBGel and Gellac are available March 16 at all salons that carry Bumble products. Also, check out the promotional campaign that features highly styled street-cast kids riding around town in an old Mercedes, and loitering in the the Rem Koolhaas-designed Seattle Public Library.