If there’s one thing Dakota Johnson is known for (aside from her acting chops and dry sense of humor, which has launched a thousand internet memes), it’s shiny hair. For years, people have obsessed over how glossy her signature espresso-colored strands look, whether she’s on a red carpet, hosting Saturday Night Live, or on a press junket. I’m no different. As a beauty editor, I’ve been on a shiny-hair quest for years, and she’s my celebrity North Star.
Luckily for me, I just learned the *exact* products her hairstylist, Mark Townsend, uses to achieve her liquid hair look—at least for her recent appearance at the NYC premiere of Verity. It involved five styling products, including a $29 dry gloss that delivers expensive-looking shine.
“It’s no secret that Dakota Johnson and I are inspired by ’90s supermodels at the moment, and for the premiere of Verity in NYC we decided on a very ’90s half-up hairstyle,” Townsend says. “The two-piece Calvin Klein look that Dakota chose for the premiere was full of sparkle and shine, so we wanted her hair to be just as shiny and bright!”
Townsend used IGK Hair products. Below, shop all five, including the dry gloss.
“To ensure Dakota’s hair stayed smooth all night under the lights of the red carpet, I started by spraying IGK Good Behavior 4-in-1 Prep Spray through her wet hair,” he says. “This spray is a miracle worker! It detangles, fights frizz, protects the hair from heat of blow-dryers and irons, and seals the hair cuticle for tons of shine. Then I blow-dried her hair with a medium round brush for fullness.”
“After the hair was dry, I took three-inch sections of hair and sprayed each section with IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray and ran a two-inch curling iron over the section. This spray is heat-activated and makes the hair so shiny and will fight frizz for 24 hours!” Townsend says.
“After ironing the hair, I sprayed IGK Good Behavior Flexible Anti-Frizz Hairspray on a flat brush, and I brushed through her hair. This spray is my dream spray because it’s a perfect working spray, giving light hold while I pull the hair into a half-up hairstyle,” he says.
Townsend says they decided not to pull all of the hair on the sides back and to leave some of her face-framing layers down and out. “Once I gathered the hair up, I secured the chignon with a few Day Rate Beauty bobby pins. These are the strongest pins ever made and will never slip out or loosen throughout the night,” he adds.
“Just before Dakota hit the red carpet, I liberally sprayed IGK Done Deal Strong Hold Finishing Hairspray on the hair that was pulled back to really lock in the style and tame down any flyaway hairs. This spray blocks out humidity, which we needed here in NYC!” he says.
“During the red carpet, I sprayed IGK Headliner Moisture Gloss Dry Oil on a flat brush and brushed through her hair to keep it super shiny and glossy,” Townsend says.
This is the product I’m incredibly excited to test. It mists ultrafine moringa and jojoba oils into the hair for moisture, softness, and glossy-looking shine. Since it’s a dry oil, it’s lightweight and fast-absorbing—not heavy or likely to leave a greasy residue. Use it to smooth flyaways for a polished finish, redefine wavy or curly texture, or add shiny moisture to dry strands.
