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Fenty’s Hair Gel Beats Every Other Formula We Tested — Here’s Why It’s a Must-have for Curly Hair Types.

Plus, the Rihanna-backed hair styler smells like a divine combination of yuzu, amber, florals, vanilla, and sandalwood.

By Stacia Datskovska Plus Icon

Stacia Datskovska

Senior Commerce Writer for WWD

Recent Articles by Stacia Datskovska

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February 12, 2025, 3:00pm

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woman with a sleek updo staring fiercely at the camera; multiple containers of a hair gel from the brand Fenty Beauty

Courtesy Fenty Beauty

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission.

Ever since Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty launched the Fenty Hair line last summer, marking its fourth category expansion, everyone and their mothers has been busy sussing out what the best product of the bunch is, and our dedicated testers — who have tried the entire line of offerings! — can safely say it’s The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel.

Apart from rave reviews on Sephora’s site (and a whopping 7,000 hearts to match), the product has been making the TikTok rounds — appearing in highly popular videos like tutorials for slicked-back and curly hairstyles. Fenty Beauty as a whole has been ranked as the most successful celebrity beauty brand year after year, by multiple sources, so it’s no surprise that its The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel is similarly and impressively successful.

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In a nutshell, the gel is meant to lock in styles for day-to-night wear, and it can accommodate everything from high ponytails to sleek buns. The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel is a great choice for adding shine, reducing frizz, repairing split ends thanks to proteins and amino acids, and boosting hydration. Standout ingredients responsible for these benefits include bamboo sap water, green tea extract, gooseberry, and jackfruit extract — forming a natural dream team of sorts.

Here's Why Fenty's Hair Gel Is a Must-have for Curly Hair Types

Fenty Hair The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel

$26

Buy Now at sephora

$26

Buy Now at fenty

Price upon publish date of this article: $26

Unlike other hair gels, this seven-ounce one is never crunchy; doesn’t leave behind a pesky residue; is highly compatible with other styling creams, gels, and tools; and is the opposite of drying. Given Fenty Beauty’s push for inclusivity in the industry, the gel works on all hair types and textures (from straight to coily); in fact, it ranked high on our roundup of the best products for enhancing curls!

As a bonus, its fragrance is an absolute dream and a half: punctuated by notes of sparkling yuzu, amber, florals, vanilla, and sandalwood. You’ll be tempted to crawl inside the container and never come out — trust us on that one.

open jar of hair gel with peach colored packaging

To use Fenty’s The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel, start with a dime-size amount and apply to damp hair — smoothing back and styling as needed. Courtesy Fenty

WWD Shop product tester Breana Beaudreault, who has type 4 hair curls, used The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel to style strands in both twists and braids. Her reaction to the product? One of love and deep appreciation (she now calls it her “new go-to gel for easy styling,” after all!).

“I love that it held my twists in place… and cleaned the look of my braids, all without making my hair feel stiff or crunchy,” Beaudreault says. “It also left a great sheen, especially on the twists, and smells divine. This is the best soft hold gel that I’ve had.”

As for the staying power of the gel’s effects, Beaudreault reports the following: “Even when sleeping in braids or twists (with bonnet), I found the style to hold, with some light end retwisting and braiding [needed] in the morning.”

She also notes that, as compared to similar gel hair products, this one never became flaky with time and, in fact, left her hair looking healthier than ever. For Beaudreault, it ended up being the whole package… literally. “The packaging is workable for the product. It is easy enough to open: no leaking, breaking, or product loss,” she adds. That’s not to forget The Gelly Type’s much-talked-about scent, which Beaudreault says she’s a big fan of and which lasted longer than expected on her locks.

If you’re looking to tame your mane — saying goodbye to flyaways and hello to smooth, shiny styles — there’s no better way to do that than with The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel. Need even more reasons to invest? The product is vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and comes in recyclable packaging, making it the ultimate feel-good (and look-good!) buy.

Here's Why Fenty's Hair Gel Is a Must-have for Curly Hair Types

Fenty Hair The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel

$26

Buy Now at sephora

$26

Buy Now at fenty

Price upon publish date of this article: $26

Why Trust WWD

Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. Learn more about us here.

Meet the Tester

Breana Beaudreault

Breana Beaudreault

Breana Beaudreault is a New York–based law school student with type 4 curls who tested curly hair products for WWD Shop in 2024 and 2025. Beaudreault provided unbiased product testing feedback to WWD Shop beauty editors on several hair products and tools, including Fenty’s The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel.

Meet the Author

Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on trending products in the hair care category.

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