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Why the hairbrush is the new Kelly bag
Once purely practical, the hairbrush has quietly become one of beauty’s most desirable objects. From heritage craftsmanship to modern quiet luxury, a new generation of brushes reflects our growing desire for softer, more personal beauty rituals. But why do we suddenly want to invest in something we once took for granted?
Words by Carin Hellman
This article contains advertising links
It starts, as so many modern luxury phenomena do, with something quite ordinary. A hairbrush. Not a limited-edition serum or a hyped, sold-out fragrance, but an object most of us have long considered purely functional. Something tossed into handbags, forgotten, full of hair, in bathroom drawers and replaced without much thought.
And yet suddenly, the hairbrush has acquired a different kind of status. Today, handcrafted brushes retail for hundreds of kronor, photographed like design objects rather than beauty tools. On social media, they appear next to marble sinks, silk robes and carefully curated skincare routines. And names like iconic Mason Pearson, French chic La Bonne Brosse, Danish Fan Palm and Swedish heritage in Boco Atelier are often spoken about with the same reverence usually reserved for fashion houses or niche perfume brands.
It is, of course, about something that we care deeply and many times obsess about – our hair. But perhaps even more about how we think about luxury, ritual and everyday life right now.
Shop Notes
How luxury hairbrushes became part of the quiet luxury trend
Over the past few years, luxury culture has shifted away from the overt and logo-heavy towards something more understated. What is often described as quiet luxury is less about visible status and more about quality that is felt rather than seen. Cashmere instead of monograms, craftsmanship instead of hype. Objects appreciated by quality and timeless aesthetics. And in many ways, the luxury hairbrush fits perfectly into this evolution.
Because a beautiful hairbrush is intimate – something that feels quite private, just for you – not really something you want to share with someone else. Almost surprisingly discreet in its exclusivity and not displayed in the same way as a handbag or a watch but instead becomes part of small daily rituals. Perhaps that is exactly why it feels so contemporary.
Why hair brushing has become a beauty ritual
What makes brands like Mason Pearson iconic is not just their quality, but their relationship to time. Many of their brushes are still handcrafted using techniques that have remained largely unchanged for over a century, still never doing any advertising or influencer collaborations.
And there is something almost anti-digital about that. In a beauty landscape dominated by rapid launches, viral products and constant novelty, the hairbrush represents something slower. More grounded and tactile. Brushing your hair becomes less of a rushed task and more of a ritual — repetitive, calming and almost meditative. Thinking and acting of not only as performance for your hair, but as a calming nervous-system care. Because yes, there’s a reason scalp massages feel so calming — they can genuinely help reduce stress.
What makes a luxury hairbrush different?
Of course, the fascination is not purely symbolic. Today’s most coveted hairbrushes combine craftsmanship and performance with design in a way that blurs the line between beauty object and interior piece. With hand-polished wood, natural boar bristles and sculptural silhouettes.
Many of the new-generation brands approach the hairbrush almost the way a fragrance house approaches a perfume bottle — as an aesthetic object. French label La Bonne Brosse, for instance, presents its brushes in soft, sophisticated colour palettes that feel closer to modern lifestyle branding than traditional haircare. The brush becomes something you want to leave out on display to become part beauty tool, part visual identity.
And perhaps that is ultimately where the appeal lies. In a culture increasingly shaped by speed, screens and immaterial experiences, there is a growing desire for timeless objects with weight and permanence. Things we return to every day that age beautifully rather than become obsolete and needs to be replaced every month. A good hairbrush is not seasonal; it is something we keep and becomes personal over time.
The French chic
La Bonne Brosse
Founded by French beauty entrepreneur Pauline Laurent, La Bonne Brosse was created with the ambition of bringing traditional French craftsmanship back into the modern beauty ritual. Each brush is handcrafted in France using heritage techniques.
Made with keratin-rich boar bristles and nylon fibres, the brushes detangle while distributing the hair’s natural oils from root to ends for enhanced shine, softness and less frizz. Designed to stimulate the scalp while smoothing the cuticle, La Bonne Brosse combines performance with the effortless elegance of a true French beauty object.
The Swedish pocket brush
Boco Atelier
Founded by Swedish couple Louise and Oskar Fröjdén, Boco Atelier was created with the idea of transforming the everyday hairbrush into a luxurious object designed to go everywhere with you. Designed in Stockholm and handcrafted in France, the brand has become known for its chic pocket-sized brushes that fit effortlessly into even the smallest handbag.
Made with natural keratin-rich boar bristles and flexible nylon fibres, the brushes gently detangle while distributing the hair’s natural oils for enhanced shine, softness and less frizz. More than just a beauty tool, Boco Atelier’s brushes are designed to turn hair brushing into a small daily ritual — both practical and indulgent at once.
With love from Copenhagen
Fan Palm
STORY: Founded in Copenhagen by best friends Anette Thrane och Lene Mønster, Fan Palm has become known for turning the everyday hairbrush into a playful luxury accessory. Inspired by vintage glamour and colourful beauty rituals, the brand combines functionality with glossy pastel shades and fun signature prints.
HOW TO USE IT: The brushes, produced in South Korea, combine natural boar bristles with flexible nylon fibres to gently detangle, smooth the hair and enhance natural shine while stimulating the scalp – from compact handbag-friendly styles to larger paddle brushes.
The icon
Mason Pearson
HOW TO USE IT: Made with carefully selected boar bristles and a signature rubber-cushion pad, Mason Pearson brushes are designed to gently stimulate the scalp while distributing the hair’s natural oils from root to ends for enhanced shine, softness and flexibility.
Loved by hairstylists and beauty insiders for generations, the brushes have become synonymous with healthy, polished and naturally glossy hair.
What are the benefits of a boar bristle brush?
Beyond aesthetics, the biggest difference between a luxury hairbrush and a lower-priced alternative often comes down to materials, craftsmanship and how the brush interacts with the hair over time.
One of the most sought-after features is natural boar bristles, loved for their ability to distribute the scalp’s natural oils evenly throughout the hair lengths. The result is softer texture, enhanced shine and less frizz — almost like a naturally polished finish. Unlike harsher plastic bristles, boar bristles are also gentler on the hair cuticle, making them especially popular for dry, damaged or chemically treated hair.
Many luxury brushes combine boar bristles with nylon fibers, creating a balance between detangling and scalp stimulation. The nylon helps grip and separate the hair, while the softer natural bristles smooth and condition.
When choosing a brush, texture matters. Thick or very long hair often benefits from a larger brush with mixed bristles for easier detangling, while finer hair may respond better to softer, pure boar bristles that won’t create unnecessary tension. Cushion quality and brush shape also affect both comfort and styling performance.
And while these brushes are often associated with quiet luxury aesthetics, many hairstylists swear by them for practical reasons too. A boar-bristle brush can help create smoother blow-dries, polished ponytails and glossy, “expensive-looking” hair with minimal product. One common trick is to gently brush through the hair after styling to soften waves and evenly distribute oils for a more natural finish.
In other words, the appeal is not only visual — it is also about how the hair looks and feels after months, or even years, of daily use. And that is why we love it!