Allure describes the Mason Pearson boar-bristle brush as something that has changed very little since the original was made in 1885. It still has the soft rubber pad, and it is still made by the same family, now across four generations. That is a long time to stay loyal to one shape of brush. It tells you something that the tool at the center of the sleekest hairstyles is not a gadget. It is a wooden handle, a pad and some bristles, and the whole trick is the sweep.

The slick back brush is having a quiet moment for the same reason. A slick-back is a smoothing job, not a detangling one, and a good brush spreads the product evenly, lays the cuticle down and gives that wet-glass finish in a single pass. I would argue it is the quickest way to make a ponytail look intentional, and no product will do it if the brush is wrong.

The trick is to own two, and to start with the boar bristle. The first grid is the smoothing side. Oribe's Flat Boar Bristle Brush and Drybar's Flat Mate are the classic paddles for a long, sleek stroke. Crown Affair's No. 001 is dual-bristle and made for all textures, and their No. 003 is built for fine, thin hair, which is worth knowing if a heavy brush usually flattens you. Emi Jay's flat smoothing brush and its Mini are the ones that live in a bag. Bur Bur's Mini Mermaid is the small essential, and Oribe's Large Round is for a rounder, softer shape.

Start with the comb, not the brush. The E Online method is to part with a rat-tail comb first and only then smooth bumps with a small dense brush, and I have never seen a cleaner finish come from doing it the other way around.

The edge brushes in this grid are that small brush. Slickhair's Smoothing Hair Brush is small enough to live in your bag, which is handy if you tend to fix your hair in the car. Bounce Curl's Slick-Dense Define Edgelift Brush and PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross's Edge Tool are both designed for the hairline. KISS has three ways in: the 4-in-1 Edge Boar Bristle Brush, the Ombre Chrome 3-in-1 and a carbon fiber pin tail comb for clean partings. La Bonne Brosse's N.06 Baby Hair Brush is the elegant one, and Crown Affair's Comb No. 002 is the one to leave by the sink.

A pairing I like: spray a little hairspray onto the edge brush, not onto your head, and then sweep. E Online suggests exactly this, and it tames flyaways without the crunch.

What I would skip: scrubbing the edges hard with a stiff brush every day. Go gently, and give the hairline a rest on days you can.

One rule for a wax stick: less than you think, applied to a short section, then brushed. The stick is a finishing tool, and Raven Hurtado told Harper's Bazaar she likes it because it keeps fine hairs locked down.

BondiBoost's Strawberry Gum Grip is the one made for slick back styling, and Oribe's Supershine Smoothing Wax Stick is the glossy one. Briogeo's Style + Treat Sleek Stick blends styling and treatment, and KISS's Edge Fixer Wax Stick is the practical, no-fuss choice. Got2b's Hair Wax Stick is the plain, classic stick, and e.l.f.'s Hair 3-in-Wonder Magic Styling Cream Wand is soft and cream-based. UNOVE's Frizz-Calming Gel Hair Taming Wand gives a little gel hold on a wand, and Vegamour's Baby Hair Strengthen and Style Wand is for the hairline specifically.

Try this: run the wand over your ponytail base and along the part, then smooth with the brush from the first grid. The wand puts the product exactly where the flyaways are, and the brush spreads it evenly.

What I would skip: a heavy wax stick on fine, thin hair that already gets greasy by lunchtime. A lighter cream wand will look cleaner.

A habit worth borrowing: spray the brush, then smooth. E Online recommends spraying onto a brush so you get hold without the crunch, and it also means you are not breathing a cloud of it.

Oribe's Superfine Strong Hold is a fine mist, which suits a sleek look where you do not want visible product. Davines' This Is An Extra Strong Hair Spray and UNITE's MAXCONTROL are both openly strong. IGK's strong hold spray and Color Wow's Texas Hold 'Em Big Hold are the ones for a longer night. Kérastase's Laque Extreme is the one to try if you like a salon brand, Paul Mitchell's Freeze and Shine Powerful Hold adds shine and Redken's Max Hold is the plainspoken finisher for a bun that has to survive a long day.

A pairing I like: a wax stick for the hairline, the boar brush for the length, then one pass of hairspray on the brush. Each product does one job, so none of them has to do too much.

What I would skip: heavy hold spray on a style you plan to sleep in or brush out tomorrow. The dermatologists at the AAD warn that long-lasting hold products used with combing can cause breakage, so keep them for the days that call for them.

I think the best sleek look comes from a small kit, not a big one. One boar bristle brush for the length, one small dense brush or comb for the hairline, and a wax stick you actually like. Work section by section, as Oribe's Mandee Tauber advises in Allure, rather than dragging everything back at once.

And loosen up on other days, because pulling hair back tightly can cause tension, and the AAD says that if it continues it can lead to permanent hair loss. Mason Pearson's family has kept the same brush for well over a century. You only need to keep yours clean. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Hair Brush Guide and Slick Back Hair.