VALUE-FOR-MONEY STYLING ESSENTIALS
1. Best Straightener
Ma Cherie Hair Gelee Mist (Silky Straight), $17.90 (195ml), detangles easily and leaves hair feeling so silky that you might not even need a conditioner. You only need one spritz over each section of your hair to see results.
2. Best Texturising Hairspray
Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray, $24.90 (200ml), creates instant, non-sticky, long-lasting volume after a blow-dry. It’s easy to wash out, too.
3. Best Heat-protector
Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Prep Heat Protection Mist, $21.90 (150ml), is lightweight, easy to use, and gives hair shine.
4. Best Hairspray for a Natural Look
Ma Cherie Decoration Keep Spray, $16.90 (140g), has a light hold to keep your hairstyle looking natural. It also means that restyling is easy. Our judges loved the fine mist.
5. Best Dry Shampoo
Klorane Oat Extract Dry Shampoo Spray, $14.60 (150ml), absorbs sebum from the scalp and lifts roots to give hair volume.
6. Best Frizz Eliminator
John Frieda Frizz Ease Original 6 Effects Serum, $16.90 (50ml), instantly eliminates frizz and protects hair from heat and humidity with its non-oily formula.
7. Best Curl Definer
Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Classic Spray Gel for Curls, $22.90 (150ml), is easy to use and defines curls well. Just spray it on, scrunch and go.
8. Best Volumiser
Ma Cherie Hair Gelee Mist (Airy Mush), $17.90 (195ml), gives instant, long-lasting, root-lifting results, without stickiness.
9. Best Wax for a Natural Look
Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Creative Style Spray Wax, $22.90 (150ml), is perfect for styling newbies. You can spray it evenly over towel-dried hair and scrunch, or over dry hair to create a more defined style.
10. Best Shine Booster
The Body Shop Grapeseed Glossing Serum, $26.90 (75ml), has a non-greasy formula that doesn’t flatten hair, but leaves it smooth and shiny instead. One tester commented that it’s comparable to a high-end product.
LUXE STYLING ESSENTIALS
11. Best Heat-protector
Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair Thermo Leave In Treatment, $30 (150ml), repairs chemical damage done to hair so it becomes smooth and soft to the touch.
12. Best Hairspray for a Natural Look
Shiseido Professional Stage Works Structure Hold Spray, $30 (180g), produces a fine mist and lends a light to medium hold so that hair looks soft and doesn’t feel stiff.
13. Best Dry Shampoo
Joico Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo, $34 (200ml), is fast-drying and absorbs excess oil from the scalp and hair. It gives a lift to roots and a moisture boost to strands for a soft – not stiff – result.
14. Best Texturising Hairspray
Redken Signature Look Fashion Waves 07 Texturizing Sea Spray, $32 (150ml), is lightweight and non-sticky. It is super-easy to use – just spray it all over hair and scrunch to create a tousled style with dishevelled, sexy waves.
15. Best Strong-hold Hairspray
Percy & Reed Reassuringly Firm Session Hold Hairspray, $26 (250ml), produces an ultra-fine mist that gives a strong hold without making hair look “hardened”.
16. Best Shine Booster
Label.m Shine Spray, $38 (125ml), has a spray nozzle that limits the amount used so you don’t accidentally overload hair. It is light enough for fine strands, and protects tresses with its paraben-free and antioxidant-rich formula.
17. Best Straightener
KMS California Tame Frizz Smoothing Lotion, $40 (150ml), detangles and smooths with a non-oily formula that controls frizz and protects hair from humidity.
18. Best Styling Powder
L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni.art Wild Stylers Next Day Hair, $29.95 (250ml), spreads easily compared with most pour-out hair powders. It leaves your do instantly volumised, textured and matte.
19. Best Wax for a Natural Look
O’right Free Mind Mud, $34 (50ml), is a non-sticky formula that holds your hairstyle and at the same time, allows you to restyle it easily. We like that it washes off effortlessly, too.
20. Best Volumiser
Shiseido Professional Stage Works Powder Shake, $31 (150ml), transforms from mist to powder once it dries. Suitable for both fine and slightly coarse hair, it makes your do look fuller all day.
21. Best Frizz Eliminator
KMS California Tame Frizz Taming Creme, $37 (125ml), has a creamy texture that smooths frizz effectively without being too oily or sticky.
22. Best Curl Definer
Shiseido Professional Stage Works Nuance Curl Cream, $30 (75g), gives you defined, bouncy curls. It feels a bit oily, but once applied, the oiliness doesn’t sit on your hair.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
23. Best Reusable Home Hair Colour Kit
Hoyu Cielo Cream Hair Color, $17.90, dispenses a thick, non-drip foam that you can comb or massage through hair at hard-to-see areas like the back of your head. The fuss-free product covers greys effortlessly and doesn’t irritate the scalp. Any unused product in the bottle can be kept for a later date – perfect for those who need to cover grey roots every few weeks. It comes in six shades.
24. Best Home Hair Colour Kit
Liese Blaune Treatment Cream Color, $15.90, is a non-pungent, nourishing formula that conditions and colours in 15 minutes. The kit includes gloves to protect your hands, a tray to mix the creams, and a comb that lets you apply the cream mix to every strand evenly. It also covers grey hair effectively. It comes in five shades.
This article was originally published in Simply Her November 2014.
All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine's publication. We advise readers to check with the stores for the latest availability and pricing information.