STYLE AWAY

The perfect hairstyle takes more than a shampoo and a conditioner; you also need the right styling products to create the look you desire. Here are the best ones that really work.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The perfect hairstyle takes more than a shampoo and a conditioner; you also need the right styling products to create the look you desire. Here are the best ones that really work.

From left to right: 8, 9, 10, 11
From left to right: 8, 9, 10, 11
LUXURY CATEGORY 

PRE-STYLING PRODUCT

8. Balmain Pre Styling Cream, $54.20.

Before shaping your hair to get your desired look, make sure you work this moisturising and conditioning cream into it. Like how a makeup base helps foundation stay on better, this styling base increases your style’s holding power while giving hair a boost in volume and shine, as well as protection against heat damage. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave hands sticky or greasy post-application. 

FRIZZ-CONTROL STYLING PRODUCT

9. Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ Tame Wild, $23.

Humidity is a huge bane to us, especially since it causes our hair to frizz. Before stepping out of the house, smooth on a bit of this anti-frizz cream on damp, towel-dried hair to keep it under control when it dries. Plus, it works as a heat protectant; use before styling. 

TEXTURISING & VOLUMISING POWDER SPRAY

10. Joico Hair Shake Liquid-to-powder Texturizing Finisher, $29.

This makes your hair look fuller all day. The liquid formula dries down evenly to a powder, does not dry out the scalp or hair, and adds definition to fine, flat hair in an instant. Better yet, the product is so easy to wash off at the end of the day.

VOLUMISING HAIR SPRAY

11. Balmain Texturizing Volume Spray, $53.

The spray bottle makes application easy to control, while the fine mist has a volumising effect on hair and maintains its just-styled look even at the end of the day – without feeling heavy or sticky.

Clockwise: 12, 13, 14, 15
Clockwise: 12, 13, 14, 15
HAIR GEL

12. Balmain Styling Gel Strong, $54.20.

A lightweight gel with a strong hold that lasts all day, this is exactly what you need for those days when you want to look a bit more done up, but not feel like your hair is weighed down with product. The gel also has argan oil and silk protein to moisturise and reportedly strengthen your locks.

MATTE-EFFECT STYLING PRODUCT

13. Balmain Matt Paste, $58.70.

With an extremely lasting hold that still affords you the flexibility to restyle your hair at any point of the day, this paste smells amazing and washes off easily. It can be used on both wet and dry hair. 

TEXTURISING STYLING PRODUCT

14. Balmain Texturizing Salt Spray, $64.20.

For casual, beachy waves, spritz this all over your tresses, then scrunch them to create texture. We were impressed by how even smooth, straight hair stayed texturised at the end of the day. 

STRONG-HOLD HAIR SPRAY

15. L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni.art Air Fix, $28.

Not only does this product work as a fixing spray to hold your hair in place, it also adds volume when sprayed directly on the roots, and tames flyaways when smoothed over wet hair. Its anti-frizz formula works for our humid weather, and has filters to protect hair from UV damage.

From top to bot: 17, 16, 18, 19
From top to bot: 17, 16, 18, 19

NATURAL-/SOFT- HOLD HAIRSPRAY

16. Balmain Session Spray Medium, $48.

For hair that seems effortlessly styled, look to this, which gives natural-looking, lasting hold, keeping your style in place without it looking too stiff or rigid.

HAIRDRYER

17. Dyson Supersonic, $599.

The ergonomic design of this lightweight hairdryer makes it extremely pleasant to use. Nozzles are easily attached via a magnetic function and the motor is hidden, so you no longer have to worry about hair accidentally getting entangled within the gears. On top of that, hair is blown-dry quickly, without the need for high heat. 

STRAIGHTENING IRON 

18. Philips Straightcare Vivid Ends Straightener, $109. 

Boasting an ionic technology that conditions the hair as it’s being straightened, this is easy to use, heats up quickly and comes with 11 temperature settings. 

CURLING IRON

19. Philips Stylecare Curler, $79.

This makes curling your hair so easy. Simply turn it on, wait for a minute, then curl away. This handy tool comes with a tourmaline-infused ceramic barrel that conditions your hair as you style it. 

My Reading Room

WINNER

PHILIPS STYLECARE CURLER AND STRAIGHTCARE VIVID ENDS STRAIGHTENER

CATEGORIES CURLING IRON AND STR AIGHTENING IRON

Get the Look

These hairstyling tools from Philips help you achieve your ideal hairstyle while minimising damage to your locks. 

Love a head of curls or sleek, straight strands? Whichever you prefer, the best hair looks start with the right tools. When using heat-styling tools though, there’s always the concern that your hair will become dry, frizzy or prone to split ends. While it’s true that heat styling can damage your hair, you can actually prevent such problems if you use the right tools. 

Philips’ StraightCare Vivid Ends Straightener ($109) from the Sublime Ends range is designed specifically to protect tresses from intense heat damage. It features the brand's unique Splitstop technology: a combination of its Unitemp Sensor and smooth ceramic plates. The former protects your hair from unnecessary heat exposure by maintaining an optimal temperature – according to the brand, that's 20 deg C lower than the heat settings typically found on other tools on the market – throughout the styling process. The latter guarantees minimal friction for the ultimate protection against split ends and is enriched with keratin for added protection. 

The StyleCare Curler ($59) has a 25mm tourmaline-infused ceramic barrel to give you smooth and shiny curls. It heats up to 200 deg C and has eight digital temperature settings for absolute control.

My Reading Room

WINNER

BALMAIN TEXTURIZING VOLUME SPRAY CATEGORY VOLUMISING HAIRSPRAY

(LUXURY)

PUMP UP THE VOLUME 

Give your style a lift and create a ton of volume with Balmain Texturizing Volume Spray.

Like it or not, ’80s-inspired fashion – think statement sleeves, pussy-bow blouses and brooches – is making a comeback in 2017. To complete the look, you’ll need a big and bold hairstyle.

Try Balmain Texturizing Volume Spray ($53 for 200ml) when your hair needs extra volume and hold. This versatile spray works almost instantly to lift your hair at the roots and hold it in place, boosting the volume of your style. Even fine, limp locks will appear to have more texture and definition, and all hair types will benefit from the product’s conditioning and moisturising properties.

Balmain Texturizing Volume Spray is ideal for daily use. Its key ingredients – silk protein and pure organic argan oil – help hair retain moisture while protecting dry, damaged and weak hair from environmental extremes. Best of all, the product leaves your locks with that signature sexy, feminine Balmain fragrance.  

PHOTOGRAPHY ELVINA FARKAS/ANUE MANAGEMENT

CREATIVE DIRECTION JEANETTE EJLERSEN