And the winners are...
At Marie Claire, we like to celebrate happy hair days. No more so than this year, when science is dominating the styling category, free-from products are booming and high quality haircare no longer just falls into the luxury category, as tech-driven products become increasingly available on the high street at every price.
Welcome to this year’s Hair Awards, where we applaud the game-changers that make those happy hair days a daily occurrence …
Wash & care
Best Colour Shampoo
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo, £6.99
A peroxide-free formula restores highlights to their former sun-kissed glory.
Highly commended: Redken Colour Extend Blondage Shampoo, £16.50
Best Colour Conditioner
OGX Fade-Defying + Orchid Oil Conditioner, £6.99
The moisturising double act of orchid extract and grape seed oil locks in shiny, multi-tonal colour.
Highly commended: Head & Shoulders Supreme Colour Protect Conditioner, £4.99
Best Hydrating Shampoo
Maui Moisture Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Shampoo, £8.99
Coconut milk and shea butter combat crispy ends.
Highly commended: John Masters Organics Shampoo For Dry Hair With Evening Primrose, £22
Best Hydrating Conditioner
Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Conditioner, £6.99
Protein and amino acid-rich ingredients pack a punch on overworked hair.
Highly commended: Maui Moisture Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Conditioner, £8.99
Best Volumising Shampoo
TRESemmé Pro Collection Collagen + Fullness Shampoo, £4.99
Star ingredient ‘peptide collagen’ beefs up spindly strands from root to tip.
Highly commended: Wella Professional Invigo Bodifying Shampoo With Cotton Extracts, £11.50
Best Volumising Conditioner
OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Conditioner, £6.99
A cursory glance at the label tells you this is everything to fine hair: biotin strengthens weak areas, while plumping collagen adds dimension for your fullest locks yet.
Best Shampoo for Damaged Hair
Pantene Pro-V Superfood Shampoo, £3.99
Full of antioxidants and lipids – it’s like a smoothie for traumatised tresses.
Highly commended: Kérastase Bain Extentioniste Length Strengthening Shampoo, £19.50
Best Conditioner for Damaged Hair
Pantene Pro-V Superfood 3 Minute Miracle, £3.99
Softens brittle ends without slicking down roots.
Highly commended: TIGI Copyright Custom Care Repair Conditioner, £18
Best Shampoo for Curly Hair
Harsh foaming detergents can strip curly and Afro hair of moisture. Here, Argan oil, honey and aloe vera cocoon the cuticle.
Best Smoothing Shampoo
Fudge Professional Luminizer Moisture Boost Shampoo, £11.95
Plex technology stands up to frizz and dullness by smoothing down damaged cuticles, so they reflect light better.
Best Product for Afro Hair
Bouclème Intensive Moisture Treatment, £26
Wraps parched curls in nourishing marula, camellia and prickly pear oils.
Highly commended: Pantene Gold Series Intense Hydrating Oil, £7.99
Best Natural Haircare Range
Kérastase Aura Botanica, from £22.10
Who said natural had to be hippy? Up to 98 per cent natural-origin ingredients, like Samoan coconut oil, power up this luxury range.
Highly commended: Rahua, from £32
Best Intensive Hair Mask
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor, £4.99
Delivers replenishing Australian balm mint to fragile strands, without being a gloopy, lengthy affair.
Highly commended: Kérastase Masque Extentioniste Length Strengthening Mask, £31.70
Best Scalp Treatment
Hair Rituel By Sisley Revitalizing Fortifying Serum For The Scalp, £135
Minerals, vitamins and einkorn wheat extract make strands more resilient.
Highly commended: Charles Worthington Grow Strong Scalp Tonic, £7.99
Colour
Best DIY Colour Product
Clairol Nice ’N Easy Permanent Colour, £6.49
Colour safe in the knowledge that you’ll get a next to natural shade and reduce your chances of developing a hair colour allergy thanks to the ME+ molecule.
Highly commended: Phil Smith Be Gorgeous Root Touch Up Root Concealer Spray, £6
Best Creative Colour
Schwarzkopf Live Urban Metallics Intense Colour in Metallic Silver, £5.49
On average, there are 14.8k online searches for silver hair dye a month. This colour gives you a cool sheen, while nourishing with coconut oil.
Tools & Accessories
Best New Hair Tool
Believe the hype. This does everything your straighteners, hairdryer, rollers and brushes do – without heat damage.
Best Hair Accessory
The ultimate grown-up hair accessory that takes a bun from ordinary to extraordinary.
Best Hairbrush
WetBrush Flex Dry Ombre, £11.99
When is a brush not a brush? When it looks like a cookie cutter and detangles like a dream.
Highly commended: Tangle Teezer The Wet Detangler, £11
Best Hair Dryer
Dyson Supersonic 23.75 Karat Gold Hair Dryer, £399.99
With gold-leaf embellishment and bladeless technology, it’s what we imagine Mariah Carey would use, and truly one of the best hair dryers around.
Highly commended: Parlux Alyon, £129.95
Best Curling Tong
Cloud Nine The Curling Wand, £99
The mineral-infused barrel + temperature control = kinder, shinier styling whatever your hair type.
Highly commended: Babyliss Curl Secret 2667U, £60
Best Hair Supplements
Viviscal Maximum Strength Hair Growth Supplements, £51.99
The clinically proven marine protein encourages healthy hair growth.
Highly commended: Philip Kingsley Root Complex (Nutritional Supplement), £38
Best Hair Extensions
These lie flat against your scalp, so they’re invisible. Plus, you’ll be able to sleep for the eight weeks they’re in.
Highly commended: Beauty Works Double Hair Set Clip-In Extensions, £145.99
Best Hair Straighteners
After five years dedicated to testing, meet the world’s first hair straightener with predictive technology.
Highly commended: Cloud Nine The Original Iron, £139
Styling
Best hairspray
Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ Session Label Super Dry Memory Net, £12.80
Ensures hair keeps its style even after brushing – just without the 80s ‘helmet effect’.
Best Straightening Product
KMS Moist Repair Revival Creme, £17.50
This hydrating styling cream coaxes unruly, coarse hair into sleek curtains.
Best Heat Protection Product
TRESemmé Heat Defence Spray, £5.50
Like a bulletproof vest for hot styling.
Highly commended: Cloud Nine Magical Quick Dry Potion, £18.95
Best Texturiser
Percy & Reed Beyond The Beach Texture Spray, £16
A salt spray that gives body minus tangles? You’re looking at it.
Highly commended: Pureology Shine Beach Waves Sugar Spray, £23.50
Best Dry Shampoo
Batiste Original Dry Shampoo, £2.99
Nothing beats this for mopping up second-day greasy roots. Oh, and there’s zero chalkiness, too.
Highly commended: Maria Nila Invisidry Shampoo, £18
Best Hair Oil
VO5 Nourishing Coconut Hot Oils, £4.99
We couldn’t be happier that this cult rescue remedy is back with a tropical twist.
Highly commended: Show Beauty Pure Treatment Oil, £50
Best Shine Product
Toni & Guy Picture Perfect Hair Gloss, £7.99
Creates the type of shine you normally only get from a professional blow-dry.
Highly commended: Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Finishing Mist, £38
Best Curl Enhancer
Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer, £22
Wheat protein expands when hair is wet, then retracts once dry to hold that perfect ‘s’-shaped curl.
Highly commended: Ouai Wave Spray, £22
Best Blow-dry Product
Living Proof Restore Smooth Blowout Concentrate, £26
As well as cutting your blow-dry time in half, it protects against heat and adds shine.
Highly commended: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Sealant, £24
Best Volumiser
Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Body Booster Mousse, £5.99
Enriched with collagen, this takes limp hair to skyscraper heights.
Highly commended: Philip Kingsley Tricho Pro Volumising Protein Spray, £35
Best Split-End Treatment
System Professional Creative Care Perfect Ends, £31.45
Temporarily seals ends and protects against further damage.
Highly commended: Schwarzkopf Professional BC Peptide Repair Rescue Sealed Ends, £13.90
Best of the rest
Best New Hair Product
Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, £25
This is really clever: special polymers inflate on contact with hair and make space between strands to create the illusion of gravity-defying volume.
Best Ethical Haircare
With an impressive list of environmental credentials, all you need to know is this brand is paraben-, chemical- and cruelty-free, and contains natural goodies like avocado and quinoa.
Best Men’s Grooming Product
Bulldog Skincare For Men Original Bamboo Razor, £12
With five steel blades it’s a no-brainer, but the eco bamboo handle sold it.
Highly commended: Redken Brews After Shave Balm, £18.50
The image makers
Best Celebrity Stylist: Chris Appleton
His creative vision has made him one of the most in-demand hairstylists globally. So, it’s hardly surprising that his client list reads like the who’s who of Hollywood.
Best Regional Hair Salon: Tabitha James Kraan Organic Hairdressing, Cotswolds
Kraan’s chic salon recycles 85 per cent of all waste and runs on 100 per cent energy from renewable sources.
Best Colourist: Josh Wood
The ‘king of colour’, Wood not only creates cutting- edge shades on his A-list clients, but this year he launched what is undeniably the world’s coolest home colour range.
Best London Hair Salon: Nicola Clarke at John Frieda
Known for creating the best blondes this side of Stockholm, Clarke now has a W1 salon, plus a squad of guest stylists including Sam McKnight.
Best Stylist: Luke Hersheson
Hersheson is famous for his ‘throw the rule book out’ techniques on clients such as Victoria Beckham and Keira Knightley. His book Great Hair Days & How To Have Them is our new beauty bible.
Here's to another great year of hair heroes!