You Wear Your Hair Everyday; It Should Be Your Most Expensive Item Of Clothing...

Hair; Where to Save Your Pennies and Where to Spend

I often get asked for advice on products, techniques and styling by my clients, brides and bridesmaids; all worried that they could be doing something better. Here is my advice on what I believe is worth spending your money on and where you can save.

The Important Ones

Straightening Irons

Buy cheap, pay twice…Professional irons such as GHD’s are made to last, afterall in hair salons they are used continuously throughout the day and still give perfect results. Professional irons work better and faster and are therefore less damaging as you don’t need to repeatedly go over the section of hair, some even come with a temperature dial. I’ve had my GHD’s for 8 years…

Hair Dryers

Hairdryers can be deceptively damaging with cheap dryers getting unnecessarily hot. Professional blow dryers operate at a lower heat, which is gentler and works quicker. My favourite styler is the Babyliss Big Hair, which has a rotating brush to add volume and shine to styles and helps replicate a salon blow-dry. The large heat, speed and direction controlled ceramic barrel adds fullness and body whilst the soft bristles create ultimate smoothness and shine.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Buying professional shampoo and conditioner is really important, especially if you have coloured or damaged hair. If you spend a lot on cutting and colour services, it’s a good idea to keep your hair in tiptop condition and make the expense worthwhile.

There are some great websites that often have sales and gift packages available (try www.lookfantastic.com), which can make them more affordable. They will help reduce product build up, restore moisture, and protect colour etc.

Haircut and Color

You wear your hair everyday; it should be your most expensive item of clothing. You don't have to spend hundreds of pounds on a cut or colour, but try find a salon that has a good reputation. You get what you pay for, so if you care at all about your hair, I'm suggesting you avoid the really cheap chain salons and beauty schools, the little extra cost for a service will be worth it!  If your hair gets ruined at a cheap salon, you'll end up paying more than you would have originally just to get it fixed.  

Where to Save

Brushes and Combs

Unless you’re buying a diamond-encrusted comb, brushes and combs are generally made from the same materials and do the same job!

Rollers

Rollers have come back into fashion and for day-to-day use meaning process have come down massively. Velcro rollers all do the same job and if you can pick them up cheaply, go for it! Heated rollers still vary in price and it all depends on what you require them to do. I personally use the Diva Hot Pod Rollers (about £100 for the pod and set) because they heat up in 8 seconds and have 4 heat settings, which I require for the huge variety of hair types I come up against. Equally I have used the Babyliss Thermo Ceremic set (£29.99) which are also great…they just take a while to heat up.

Styling products

As a professional stylist, I chose to use professional hair products rather than the cheap ones as it’s all part of the service.  However, if you are trying to save money, it’s far better to use cheaper products than nothing at all.

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup Artist

Based in Hertfordshire

www.vicky-brown.co.uk