A worker is nothing without good tools, and that couldn’t be truer than with our hair styling kit. A good styling arsenal takes you to your best hair day ever way quicker and with much less stress.
For this year's Marie Claire UK Hair Awards, our panel of expert judges tested hundreds of products across our Wash & Care, Colour, Styling, Sustainability, Tools & Accessories and New to Market categories to create a definitive edit of the best in hair.
These are the hair tools that the judges rated this year…
Best Curling Tong
Winner: ghd Curve Thin Wand
Styling versatility is key for a good hair wand—can it help you create more than one kind of curl? With this super-thin wand from ghd you can create the tightest to the most voluminous curl depending on how small you section off your locks. With a 14mm ceramic barrel, it’s designed for tight, defined curls but is also perfect for enhancing naturally curly textures or transforming straight hair and creating waves. The heat-up time is just three seconds and the one-size-fits-all temp of 185 is proven to style hair without heat damage. “A great product that’s easy to use especially when using the glove,” said judge, Paul Edmonds.
Highly Commended: DryBar 3-Day Bender
Best Hair Extensions
Winner: Milk + Blush Ultra Seam 22"
Looking for undetectable extensions for length and body? The Milk + Blush Ultra Seam 22" is made from 100% Remy human hair and features a super-thin, seamless weft that lays flat on the scalp for more discrete results and more hair per weft than the industry standard. Judge, Syd Hayes was a big fan. “I love the design, packaging and branding. It was good for colour matching too and the quality of hair is great,” he said.
Highly Commended: SWAY Hair Extensions Seamless Tapes
Best Hair Removal Tool
Winner: Tweezerman Facial Razor
“I've used basically every dermaplaner under the sun and this is easily the best I've come across,” raved judge, Shannon Lawlor. “It's weighty and substantial, gets a close shave and I love that the blades are removal and disposable.” The blades, which are made from stainless steel, are easy to sanitise and a safety cap is included for safe, clean storage.
Best Hairbrush
Winner: Manta Healthy Hair Brush
The Manta is a demonstration of when a product is more than just a product. The brush was created by Tim Binnington for his wife who, after a life threatening illness, lost her hair. As it grew back, he watched her comb with her fingers, scared of the breakage that came when using a brush, and so the Manta was born. The brushes are ideal for anyone who has struggled with hair breakage or loss and are ideal for styling and detangling. “I really like this product,” said judge, Neil Moodie. “It’s easy to use, and I like how simple it is but very effective. It's really nice on the scalp too.”
Highly Commended: Wet Brush Go Green Original Detangler
Best Hairdryer
Winner: mdlondon BLOW
“I absolutely loved this dryer—easy to use, incredible results and lightweight,” said judge, Adam Reed. The mdlondon BLOW packs professional quality and endurance into lightweight and compact housing making drying your hair a less tiresome task. Plus, it features a powerful 1600 wattage that’s 10db quieter than most hairdryers, meaning you can talk or listen to your fave podcast as you dry too.
Highly Commended: Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer
Best Heatless Curler
Winner: SILKE London Silk Heatless Curler
Heatless curlers are definitely having their biggest moment to date, so naturally there are many on the market to pick from. SILKE’s offering just oozes luxury, making your curl routine a real ‘me time’ moment. The curler is made of 100% pure 22 momme grade silk and constructed of the highest quality, durable foam, and the set comes complete with an on-trend tortoise shell clip and silk hair ties, too.
Highly Commended: Brushworks Heatless Curling Scrunchie
Best Straightener
Winner: Dyson Corrale Straightener
Ever not tried something, tried it and then couldn’t imagine life without it? That's kind of how you feel when you use straighteners with flexible plates—they're game-changing. The innovative micro-hinged plate technology, which flex and gather hair, applies even heat and tension to all the hair strands in every pass and keeps them perfectly aligned. The three precise heat settings of 165, 185 and 210 degrees celsius work across the hair type and texture spectrum, and the cordless technology provides up to 30 minutes of cord-free styling.
Highly Commended: Revamp Professional iGen Progloss Cordless Ceramic Hair Straightener
Best Styling Brush
Winner: ghd Glide Hot Brush
The ghd glide brush (aka the second-day hair saviour) eliminates frizz and flyaways in just a few passes at the set 185 degrees celsius temperature. The ions within the brush eliminate frizz so hair is transformed, and the combination of high density short and longer bristles allow for large sections of hair to be styled, giving smooth natural movement and a salon-worthy finish.
