Six of my top hairstyling picks for 2014

As I mentioned in my last post about hair products (Osmo Grooming Gift Set 2014), in my first year of blogging my hair has taken a pounding with new products as I search out the best fit for my hair and my limited styling abilities.

Today I will be counting down my five favourites from 2014 based upon the five criteria below:

• HOLD
• EASE OF APPLICATION
• STYLING 
• FRAGRANCE
• LACK OF RESIDUE

Over the months I’ve posted about fifteen different hair styling products, the first being one of my first ever posts - Fishshape Hair but alas this beauty doesn’t manage to hit the top six and the competition if you’ll pardon the pun has been stiff, in fact it’s been tricky to select my favourites from the year so ranking them was impossible. 

While Fish Soho have become a massive favourite of mine, over the last month or so I have tested and fallen for a few newbies to my collection.

SuperFish Fishpaste Hardcore Hold Matte Effect Putty

How could I leave out the first product that I took with me as part of my #hairontour trip to Amsterdam? I was drowned by torrential rain, blown about like a rag doll in the wind and still it kept my long (much longer than usual) spikes up. In addition, once wet it didn’t run off down my face, which was a massive bonus at the time as I styled the drowned rat look.

Easy to style with, no residue at all and cracking hold. You can do a lot worse than this.

Structure Paste Flexible Adhesive

Now this has the hold, look and texture of cement. I’ve never used a product that could, if left, probably hold a style for well over five days! It is tremendous in terms of hold but it was like applying a thick clay to my hair.

Styling took longer but boy, it did the business for me. The only flaw was actually washing it out - it is that strong it clings to the hair shaft. 

SuperFish Stiffish Cream

I didn’t write about this one until recently, and I don’t know why. Why the hold isn’t solid the cream is so pliable it makes styling of short to medium lengths so easy it literally takes me two minutes in the morning. The cream isn’t that thick meaning that fingertips can be used to style rather than palms.

While it isn’t a solid hold this works wonders for holding my spikes in place for hour after hour.

Closed on Monday  Deluxe Pomade

 

The first pomade I have ever tried. I had low expectations and was blown away by the level of hold, how little was needed to spike my hair and the lack of residue. The hold was so strong it lasted for well over a day in the end. Top notch stuff

Osmo Matte Clay Extreme

If you had said to me three months ago that I would be including any clay into a top five list I would have called for the men in white coats. It has always been a natural enemy of my hair and I have always found styling with it a nightmare. With excellent hold, a beautiful fragrance and styling ability that is a breeze this is now a firm favourite. 

The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel

Last but not least we have this offering from The Legends London and wow, it is quite possibly the best gel ever to grace my hair. Both unique in the fact that you can apply to wet and dry hair for different finishes, if the style droops in any way a dab of water and its ready to style again. Get in!

The luminous pink gel is really strong, and sticky. Styling is easy to damp hair and it is perfect for medium to longer lengths as once set this holds hair brilliantly although hair becomes concrete like in texture.

With an amazing hold, really affordable price and the fact that you can just wet and go in the morning means this finishes off my list for 2014.

All of the above get my seal of approval. 

Have you made any hair styling discoveries in 2014?

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Osmo Grooming Gift Pack 2014

Like Structure Paste Flexible Adhesive I have no recollection where the Osmo Grooming Gift Pack 2014 came from (until I was reminded it was posted to me months ago - sorry @lauzzenger), it seemed to just appear one day, was placed into the bathroom where it sat until I couldn’t find my usual hair styling product as I rushed out of the door (probably late for something or another).

Having spent my 20s using solely Wella products the last year has been a bit of a rollercoaster for my hair, and it has been spoilt (look out for my 2014 top five hair styling products coming soon) in the most part with some excellent gels, pastes, creams but it has also been battered by some dross. 

Bearing the above in mind and having never, ever heard of Osmo I expected the latter, dross, especially as the gift set included a large tube of clay, my hairs natural enemy.

So what do you get in the grooming gift set? Well, for £14.95 (available from the Feel Unique website here) you get:

- Osmo Matte Clay Extreme 100ml

A clay that claims to provide extreme hold using a texture wax for natural expression. With a matte finish it should take only a small amount to style and shape styles.

- Osmo Shaper Maker 100ml

A versatile cream shaper, for moulding, styling, texturising whilst adding shine and control.

- Osmo Effects Detoxify 250ml

A deep clarifying cleanser designed to effectively strip away the build up of other products on your hair removing impurities whilst retaining the hair's natural moisture which should in theory mean heavy and shiny finish.

On the Osmo website here they talk the gift set us as:

‘One For The Boys!

‘A slick, stylish and seriously cool range designed to deliver the ultimate in originality, texture and look definition.

SUITABLE FOR:

All you smooth, slick operators who crave staying power!’

Well, all of the products smell amazing - the clay and cream give off a very fragrant fresh fruity aroma - a blend of watermelon and apple while the shampoo has a blend of eucalyptus and tea tree which is really refreshing and cleansing.

The shampoo, while lathering up well, this comes from chemical agents that have been added.

As I said earlier, I first used the Osmo Shaper Maker in a rush, but the cream was really easy to scoop out, spread through my hair and style my usual spiky look. Boom, done, but the residue on my hands was sticky and needed me to abort quick exit to wash my hands properly. The hold was magnificent - it kept my spikes up for well over ten hours before it started to lag a bit. Bearing in mind that this has an Osmo Hold Factor that is mid range. 

There were no flakes on my clothes and the residue in the morning was minimal. In terms of finish to my hair it did look shiny, like I had applied a gel in fact. Top marks for me on this one.

Finally, with a bit of time to test and style my hair using the clay. I’m not a fan of clay, I actively hate it. I’ve never found one that is easy to apply and style with. I have now. The clay becomes really pliable really quickly when rubbed between the palms. Only a tiny amount the size of a fingertip is needed and applying to hair is simple.

With such a tiny amount I expected little hold but it styled into a fantastic matte look that held again for in excess of sixteen hours. My style actual held as I slept and was ready to go again in the morning. It has the top Osmo Hold Factor and boy, it holds.

Each product has the potential to last for ages as very little is needed to wash or style with which means this isn’t a set that will be in with the empties within a month. I would expect the hair products to last for months on end, even if used on a daily basis.

Taking the £14.95 price tag into consideration this gift set represents excellent value for money and would make a great gift. I’m not a fan of the shampoo, but for the hairstyling products alone and the hold they achieve I would recommend this either as a gift or for someone looking to try a different solution to their hair styling issues.

RECOMMENDED

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