There’s nothing quite like the feather-light bounce of a fresh blow-dry.
When leaving the salon after sitting down for the full works (we’re talking colour, cut, gloss treatment and the all-important blow-dry), we practically float out of the hairdresser’s door and down the street like an avatar from a mystical Nintendo game. There’s a distinct anti-gravity, confidence-boosting effect associated with clean, silky smooth hair and lifted roots.
So attached are we to that fresh blow-dry feeling that we attempt to live out post-salon days without any intervention, for fear of affecting the magical touch of the stylist. By taking a comb, hot brush or hairdryer to our day three or four locks, we risk ruining the seemingly effortless beach waves created by a professional.
Despite these superstitious habits, it’ll come as no surprise when we say that styling tools and products are simply essential for extending your salon appointment and making it last through the week. From dry shampoo and conditioner to nourishing mists and hair oils, there are countless products on the market created by professionals to help make your salon-treated hair last.
Contrary to popular belief, using dry shampoo doesn’t mean you’re walking around town with secretly dirty hair. Far from masking oil and sebum build-up, dry shampoo absorbs it – resulting in cleaner, fresher locks. As with any product, however, the key is to use dry shampoo in moderation. Overuse can result in a dry, flaky and itchy scalp.
There are tips and tricks developed by hairdressers and haircare enthusiasts across the globe to help extend the life of blow-dried hair. For instance, Jonathan Van Ness in an episode of Queer Eye suggested that even post-workout sweaty-build up, with a tiny spritz of dry shampoo and the help of a gentle hairdryer, is three-day-old hair’s best friend.
This is because (as strange as it sounds) the natural saltiness of sweat helps to add some texture and volume to your roots and can actually help promote healthier hair.
We’ve curated a selection of hair products to help extend your hair salon appointment below. Keep scrolling for luscious locks all week long.
Dry styling cremes, treatments and oils
Oribe Featherbalm Weightless Styler
The clue to the success of Oribe’s delightful styler is in the name. The weightless styling balm adds delightful shine with minimal hold to breathe new life into tired hair. It’s been specially formulated for fine to medium hair textures and contains a feather-light polymer blend as well as hydrolysed pea protein for all-over rejuvenation whether applied wet or dry.
The addition of passion fruit seed oil and acai fruit oil, which is rich in fatty acids, also helps smooth hair. Vegan, cruelty-free and void of parabens or sulphates, it’s also imbued with Oribe’s signature opulent, salon-fresh fragrance.
Buy now £42.00, Cult Beauty
Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother + No.7 Bonding Oil
Two is better than one, and Olaplex’s No.6 and No.7 duo works to revive tired hair whether styling anew or reviving a salon blow-dry which is a few days old. The velvet soft bond smoother helps to control frizz and rehydrate dull hair, while the bonding oil helps to add unbeatable shine.
Even after a salon appointment, frizz-prone hair is bound to begin expanding – especially in humid weather. A pea-sized amount of the bond smoother alone will help to deliver up to 72 hours of frizz control with ease.
Buy now £56.00, Olaplex
Larry King Haircare Flyaway With Me Kit
Far from just a tool to help keep that slicked-back bun in place, the Flyaway With Me Kit by celebrity hairstylist Larry King will help to tame any pesky flyaways and baby hairs which threaten to disrupt the sleek finish of your salon blow-dry. It comes with a dual-ended bamboo brush and comb, making it suitable for all textures and purposes.
Buy now £20.00, Cult Beauty
Oribe Serene Scalp Soothing Leave-On Treatment
While leave-on treatments usually involve an application to wet hair, Oribe’s Serene Scalp can be applied to dry, post-salon hair for an instant root revival. Simply massage into the hair from root to tip for instant relief, especially if you’ve recently undergone a bleach or dye treatment.
The complex contains watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower extracts as well as sugarcane and mullein flowers to instantly plump and hydrate follicles. Meanwhile, Beta Hydroxy Acid gently exfoliates the scalp to remove dandruff and pesky flakes.
Buy now £45.00, Space NK
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil
Negin Mirsalehi, the founder of Gisou, comes from six generations of beekeepers. The brand’s entire range of honey-infused products is not only born out of generational expertise, but contains honey from Mirsalehi’s family bee garden.
Officially a cult-favourite product, Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Oil can be used pre or post-styling to help rebuild and repair hair at the cuticle level. Never greasy and a powerful hydrator which is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids, your mane will never be shinier or more sumptuous.
Buy now £35.00, Cult Beauty
Revitalash Volume Enhancing Foam
While on the far more expensive end of the spectrum, Revitalash’s Volume Enhancing Foam is a true hero product. The breakthrough unisex product helps alleviate thinning hair in men and women with the help of a proprietary BioPeptin Complex which also helps to boost volume. The best part? It can be applied wet or dry, whenever your locks need a lift.
Buy now £125.00, Harvey Nichols
Re-hydrating and curl re-defining mists
Color Wow Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray 162ml
Relive the fresh blow-dry feeling with the magic of Color Wow’s Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray. The lightweight and delightfully scented spray absorbs and reflects UV rays to imbue your hair with out-of-this-world shine. You can also use it before styling for additional heat protection.
Buy now £28.00, Lookfantastic
Davines Oi All-In-One Milk 135ml
Italian-born and a cult-favourite haircare brand among enthusiasts who are truly in the know, Davines began as a research laboratory in 1983 before the family-founded group began producing its very own line of products. One of the B-Corp-certified company’s most beloved products is the Oi All-In-One Milk, which works as a detangler, heat-protector, moisture-booster and shine-enhancer. Spritz onto dull, three-day-old hair for an immediate refresh.
Buy now £27.75, Cult Beauty
Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Curls Refresh & Revive Mist 150ml
One of the latest additions to the Hair By Sam McKnight range, Cool Curls does exactly what it says on the tin – refreshes and revives tired curls of all types. While we typically associate salon appointments with silky smooth blow-dries, diffuser styling is just as popular.
Designed specifically for those non-wash days, the spray is enriched with plant-based pea starch, algae oil which is rich in omega 9 and fermented rice water for ultra-lightweight curl retention and glossy shine.
Buy now £28.00, Cult Beauty
Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Joia Milky Leave-In Conditioner 210ml
Clinically proven to repair split ends and infused with Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa ’62 scent (which contains notes of pistachio and salted caramel), this is the hair-reviving product of dreams for those with a sweet tooth. Though typically used on damp hair before other styling products, a small spritz on dry, post-salon hair will refresh and re-moisturise while adding delightful fragrance.
Buy now £22.40, Cult Beauty
Dry shampoo and texturizing sprays
Arkive Headcare The Reset Dry Shampoo 200ml
Housed in a sleek and sophisticated bottle, Arkive’s The Reset Dry Shampoo may be slightly more expensive than drugstore alternatives, but it’s certainly worth the investment. Infused with mattifying starch and nourishing baobab oil, the formula is infused with the brand’s signature salon-fresh fragrance which has notes of rhubarb, honeysuckle and vetiver.
Buy now £12.00, lookfantastic
Batiste Leave in Dry Conditioner
You’ve likely heard of dry shampoo, but have you ever come across dry conditioner? Batiste’s signature foamy formula is non-sticky and quick drying without any pesky residues for an immediate silky smooth effect. Suitable for all hair types, simply brush through or style as usual before going on your merry way. This innovative product is bound to be used just as much as your dry shampoo of choice.
Buy now £3.45, Boots
Hair Gain Peptide Puff Dry Shampoo 7ml
This adorable miniature 7ml dry shampoo will go a surprisingly long way. The innovative Peptide Puff by Hair Gain refreshes hair between washes by adding visible strength and volume. The formula combines biotin, caffeine, red clover extract and acetyl tetrapeptide-3 for near-magical results. Plus, the extra-soft puff applicator is kind to skin and fragile follicles.
Buy now £15.00, lookfantastic
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
Think of Oribe’s original Dry Texturizing Spray as a premium, elevated dry shampoo. It instantly adds va va volume and texture to your hair while absorbing oil, protecting against UV rays, retaining colour and delivering a unique, fresh scent.
Buy now £46.00, Space NK
