SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER DUO - ALL ROUND

Ever been bamboozled by the range of haircare? Hmmm, us too. There are now sooooo many choices – when all that many of us want is something that gets hair gorgeously clean without stripping it, leaves it shiny and manageable, bouncing with health ... and then lets us get on with our lives.

So we created a category for ‘All-round duos’: one-size-suits-all products for those who aren’t looking for specific volumising/de-frizzing/colour care actions. Having said that, you’ll find that several of the entries, including the Gold Award winner, were originally formulated for dry hair – which is probably the most common concern in our experience – or, in one case, touchy scalps. However, entries were all trialled on women with a wide range of hair types, colours and concerns.

Manufacturers design shampoos and conditioners to be used together for best results and so, to give them their best shot, that’s what we asked our testers to do. We are delighted to say that three of the duos submitted did really well.

GOLD AWARD  Olaplex No4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo & No5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner

Honestly, several of our testers could have written books about how much they loved this duo. One thing they emphasised was that although it’s quite spenny to buy, you only need a tiny amount of each product; most said they used too much at first – and the sizes are generous. The colour safe shampoo is formulated for all hair types, to repair and protect by re-linking broken bonds. It’s vegan and cruelty free, with no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, sulphates and it’s gluten and nut free. Our testers trialled it with the matching conditioner, again formulated for all hair types. Each promises to leave hair easier to manage, shinier and healthier with each use, as well as protecting and repairing damaged hair, split ends and frizz. It’s also pH balanced. And yes, our testers found the promises came true, with just one tester a bit less enthusiastic.

Shampoo/£28 for 250ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£28 for 250ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. My fine, fairly thick, straight hair adores this duo. Only time my hair has ever looked this good (apart from après hairdressers) is when I’ve been in soft water areas. I never thought my hair could look like this after using products at home. So so so nourished, seriously beautifully gorgeous. So full of swing and looking sleekI love this duo. My hair has never felt better; it’s silky and healthy feeling. It grows faster too’ • ‘My stylist actually advised me to buy Olaplex shampoo and conditioner 18 months ago. My hair is below shoulder length with extensions, coloured blonde, naturally wavy and I blow dry with a Dyson Airwrap. I would highly recommend it. Small bottles, but a lot goes a long way’ • ‘Easy to dispense when you know how little you need! Honestly, couldn't believe the rich, nourishing feeling lather. My hair felt super clean afterwards. Conditioner is easy to work through hair, left it smoother and stronger, shiny and healthy looking without looking greasy. Managed to go for 3/4 days before washing again without getting heavy or flat. Someone asked if I had dyed my hair as it looked really glossy’ • ‘I have shoulder length, natural dark brown, fairly curly, fine hair that is prone to being a bit of a crazy frizz ball if left unmanaged. I need less than a £1 coin size amount to lather my entire head luxuriously. When I washed the shampoo off my hair felt clean without feeling stripped. I hardly use any each time I wash my hair - a huge selling point. The conditioner spreads well in the hair.  I ‘ve tried blow-drying my hair straight AND leaving it curly. When leaving my hair curly I squeeze the conditioner into soaking wet hair and leave it to work for 3-5 minutes. It leaves my curls nourished and bouncy with less frizz than normal. The more I use the products, the more my hair texture improves - each time more glossy, healthy and more manageable. Absolutely loving using these products’ • ‘My hair felt amazing - so soft and moisturised and looked really shiny, smooth and healthy; didn't tangle anywhere near like it usually does. I actually got positive comments from three different people: hair looked shinier than usual; hair looks nice, had I done something different because hair looks really nice; hair feels really soft. And my three-year-old niece wanted to play with auntie’s “pretty hair!” ’ • ‘I'd heard friends who love beauty raving about this product and for me it's lived up to the hype. I've bought the whole set and use the products every time I was my hair. I won't go back to my old products’ • ‘So easy to work through the hair, so creamy and luxurious. I usually do 2 washes with shampoo, but didn't feel the need to with this shampoo. It lathered up really easily, silky feeling and gorgeous. Easy to rinse out, and no stinging of my peepers. My hair is porous and clumps as I wash it. However I only needed to use a small amount of this conditioner, left it in for the suggested 3 minutes, and this did the job nicely.’

Shampoo/£28 for 250ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£28 for 250ml – click to buy

SILVER AWARD  SBC Hydra Collagen Super Boost Shampoo & Super Shine Conditioner

This British brand started life as a professional skincare range over 30 years ago and has now added bath, body and hair care ranges – all of them sold worldwide. The cruelty free formulas are all original, freshly made in small batches in the UK. Packaging is recycled and recyclable where possible. SBC uses over 100 botanical ingredients together with synthetic chemicals where these are the most effective and safe. The sulphate-free, floral fragrant Super Boost Shampoo is designed to boost body via a ‘natural root boost’. Marine collagen and keratin help condition and strengthen hair while natural seed oils smooth and nourish. The matching Super Shine Conditioner is sulphate and silicon free and according to our testers really lives up to its name. The duo is suitable for all hair types and particularly for fine, thinning, dry hair that tends to look dull and/or flat. One ask from testers: the conditioner bottle is difficult to squeeze so please consider different packaging.

Shampoo/£22 for 500ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£22 for 500ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. Lovely products, hair feels lovely and soft, and is definitely more shiny than usual - will certainly repurchase, probably in the larger bottle with a pump  (conditioner bottle needs a pump or tube to squeeze). I have fairly thick, coloured hair just below shoulder length. Shampoo has a mild fresh smell and gives a nice lather but not too foamy. Generally I just did one wash and that was sufficient - two after I had used quite a bit of dry shampoo. Very easy to wash out and no stinging at all. Conditioner is very easy to work through, with a nice creamy feel. I generally left it in for a couple of minutes - basically while I washed myself, shaved legs etc. My hair felt lovely afterwards, soft but not too soft to style easily. I really noticed a nice shine - definitely more than it usually is and I could get away without styling my hair after drying if I was at home. HaHa! I’ve had compliments about my hair and I think these products have helped. They are lovely, gentle and very effective’ • ‘This left my thin, fine, mid length hair feeling so so soft and easier to manage, looking glossy and great. AMAZING’ • ‘You can tell this is going to make your hair feel fab as soon as you start to rinse out the conditioner because hair feels soft and tangle free even as you are running water through it.  This pair leaves your hair feeling super soft and nourished. They leave your hair looking conditioned and glossy. Because they help with frizzy ends your hair just looks much better without using a serum or any other products. If I leave it to dry naturally it is less frizzy and if I blow-dry it my hair is easier to style and has more bounce and volume. I think my hair looks thicker as well. It is super shiny and looks healthy’ • ‘These are very good together but I have also tried them with other products ie using the conditioner with a different shampoo. However, I appreciate how much shinier my hair looks when I use them together though and they make my hair much less frizzy at the ends. As the conditioner is described as “super shine” I have to say it does live up to the manufacturer’s claims. I have not had my hair cut or styled while using these but a few people have asked me if I have, so my hair must look better’ • ‘My hair is fine and shoulder length. I colour it myself at home to cover the grey visitors. I’m happy with the results of using this duo - my hair is left very refreshed, soft and shiny, nearly perfect. Very importantly they haven’t stripped my hair of colour. I love the scent and the condition these have left my hair in, although it did take some time to adjust to the softness of my hair’ • ‘I liked this shampoo and conditioner and I am very fussy because I have long, colour treated hair and like to keep it well hydrated.  This definitely added shine and made hair manageable.  The only negative was the conditioner bottle - would like a pump dispenser please!’

Shampoo/£22 for 500ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£22 for 500ml – click to buy

BRONZE AWARD and BEST NATURAL  NEOM Super Shower Power Hair Shampoo & Conditioner

As founder Nicola Elliott (the ‘NE’ of NEOM) says, ‘going natural doesn't have to be a compromise’. But when all natural hair products first launched over two decades ago, it was difficult to get effective, luxurious-feeling hair care that was truly natural. Now with products like this duo, you can gently nourish scalp and hair, while cleansing and conditioning deeply so hair is shiny and manageable.  NEOM promises that it ‘works a treat’ on all types and textures of hair, as well as being gentle enough for everyday use. The purifiying shampoo is packed with apple seed oil, plant proteins and algae extract while the replenishing conditioner nourishes and helps boost softness and shine with coconut and almond oils, shea butter and algae extract again. Most testers loved the invigorating fragrance of spearmint, rosemary and eucalyptus although a couple found it almost packed too much of a morning power punch. And of course, the duo is perfect for using in the shower! But please, said one older tester, please make the colour difference slightly more distinct between shampoo and conditioner bottles – because you can’t wear reading glasses in the shower…

Shampoo/£20 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£20 for 300ml – click to buy

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘This felt like such a special shampoo and conditioner, my hair on the first wash and condition felt like a transformation; it was like wedding day hair! I've tried a fair amount of shampoos and conditioners over the years and although the better ones have good results they’re half as good as NEOM. I was astounded with the change for the better in the health and appearance of my hair, the volume and bounce I have looked for all my life has arrived! So, so happy I have found this NEOM duo; THANK YOU Beauty Bible’; feels like my wish came true’ • ‘I've never had such shiny, healthy hair! It looked like I'd had highlights, as my hair had bouncy volume and the slightly different natural colours of it shone; so many compliments from folks that see me every day. The shampoo was really easy to rinse out; I was a bit concerned that my short, fine, straight hair felt so stripped fine and squeaky clean the first time I used it that it would be dry, flyaway and lifeless but I was very wrong. The conditioner is thick creamy and really easy to smooth through hair. I tried washing straight off and also leaving on for five minutes, both had the same results. Hair was left absolutely silky, smooth and thick; hands glided though hair that felt 110% healthy. Hair was super nourished and full of moisture after first use and increased every time’ • ‘Everyone who sees me regularly commented on how good my hair looked, shiny, glossy, bouncy, full of volume falling into its short cut easily; it’s healthy, sleek and super nourished’ • ‘I loved the minty, menthol type fragrance. If you want a tingly sensation to refresh your hair and scalp - definitely give it a try! The duo produced a good amount of shine on my natural, very long, straight, light brown hair.  I was impressed. I felt my hair was nicely nourished and also refreshed! ’ • ‘Absolutely divine scents of spearmint and eucalyptus were so spa-like and you could tell they were natural in origin and not synthetic, which is a major PLUS from me because I'm very conscious “fake” ingredients are dangerous to our health but somehow permitted in the beauty as well as food industries.  Anyhow, these products made me consciously slow down so that I could spend a bit of time inhaling and exhaling, and fully experiencing the deliciousness of the smells - it was (no joke) therapeutic!  So not just for getting nice hair - a full on experience!’ • ‘First of all, it blows my usual “any old shampoo/conditioner” routine out of the water.  It shows that quality does indeed matter and does make a difference to the experience itself.  In terms of impact to the condition and quality of my hair longer term, time will tell but there's no competition between the stuff I used to use and this.  And in terms of what NEOM say about using these products, frankly, they're bang on the money - they call it energising and invigorating and to expect a wake-up call like no other and they ain't kidding.  It really was a delight to use - an experience not just a chore. And the bottles being both recycled and recyclable matters too. Most importantly, the ingredients aren't low-key damaging your body with insidious [synthetic chemicals] and THAT is a big plus to NEOM!’

Shampoo/£20 for 300ml – click to buy

Conditioner/£20 for 300ml – click to buy