While having a bad hair day can totally throw off your mood, what it takes to have a good one can be just as irritating. Juggling a bunch of different products, picking the perfect day to shampoo or worrying about heat damage is just not how I want to spend my time.
Enter the new TRESemmé One Step Stylers — a collection of hair products that target various hair types and promises to deliver salon-quality results without exhausting yourself (or your wallet).
Doing my thick, dry, wavy hair consists of a twice-weekly ritual involving shampoo, conditioner, two products and air-drying. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll touch up the strands around my face with a hot tool.
Overall, I'm not a fan of spending a lot of time on my hair — so testing out these One Step Stylers was my chance to find an even simpler styling solution.
First Impressions
There are four products in the One Step Stylers collection, each of them named after the look they help you achieve: Texture, Wave, Volume and Smooth. After receiving the products I was impressed to learn that each one offers five professional benefits (yes, in one bottle!).
I was also glad to read that all of the products include heat protection. Even if you decide to let your hair air-dry after using one of the products, a quick touch-up later on with your curling wand won't scorch your strands.
Each bottle has "expert tips" that help you fit any look into your schedule (whether you're dealing with wash day, second-day hair or a final messy bun that's begging you to not put off shampooing any longer).
While each product is designed to be used on its own, you can mix and match depending on what your hair needs. Also, as someone who can't stand distracting fragrances, I was happy to discover the scent of this collection is subtle, clean and fresh.
One Step 5-in-1 Texture Mist
Before (Left), After (Right)Emily Coppella | Narcity
The first product I gravitated towards was the One Step 5-in-1 Texture Mist. Despite being thick and wavy, my hair often lacks definition, making a texturizing product like this useful. Fortunately, TRESemmé didn't disappoint.
Although the mist can be used on wet or dry hair, I simply scrunched it into my damp strands and let it air-dry. A few hours later I was left with touchable, beachy waves.
I added a few more sprays onto my dry hair to really amp up the effect and was happy to note that that sticky, crunchy, drying sensation I've often experienced with texturizing products was nowhere to be seen.
The One Step 5-in-1 Texture Mist gave me some light hold so my style stayed all day long too. While the bottle claims to target flat hair, it worked wonders on my thicker hair by enhancing my natural hair type.
One Step Wave Spray 5-in-1 Defining Mist
While getting my hair to do "the wave" isn't too difficult for me, preventing a frizzy mess is a challenge. To put the One Step Wave Spray 5-in-1 Defining Mist to the test, I simply spritzed it all over, twirled my damp hair in sections and let it air-dry.
Thanks to the salt-free formula, the final result was defined yet soft waves. Not only was my frizz minimal, but the elegant look lasted two whole days. I touched up a few pieces with a curling iron the day after and my strands stayed in place well without any hairspray.
If you're having trouble deciding between the Defining Mist and Texture Mist, I found the Defining Mist gave a bit of a more polished look while the Texture Mist gave some life to the texture I already had.
One Step 5-in-1 Volume Spray
I'm not one to shy away from big hair, but the challenge has always been finding a formula that's light enough to give me some lift and strong enough to keep that volume turned up all day long.
TRESemmé's One Step 5-in-1 Volume Spray claims to offer volume, strength, light hold and of course, heat protection. With high expectations, I misted it onto my damp hair, concentrating on the roots, and blow-dried it with a round brush.
This product noticeably perked up my strands for a lifted look that stayed all day. The only downside about this product (and it could be due to my hair's natural texture) is that my strands felt a little dry after the blow-drying session.
With a little help from the One Step 5-in-1 Smoothing Cream (from the same line-up) I was able to put some moisture back into my hair.
One Step 5-in-1 Smoothing Cream
Before (Left), After (Right)Emily Coppella | Narcity
Next up was the One Step 5-in-1 Smoothing Cream — a great product for the days you want to rock a sleek style. I applied a small amount to a slicked-back bun in order to tame flyaways. I would recommend starting with a very small amount of this serum-cream hybrid because it's pretty potent.
The product delivered glossy shine and frizz control, but my hair colour didn't necessarily seem any more vibrant. The annoying frizz that often accents my head like a halo stayed away throughout a sweaty yoga session and a long walk around my neighbourhood.
Although I can't say the effect lasted 24 hours on my own hair, it held up fairly well. Compared to the other products, the Smoothing Cream has a bit of a brighter, citrusy scent that sweetened up my morning a little bit.
Final Thoughts
Seeing all of the different hair types TRESemmé has tried to target (along with the 5-in-1 benefits of each product) was really refreshing. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole collection, although the One Step 5-in-1 Texture Mist and the One Step 5-in-1 Volume Spray were my ultimate favourites (big '70s textured tresses for the win).
I adore that you can use most of the products on wet or dry hair (the One Step 5-in-1 Volume Spray is the only one that needs damp hair). This versatility totally eliminates the mental gymnastics some of us have to go through while planning a good hair day.
I also have to applaud TRESemmé for making heat protection a priority across all of these products. It's nice to know that whatever you put your hair through, it's protected.
The coolest part about the One Step line is that it's customizable to your own mane. A single step is really all it takes to enhance your natural hair type.
After experimenting with this collection I'm excited to minimize the clutter under my sink and replace my single-benefit products with these "5-in-1" potions. Because who said having a good hair day has to put you in a bad mood?
To learn more about TRESemmé's One Step Stylers Collection, check out TRESemmé's website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Although products were provided for free in this review, the author's opinions are genuine and do not reflect the views of Narcity Media.