By Greg Hill

When hair has too many high, short layers—especially if it’s naturally thick—it can quickly feel like it’s crowding your face and collapsing inward instead of flowing.

That’s exactly what was happening with Salma: the weight at the top was pushing everything forward into her face, losing all shape.

To fix over-layered hair, you have to play with visual weight. We opted for a sleeker, smoother parting to clean up the frame and direct the hair back and around her features.

Never underestimate the power of a parting. It’s the architectural foundation of any style. Changing where and how you part thick, layered hair instantly controls where the volume lives, restores balance to the silhouette, and gives the perimeter ends the heavier, healthier appearance they need while those top layers grow out.

Less bulk around the cheeks, way more movement through the lengths.

Does a £28 salon blow-dry spray actually beat a £7 supermarket one, or are you just paying for the bottle?

Today, I’m comparing my ultimate holy grail, Sam McKnight Cool Girl Superlift (£28) with high-street icon John Frieda Root Booster (£5-8 online, or available on the highstreet).

If you’ve been following my page for a while, you’ve definitely seen me use Sam McKnight Cool Girl Super Lift. It’s my ultimate favourite for a reason: the scent, the versatility, and the fact that you can apply it liberally without ever weighing the hair down. (Scroll through my feed if you missed my signature root-boosting technique using this!)

When I’m traveling and run out, my emergency go-to is John Frieda Root Booster.

John Frieda essentially pioneered thickening sprays in our industry, and at ~£6 to £8 (usually cheapest on Amazon or at Boots), it’s an absolute bargain that delivers serious lift.

But, before you buy your next bottle, you need to know what you’re actually paying for - is it advanced styling polymers, thermal protection, or just sleek marketing?

I’m breaking down the history of blow-dry sprays, their formulas to discuss the price difference, and what these products actually do. 

Sam McKnight: Unbeatable refinement, incredible scent, and completely weightless. Drench the roots and blow-dry—it’s impossible to mess up. (See my previous reels for my exact application method).

John Frieda: The high-street pioneer. Exceptional lift at a bargain price, but less refined (use half of what you think you need to avoid weighing the hair down.)

Both get the job done, but which one belongs in your routine?

“My hair feels too thick, heavy, and flat to hold any style.”

If this sounds familiar, long hair does not have to mean endless hours with hot tools or a style that drops within twenty minutes.

Freya came in with very long, heavy hair that had previous colour and a few older layers. While she loved having length, the sheer weight of her hair was pulling everything down and making it impossible to hold shape.

Instead of adding heat damage with curling tongs, we created a low-maintenance shape that works with her hair’s natural weight and texture.

Here is the step-by-step breakdown of her transformation:

1. The Fringe: We refined a soft, modern choppy fringe—slightly lighter and more delicate than a full block fringe. This immediately opens up the face and creates lightness around the features without requiring daily blow-drying.

2. Weight-Relief Trimming: By strategically removing weight and trimming through the lengths, we gave the interior of the haircut room to move. This removes the bulk that causes long hair to drag flat.

3. Quick-Fire Low Heat Styling: I showed Freya a simple, rapid technique to style her hair using texturising product, her hands and natural movement rather than hot tools, creating a modern, cool, shaggy finish that stays touchable all day.

The result is soft, effortless hair that looks styled without looking overdone.

All styling products used in this video are linked directly on my ShopMy page via the link in my bio.

Would you try a heat-free, shaggy finish on your own hair? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Stop curling your hair from the ends! 🛑 If you want effortless, opened-out waves instead of tight, coily ringlets, consider changing your approach.

Here’s the secret: start wrapping from the roots down to create a smooth, even wave pattern throughout the hair—keeping the movement fluid rather than overly curly at the ends.

Whether you’re using the Dreame AirStyle Pro, the Dyson Airwrap, or any air-wrap multi-styler, air-styling tech works best when you control the tension from the top.

1. Start near the root: Wrap the mid-lengths first to build soft body where you actually want it.

2. Leave the ends relaxed: Glide down gently so the ends stay soft and opened up.

3. Cool shot to set: If your hair tends to drop quickly, lock in that smooth shape before releasing the section.

4. Rake it through: Finish with a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to break up the wave.

Save this for your next hair day and let me know in the comments are you team tight curls or team loose waves? 👇

L’Oréal Elvive vs. Kérastase Hair Serum: Is the Salon Price Worth It?

Did you know that Kérastase and L’Oréal Elvive hair serums are actually made by the exact same parent company?

Yet one sits under £10 on the high street, and the other will set you back well over £25 at the salon. So, what are you actually paying for, and is the high-end bottle really worth your money?

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’ve spent the past few months testing affordable high-street haircare from Boots, Superdrug, Space NK, and M&S. Beyond the live tutorials, I’ve had time to really evaluate which budget formulas perform, which fall short, and how they stack up against professional salon products.

Starting today, I’m breaking down my ultimate product comparisons, honest reviews, and top high-street vs. high-end recommendations so you can spend your money where it actually counts.

Drop a comment below: which luxury product (or high street dupe) you have seen me using that you’d like to know more about? 👇

Happy Sunday! In today’s tutorial we’re getting a handle on flattering hair shapes, how to fight humidity and frizz - and finally, the best techniques to create a smooth, glossy blowout.

One of the best products to tackle humidity is dream coat. While some of my clients with finer hair have complained that it can weigh their hair down, it’s an ideal product for thick, dry and frizz prone hair types - working as a first defence against humidity pre-styling. My advice? Focus it only in the areas that you need it. This avoids weighing down lighter ends or silkier sections of the hair. In Alex’s case we focused the product along the hair line where her hair tends to curl and ‘puff up.’

For styling, I tend to find my clients are either handy with a round brush, or handy with a device of their choice. Alex uses the big hair at home. A revolving round brush that creates beautiful blow dries and one of my all-time favourites.

We didn’t have one to hand today, but we did focus on how to smooth out Alex’s frizz prone hairline with a small round brush and a dryer (a detailed but effective approach that really works) - and then blow drying the lengths using the airestyle, for a fast but effective result.

The final look? Beautiful! Alex’s hair already had fantastic base that just needed a little refinement, the right tools and techniques.

If you would like to replicate this look at home, head on up to the link in my bio (ShopMy) for the full product list. Any questions? Do drop them below 👇 and I’ll respond as best that I can ☺️

Thank you for watching, liking and sharing. Your support is always appreciated.

If you have a lot of hair that can take forever to blow dry, or style - this technique is for you.

Focus on blow drying or styling the face framing sections of the hair - and then twist dry the remaining lengths or leave them to dry naturally (especially if you’re prone to texture wave of curl in your hair.)

In Freya’s case, we were aiming for a low maintenance cool-girl look that amped up her face framing layers.

For the full tutorial, please do like, follow and tune in next week to work with me through all of the steps that we used to achieve this look!

The attachment no one ever talks about - but they should!

If you struggle with smoothing out your hair using a round brush and a dryer, why not consider the brush attachment on your Dyson airwrap, or your Dreame device?

You can create shapes, gentle bends and movement while smoothing out those frizz-prone areas (in this case the top section) with so much ease.

The full tutorial is already up - a few posts back, so please do have a watch if this is an issue you struggle with…

Thank you for watching and for all of your support. Any questions? Drop them below and I’ll do my best to respond 👇

Has your hair suddenly changed post-menopause?

When estrogen levels drop, hair follicles can physically change shape, which can cause once-straight, silky hair to become frizzy, coarse, or unexpectedly wavy. If you’re struggling with menopausal hair changes, you don’t need a drawer full of products and tools to fight it.

In this transformation, I’m showing Helen how to manage, embrace, and enhance her beautiful natural waves with a quick, low-maintenance hair routine. We’re ditching high heat damage and working with her new texture to restore extra hydration and effortless movement. 

Struggling with the exact same midlife hair transition as Helen? You can shop all the hydrating, wave-defining products used in today’s video directly on my ShopMy page linked in the bio above!

👉 If you enjoyed this video, thank you for watching! Please do like & follow for more transformations, menopause hair tips, and natural wave styling hacks!