Is Color Wow’s dream coat the answer to glossy hair? I put it to the test

The frizz-fighting spray is loved by the Kardashians

Lucy Smith
Beauty writer
Tuesday 09 July 2024 12:49 BST
There’s no denying that the spray is worth the investment
There’s no denying that the spray is worth the investment (The Independent)

Finding a product that will successfully protect your hair against wind, rain and humidity is quite the task and yet, it’s one that Color Wow’s supernatural dream coat spray (£19.95, Lookfantastic.co.uk) promises to do. The brand’s been on the market for more than 10 years and is coveted by the likes of celebrities Hailey Bieber and Jennifer Lopez, and hair stylist Gregory Russell.

With such a lofty reputation, you’d be inclined to believe the claims of “waterproof hair” and “glossy results for up to 72 hours”, but, then again, you can never be too careful when making the decision to part with your hard-earned money so we took it upon ourselves to put the product to the test.

Color Wow boasts a carefully curated product repertoire for – as its name suggests – coloured hair and locks in need of intervention. From the bombshell volumiser mousse (£19.20, Lookfantastic.co.uk) to the all-new money repair masque (£31.60, Lookfantastic.co.uk), the brand is somewhat of a one-stop-shop for fragile hair and has garnered quite the fanbase over the years.

Indeed, according to Color Wow, dream coat sells once every five seconds, not to mention racking up more than 20 industry beauty awards attesting to its staying power. But what does a beauty writer think of the brand’s star product? Keep reading for my thoughts.

How I tested

I applied Color Wow’s dream coat onto damp hair before blow drying as usual
I applied Color Wow’s dream coat onto damp hair before blow drying as usual (Lucy Smith)

I applied the product liberally throughout the lengths and ends of my damp hair before blow-drying to a straight, sleek finish. For context, I have naturally wavy hair, so I was looking to see if the product could help maintain a straight finish. I assessed whether waves started to appear after exposing my locks to the UK’s tempestuous weather, testing its performance in wet and windy conditions. Here’s how it fared.

Immediately after blow drying (left) and four hours later (right)
Immediately after blow drying (left) and four hours later (right) (Lucy Smith)

Color Wow dream coat supernatural spray

Color Wow supernatural dream coat review Indybest
  • Size: 200ml
  • Key ingredients: Water, glycerin, moisture-retaining dipropylene glycol, softening silicone quaternium-18
  • Applicator type: Spray
  • Why we love it
    • Makes for a very silky, healthy-looking blow dry
    • Smells wonderfully fresh
    • Spray pump distributes evenly
  • Take note
    • Doesn’t help to minimise tangle

With a moisturising formula, Color Wow’s dream coat is alcohol-free and sets out to maintain silky smooth locks. It promises to keep flyaways at bay, prevent unwanted moisture from affecting the hair’s texture and preserve a straight finish.

The spray has a citrusy and floral scent and it was easy to apply. The product goes a long way and, though I did apply liberally, I wasn’t spraying as much as I’d anticipated.

Dream coat is a heat-activated spray, so after blow-drying the product and styling my hair straight, I set about testing the product on a rainy day. The dream coat made getting my hairbrush through the lengths of my hair easier and didn’t increase the drying time, despite adding extra moisture.

After I’d styled my hair, I found the finish of my locks to be glossier than usual and it’s brought somewhat of a new lease of life to my fragile, long hair.

After four hours on a rainy day (without brushing), my hair was slightly clumped and tangled but remained straight and shiny. I made a point of not brushing my hair for the duration of the test and, from picture two (above) you can certainly tell that it’s in need of a detangle. The product helps to detangle locks while drying but doesn’t ensure a detangled state going forward, though this was never promised by the brand.

You can see evidence of a few flyaways around my scalp, but I’d argue this is a good result given the blustery weather and I definitely wouldn’t categorise the finished result as frizzy.

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The verdict: Color Wow dream coat supernatural spray

Color Wow’s dream coat did a stellar job of keeping my hair straight and adding some serious gloss. There was no hint of a wave poking through and, my locks still looked relatively shiny after a day in the rain. There’s no denying that the spray is worth the investment.

Looking for ways to keep your locks looking super sleek? Read our review of the best anti-frizz products

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