Kit bag essentials from hj's british hairdressing awards winners
Published
11th Sep 2011
by rachael
- Our kit bags are packed full of Pink Label 100% Human Hair extensions by Hairaisers (£70). They're the best extensions we've come across and are perfect for shoots, shows and salon work.
- We've used Mason Pearson brushes (from £19.25) for as long as we can remember and wouldn't consider anything else. They're ideal for backcombing and long hair work.
- I have never come across scissors that offer such precision cutting as the Pininfarina from Diamond Salon Services. Lightweight and comfortable to use, they are my guilty pleasure and cut sharp lines with ease.
- When I worked at shows, my friend and I would always be creating ponytails and his would always turn out better than mine. He advised me to try his Mason Pearson brush (from £19.25) and the result was 50% better. I've been using them ever since.
- I have a really old BaByliss Pro double-barrelled iron (latest version, the BaByliss Pro Twin Barrel Tong, £45) which I still rely on. It does about six different things from crimping to deep waves. If I'm on the road it's amazing, rather than taking several tools I take my multi-purpose BaByliss.
- Hair nets (from 99p at most chemists) are another must-have. If I want to get a really smooth style I simple use a hair net, spray over, and it gives a beautifully flat and glossy finish.
- Matsuzaki scissors (from £314.50) were the first expensive pair I owned. They fit in my hand like a glove and are lightweight, sharp and look slick.
- My favourite brush is the ghd Ceramic Vented Radial Brush (from £15) because it's so easy to get tension and create a smooth blow-dry. It has a rubber handle that provides great grip and helps to manoeuvre the brush with ease.
- The Doughnut Ring (from Salon Services) is such a multi-functional product. It can be used straight on to the hair or cut in half to create amazing updos. You can even spread it out to create rolls.
- I can't live without my Collexia hairdryer (£119), which is extremely powerful and can be used with treatment 'pods' to add shine.
- I use a Sassoon 7 Row Brush (£16.50) for wrap-drying and retaining heat as it is great for smoothing the hair without creating too much body. It's also fantastic for enhancing texture.
- The Patrick Cameron Brush (£7.50) is excellent for hair-up styles. It's useful for sectioning the hair and creating a base for updos when used for back-combing.
- Ghd's Gold Classic Styler (£119) enhances your finished look, creating a more polished and structured style whether you are smoothing the hair or placing it in a wave.
- If there is one tool I always have with me, it's my HOB Clicking Scissors (£160). I believe every hairdresser should invest in a pair to take their cutting technique to the highest level.
- My Buey Comb (contact the Rawson Partnership for details) is an all-time favourite and a staple of my kit bag. Although it's just a comb, it has the perfect balance and malleability. A comb is something that may often be overlooked, but once you find a great one you won't be able to work without it.
- Kent Brushes Afro Comb (£2) is fantastic. It tames Afro hair as well as parting, sectioning and smoothing client's locks to achieve the desired style.
- The Denman DCR3 Boar Bristle Ceramic Radial (£10.38) is great. It can be used on all hair types and it also helps to add volume and keeps the hair cuticles smooth when blow-drying.
- An item that always to into my kit bag is the Wahl ProPik 4000 Hairdryer (£24.99). It's a must-have item for all stylists when blow-drying Afro hair. It helps to create any desired style and achieves a smooth, finished look.
- I use a big Parlux 3800 Ceramic Ionic Eco-Friendly dryer (£86.50). It's powerful, fast, effective and lightweight and allows me to create any look in the shortest amount of time. It's important to me that the dryer doesn't weight much, it makes all the difference whether you're on a shoot or in the salon.
- Kasho scissors (from £190) are like the Bentley of scissors - sleek, efficient and beautiful to use. They are perfect to hold with their new ergonomic design and precision blades that can be fine-tuned.
- I love my ghd Paddle Brush (£20). It's a great tool for all stylists as it banishes tangles instantly. It doesn't pull or tear at the hair and leaves locks in excellent condition.
- I use Parlux Promatic Marcel Irons (£35.95) to create incredible texture. Nothing achieves a wavy or curly hairstyles quite like them.
- I have a pair of hand-me-down Urban Rusk 1986 Beta Blades scissors (no longer available) in my ki t at all times. They're great for texturising hair pieces when creating avant-garde looks.
- I love the anti-static rubber pad on Denman brushes (from £7.09), which provides maximum grip and control during blow-drying for shaping hair.
