Very few hair products divide opinion as Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural spray does. Type those words into TikTok and you’ll be met with so many videos – some claiming that the cult product has weatherproofed their hair and some claiming it’s not worth the money. It is so shrouded in chatter that the brand's other products can become a bit of an afterthought. But the roster of innovative products by Color Wow is impressive, not just the ones that have viral infamy, I’m a huge fan of the Raise the Root Thicken and Lift Spray and Money Mist among others.
I have to say though, I haven’t always been a Color Wow fan, when I first used Dream Coat I wasn’t applying it properly (more on that below) and because of that, I simply didn’t get the hype. Since then, I’ve experimented with it and other Color Wow products a bunch and, helpfully, I’ve spent time with brand ambassadors Chris Appleton and Kendall Dorsey and honestly their insider hacks have really helped. So, being the gossip that I am, I’m here to spill the tea on the top Color Wow products, what the celeb stylists said about using them and my unfiltered views on whether they're worth buying.
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How I tested the Color Wow range
I have tried and tested these products multiple times over the years. Rather than using them all in one go, where it’s sometimes difficult to see the efficiency of individual products in a range, I have tried them across many washdays to see the impact they have on my hair condition and styling. I have also had some of the products used on me by professional hairstylists.
Color Wow product review
Color Wow Dream Coat Super Natural Spray
COLOR WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray 200ml
Without a doubt the most known Color Wow product out there and the most misunderstood – but once you get it, you get it. Dream Coat is a styling spray that forms an invisible cloak over your hair to protect it against the elements. Chris Appleton, Color Wow brand director and hairstylist to stars including JLo and Kim Kardashian swears by the spray for red carpet looks, saying, "Dream Coat seals out moisture with a water-proof barrier so the style won’t come undone with frizz. And for my clients, their hair needs to last from the time I style it to the red carpet to the after party."
I think the issue that a lot of people have with this is that it has to be sprayed liberally and and then heat-activated. If you do both of these things, it works perfectly, if you don't, then you run the risk of it being an extra useless step in your routine. As a girlie with Afro-textured hair that wears it straight 90% of the time, it's one of my not-so-secret weapons for making my blowdries last longer. To use, I apply it to my damp hair in six sections and then take a hot brush to stretch my coils. For the glass hair shine this can create, you have to blow-dry your hair with tension, meaning that a hot brush is your best option but if you're a whizz with the round brush and hairdryer combo, then this is also a great method for using the spray.
You only need to apply it every few washes as the anti-frizz properties don't immediately wash off, understandably given that it is waterproofing your hair. I would also advise you use a clarifying shampoo as your wash before reapplying it, so that you are starting from a clean slate and you avoid product build-up.
FYI there is an Extra Strength version available for thicker hair and a Curly version available for curlies that don't want to straighten their hair when drying.
Reviewers say: "On my 2nd bottle now. It really lives up to the hype. Gives smooth, soft, shiny, glass hair. Unmatched by anything I have ever used."
Color Wow Color Security Shampoo
I know a handful of beauty editors that proclaim this to be their favourite colour-saving shampoo and I can see why. I currently don't have any colour in my hair, but in my red phase and my bronde hair phase, this was in heavy rotation during my washdays. That's because it simply lifts off any grime, grease and product build-up without stripping your hair of moisture OR the colour that you have shelled out for. Thanks to the Japanese amino-fortified complex your hair feels soft and looks shiny once dry, like you just stepped outta the salon. Team it with the Color Wow Color Security Conditioner to lock in the shine.
Reviewers say: "Used for a couple of weeks and the difference is amazing! The shine is something else!"
Color Wow Texas Hold'em Big Hold Hairspray
The latest product drop from Color Wow is one for fans of big, supermodel blowdries. This hairspray is flexible and mouldable but can withstand humidity making it the perfect finishing touch when you've treated your hair with Dream Coat. The first time I used it, Kendall Dorsey, the hairstylist behind Kelly Rowland and Yara Shahidi's looks, use it as the finishing touch to my look and I was obsessed with how well my hair lasted (read: all day).
The thing that sets it apart from other hairsprays is that it has 50% less alcohol than some other leading hairsprays making it less drying long term.
Reviewers say: "The best hairspray I've ever tried, makes my curls last all day whilst still making my hair look glossy and fresh. Would definitely recommend !!"
Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray
As you'll be able to tell Color Wow LOVE big hair, or at least, don't want you to have flat hair. This spray is a staple for Cosmo's Senior Ecomm writer, Clare, who loved it so much she dedicated an entire feature to it. She says it's 'such an underrated beauty product' and while yes you can use it on hair wash day, she prefers popping it on on day two or three to add a little more oomph back in between washes.
Clare and I have very different hair types (Clare has long, medium density, straight European hair and mine is shorter, thicker density, Afro hair) but we both have had success using this product, which speaks volumes. Dorsey also showed me how to use this correctly and woah chile, the lift it gave my hair? Sky high!
After styling my hair with Raise the Root and Texas Hold ’Em
While I won't describe it as a staple in my routine, when I want to enhance the volume in my hair for a Doechii at fashion week style-blowout, this is an easy win. Like Clare, I spritz on dry hair and use a hot air brush to dry the volume in.
Reviewers say: "If you want to have more volume on your roots then this is definitely your go to product on my 3rd bottle now"
Color Wow Money Mist
Is it a conditioner? Is it a detangler? Is it a shine spray? Surprise, it's all three! It's the product that Appleton describes as 'magic', saying that "it'll transform any head of hair." This spray is more of a hair care spray rather than a styling spray like Dream Coat which is why Appleton loves prepping his clients with it. It contains the brand's proprietary baolyzed amino complex which helps to strengthen your strands while making them feel more silky and manageable. If you struggle with using heavy masks as they weigh your hair down, then this is a perfect option for lightweight conditioning.
Reviewers say: "Fantastic results my hair was shiny and took away the fizz will definitely be ordering wow products again"
Color Wow Dream Cocktail – Kale Infused
COLOR WOW Dream Cocktail - Kale Infused 200ml
There are three iterations of the Dream Cocktail, Kale Infused, Carb Infused for thickening and Coconut Infused for hydrating, but the Kale one is the most popular by far. It's particularly good for those in need of strengthening – so if you bleach, dye or chemically-straighten your hair, you'll like this. With sea kale, protein-rich amino acids and B vitamins its your hair's perfect cocktail.
Reviewers say: "I have repeatedly bought this product as I have fragile hair which breaks easily due to bleach and also being fine. It definitely makes my hair stronger and also smooth"
Color Wow Youth Juice Collagen Scalp Treatment
Color Wow Youth Juice Collagen Scalp Treatment 50ml
Scalp care is huge right now for good reason, with all the styling we are dragging our hair through, our scalps are tired and irritated. This serum is the antidote for that. Not only does it help with shedding and thinning, it also nourishes the scalp. I particularly like using this after I have a texture release treatment, which can make my scalp a bit flaky. It calms and hydrates it without affecting the look of my hair (i.e reverting it back to coily) despite being a liquidy texture. I apply it along my hairline and my parting and massage in.
Reviewers say: "Really lightweight and doesn’t make my hair greasy, hoping this works for my post-partum hair loss but if not makes my scalp feel nice and healthy"
Color Wow Curl Wow range
I am such a huge fan of the Curl Wow range that the brand brought out in 2023. SO much so I wrote an entire piece on it, which you can read below. The TL;DR is that, if you have curly or coily hair that's often super thirsty, your hair will lap up this washday routine.
A stand-out for me is the Curl Wow Hooked Shampoo as it's truly the best clarifying shampoo for coily hair, cleaning tf out of each strand with zero dryness to be found, plus it's sulphate-free and super gentle.
Reviewers say: "From a curly head to another you won't regret it ! Nourishes curls and makes my hair in much better condition less frizz and more defined curls"
Keeks Reid
Beauty Director
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
