Color Wow’s dreamcoat supernatural spray has long reigned supreme when it comes to anti-frizz sprays. Hailed as the ticket to sleek strands, one of the silver bottles reportedly sells every five seconds. It’s gone down well here at IndyBest too, with our review giving it five stars. So, when a rival product comes along, I’m all ears.
We’ve previously pitted Tresemmé lamellar shine ultra gloss spray against Color Wow’s dreamcoat supernatural spray, where the £5 spray was given a glowing review. This time around Garnier’s diamond sleek spray is being hailed as a budget alternative after beauty creator @bambidoesbeauty went viral for testing them against each other.
Part of its keratin sleek range, the Garnier diamond sleek smoothing spray promises a “diamond-like shine” by coating hair in its 8 per cent keratin smoothing complex and argan oil formula. This is designed to reduce frizz even in high humidity – claims that closely mirror those of Color Wow, despite the latter costing a little over twice as much per milliliter.
But how does it stand up in real-life testing? After a month of testing both sprays, read on for my verdict on the Garnier diamond sleek smoothing spray.
Read more: This £5 hair spray rivals Color Wow’s £27 dream coat for delivering shine
Garnier diamond sleek shine-coat smoothing spray
Size: 150ml
Price per 100ml: £6.67
Why we love it
- Smooths flyaways and frizz
- Delievers shine
- Affordable
Take note
- Makes hair slightly heavier than Color Wow's dream coat
Launched earlier this year, the Garnier diamond sleek smoothing spray is designed to boost shine, tackle frizz and protect your hair from heat (up to 230C), reducing the steps in your hair routine. Packaged in a slim shiny 150ml bottle, the product is heat activated meaning the formula requires blow-dryer heat to activate its smoothing power – so apply it onto towel dried hair.
To evenly coat your strands, it works best by sectioning off your damp hair, applying a generous few spritzes and comb through before applying tension with a brush and heat. If you have a hot brush (we’ve reviewed the best hot brushes here), that makes for easy styling. As soon as my hair began to dry, I noticed the smoothing qualities – there was none of that frizz that can often spring up on my head after using heat.
The end result: my locks were sleek and shiny, while any flyaways or frizz were tamed. Most importantly, it looked the same as when I used Color Wow’s spray – I’m impressed. The effect lasted really well until my next hair wash, and withstood sweaty gym sessions and office air.
There were some subtle differences between the two sprays in how my hair felt. As I have thick hair, products that make it feel lightweight and bouncy are the ones I gravitate to. Compared to the Garnier spray, Color Wow’s product achieved this with more success. When analysing the ingredient lists of both, the reason becomes clear. Key ingredient polysilicone-29 is commonly used in products for its shine, detangling and de-frizzing benefits and appears much higher up in Color Wow’s dream coat. Garnier’s formula with its use of argan oil and proteins mean the formula is a conditioner-first which, although can soften your locks, can also feel slightly heavier. When it comes down to it, the difference is minimal and those with damaged hair may enjoy the repairing nature of the Garnier formula.
Buy now £10, Boots.com
Color Wow dream coat supernatural spray
Size: 200ml
Price per 100ml: £14.50
Why we love it
- Makes hair sleek and frizz-free
- Fragrance-free
- Offers heat protectant
Take note
- Expensive
The product loved by beauty editors and J Lo alike, the Color Wow dream coat supernatural spray is a core part of many haircare routines. The formula shoots out in strong spritzes from the iconic full silver bottle and like the Garnier spray, it requires heat and tension for results. For peace of mind and step-reducing, it offers two kinds of heat protectant.
Applying it to my towel-dried hair, it smoothes over my locks easily and unlike the Garnier spray, it’s fragrance free which I prefer. As I added heat with my round hot brush the smoothing results became visible and once dry, my hair was left sleek and fly-away free. For the best results, section off your hair and apply liberally. As I previously mentioned, the formula uses heat-activated polymers that coat around the strands, which provide an humidity-proof and water-resistant barrier. In practice, I experienced zero frizz despite putting it through gym sessions and office humidity.
The polymers in Color Wow’s dream coat left my thick hair feel lightweight, even as my natural oils creeped in. When I used the Garnier spray, it felt like there was more weight as I drew closer to hair wash day. For anyone with fine or thin hair types, there is likely to be a more noticeable difference.
Forking out almost £30 on a 200ml bottle is steep, but the results are excellent. For those with fine hair, this may give you better results than the Garnier spray.
Buy now £29, Amazon.co.uk
Is the Garnier diamond sleek smoothing spray worth it?
Overall, the Garnier diamond sleek smoothing spray is an impressive budget alternative that delivers glossy, frizz-free results remarkably close to those of Color Wow’s cult dream coat. While Color Wow still has the edge when it comes to a lighter, bouncier finish, Garnier’s conditioner-rich formula offers softness, shine and heat protection in one affordable step. At around half the price per 100ml, Garnier’s diamond sleek spray is a compelling option for anyone wanting salon-style sleekness without the premium price tag.
How I tested
As I pitted the two sprays against each other, I considered the following:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alice Reynolds is a writer at IndyBest who covers a range of shopping and reviews from beauty and fashion to food and drink. When it comes to hair care, she has previously tested K18’s hair mask and consulted hair experts on how to heal damaged hair and the best treatments for dry hair.
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