Virtue Create 6-in-1 Styler

This is a range we first got to know because it’s on the haircare menu at Nicola Clarke at John Frieda, which is Jo’s go-to London salon.

But we didn’t really get up-close-and-personal with the whole range till the Indie Beauty Show, late last year. Since then, Jo in particular has been finding treasures in the range, her favourite of which is this multi-tasking shine-booster and texturiser.

It’s really for use on damp hair as a styling aid, working brilliantly to smooth the cuticle, gloss up the hair and help a style ‘fix’. (One of its six actions, by the way, is heat protection.)

But Jo also likes it skimmed through her classic John Frieda-style layered blonde cut, to break up a too-smooth look, revive her style and generally give it an extra day or two. If you like your hair ‘piece-y’, rather than super-smooth and straight, add a 5p-sized amount to the palms of hands, rub together and skim through. You can also scrunch a bit, which adds volume as well as breaking up the hair. As they put it, it’s ‘the perfect go-to for second-day hair and achieving that “undone” finish.’ Just how Jo likes it. (Comes in a jolly useful 60ml travel size, too.)

Virtue is a cult ‘hit’ in the US, a multi-award-winning haircare range which creates products around an ingredient called Alpha Keratin 60ku. It’s a protein that makes up 90% of our hair, skin and nails, and according to Virtue, it’s ‘pulled to where it’s needed, strand by strand, smoothing, resurfacing and filling in cracks of damage.’ It works against frizz (there are lots of frizz-busters in the range), increases thickness by 22% and delivers 138% vibrancy in colour – which is one of the reasons, presumably, that Nicola Clarke decided to stock it in her salon, since she’s the Queen of Blondes.

Many virtues, then, for Virtue.

From £17 for 60ml – buy here

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