The woman&home Hair Awards have returned, and this year, we welcomed another incredible lineup of judges to help us test hundreds of products.
We rely on a panel of trusted, talented industry experts to help us narrow down our winners. We really put these products through their paces, testing everything from the best shampoo for fine hair, to the best hair straighteners and best hot brushes – all with the goal of bringing you the most effective haircare for every hair type and budget.
After weeks of rigorous testing and debating, we finally named 61 products as our woman&home Hair Award winners. We couldn't have done it without the generous help of our 22 industry expert judges, so we thought you might like to know them a little better.
MEET OUR JUDGES FOR THE 2025 HAIR AWARDS
Ben Cooke is a highly sought-after hair stylist based in London, he is renowned for his creative flair. Ben has amassed an impressive client list over the years, which includes celebrities such as Carey Mulligan, Kristen Wiig, Olivia Rodrigo, Ruth Wilson, Saoirse Ronan, and Olga Kurylenko. His reputation and personable nature have enabled him to work with a huge range of loyal editorial and commercial clients.
Christel’s innate talent for creating flawless colour has seen her work as a Creative Colour Director for leading London salons, to being in demand as a global brand ambassador and educator for professional product houses. Christel established STIL Salon in 2016, and it's her exacting eye for detail that sets the tone.
In 2023 Cos, Creative Director and Head of Education at Toni & Guy was again awarded the highly acclaimed British Hairdresser of the Year title, after being named International Hairdresser of the Year. He was then also awarded Hairdresser of the Year by the Fellowship for British Hairdressing. Cos is the first person to hold these three highly prestigious titles at the same time.
Darren is an open, honest and welcoming voice in British hairdressing. His transparency and creativity have earned him accolades from influencers, beauty veterans and consumer press, including The Sunday Times, Grazia and Mr Porter. Over the last 25 years, Darren has been a regular contributor to editorial and advertising campaigns, shaping show-stopping looks for celebrity clients in the world of film and TV.
Jo has worked as a hair and makeup artist for 15 + years. Her clients include woman&home, Bourjois Paris, Wella, ghd, De Beers, Tom Ford, Warehouse, Bowers and Wilkins, Child’s Farm, Laura Ashley, Marks and Spencer, Nike, Reebok and Speedo. With her wealth of experience she understands how to translate the needs of the brand to a very high standard, applying her craft with efficiency and passion.
Jordanna Cobella is a London-based Hairstylist with an established business, Cobella Kensington. Recently nominated for London Hairdresser of the Year, her expertise in colour and styling is industry-recognised. She has worked at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Week for the last 7 years and has a wealth of experience in session hair, including editorial work, TV and film.
Katie Hale is a talented and experienced colour expert who specialises in blondes. She is currently freelance, splitting her time between Electric Space in London and her home salon in Southampton. Fun fact - she was also the colourist behind Eleanor Tomlinson's glossy copper locks in Poldark.
A freelance hair & makeup artist working in the fashion and beauty industry, Katie does it all. With a career spanning over 29 years, she's had the luxury of travelling all over the world on shoots. She's worked with magazines including woman&home and advertising campaigns with Virgin Atlantic.
London-based hairstylist Jay has over fifteen years of experience within the fashion and beauty world, gaining him a roster of high-profile celebrity clients including Maya Jama, Khloe Kardashian, Sofia Richie and Rochelle Humes. Regularly working with brands such as L’Oreal and Beauty Works, Jay has also created his own haircare brand.
Jennie has over 30 years of industry experience, from having trained at Vidal Sassoon as a teenager, to working internationally with some of the biggest names in film and music. Jennie is regularly requested by movie A-listers, working across press tours, junkets and red-carpet events. Her enviable list of clients includes Willem Dafoe, Donald Glover, John Boyega, Lydia West, Gugu Mcbatha-Raw, Thandie Newton and Michael Caine.
Sam is an award-winning hairstylist whose creativity and innovative designs have inspired international campaigns and brands globally. At just 23 years old, Sam won the prestigious Newcomer of the Year award at the British Hairdressing Awards. Since 2010, Sam has also worked as a freelance session stylist, with his editorial work featuring in publications that include ES Magazine, Elle, In Style, Indie, and Wonderland.
With over 40 incredible years working as a hairstylist in both film and television, Paul is one of the industry's most respected names. His impressive heritage has seen him create some of the most iconic styles in hair history over the decades, and you'll still find him creating some of the most stylish red carpet and editorial looks today.
Beginning her career at Trevor Sorbie and working her way up to Artistic Director, Sally opened her own salon in Holborn in 2003, quickly gaining recognition, winning London Hairdresser of the Year three times. Her salon, Brooks and Brooks quickly became one of the leading names in the hair world. Sally has won British Hairdresser of the Year a record three times and her team leads the way for the number of industry recognitions with an incredible 35 industry awards.
Andrew has forged an outstanding reputation of many years in the hairdressing business, he is considered one of the world’s leading hair stylists and most acclaimed teachers. Andrew opened his eponymous salon in 1988 and has since created the most iconic looks for many models and celebrities. Andrew has been nominated six times as British Hairdresser of the Year.
Entrusted with the task of colouring and styling some of the UK's most influential women, Samantha was among the first of her generation to establish her brand identity within the industry. When you combine her talent for creating incredible styles that people can wear every day with her drive to make people look and feel great, it's no wonder that Samantha has secured her place as one of the most successful hairdressers of this generation.
Chlöe is an award-winning hair content creator, with 15 years of experience as an educator in the hairdressing industry. She's renowned for her hair styling tutorials and hair care content. With a dedicated following of over 730,000 across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, she has established herself as a leading voice in the industry. She proudly holds the title of #1 National Pro Beauty Influencer of the Year, a testament to her influence and excellence in the field.
With four luxury, award-winning salons in London, there’s little doubt that Edward James has turned his passion and obsession for hair into a thriving business. At the forefront of the industry for over 25 years, Edward’s prolific reputation as a top-tier stylist and colourist has been accelerated by his salon super-buzz and word-of-mouth recommendations from his loyal clientele. Edward has established an exceptional salon environment with an elite team of highly skilled, warmly genuine creatives who provide a high level of excellence.
With an unparalleled talent in creating impeccable colour, it comes as no surprise that Nicola is the virtuoso behind some of the world’s most photographed faces. And although often referred to as ‘The Queen of Blondes’, she is also called upon to help with creating some of the most memorable characters seen on the screen. She runs the gauntlet from film locations and magazine shoots to red carpet extravaganzas, but is always firmly back to what she describes as being “the best part of the job", working in a salon.
Hannah Gaboardi is a renowned hair health expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Her extensive background has established her as a leading authority in trichology, earning her widespread acclaim and respect. Hannah's expertise spans a broad range of hair and scalp conditions, and she is dedicated to providing the highest level of care through personalised, results-driven treatments.
Jade is a skilled, accomplished cut and colour expert who holds a degree in colour. Known for her balayage expertise, it is fast becoming her trade mark, leading to her being named by Harper's Bazaar as “London’s Best Colourist List”. Jade works alongside the HARE & BONE Art Team, contributing towards industry shows, Award entries, the salon campaign shoots and the Tom Ford Sales Campaigns.
In 2019, Lucie, a 21-year-old student at the University of Warwick, was frustrated with her unhealthy hair. Unable to find a natural hair oil mask within her budget, she set to work in her student kitchen, perfecting different blends. Her initial vision for the brand transformed as her following grew by the thousands, and Hair Syrup quickly gained momentum, catching the eye of major influencers and retailers. What started as a one-hit viral wonder rapidly evolved into a leading, trusted brand.
As an established creative director and session stylist, Zoe has worked with many of the world’s top brands, magazines and hairdressers. Her work is a unique blend of traditional technique, honed over her remarkable 30-year career, and new concepts developed from her continual studies of emerging trends in hair and fashion. Her special approach to hairdressing was recognised by the industry in 2012 when she was awarded the prestigious Most Wanted Hair Icon award by Creative Head magazine.
OUR EDITORIAL BEAUTY TEAM
Group Beauty Director Sarah Cooper-White has almost 20 years experience as a beauty journalist. She has written for many well known national magazines, newspapers and brands including woman&home, Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly, Boots, Tesco, ELLE, InStyle, The Mirror, The Sun, Prima and Top Sante. Since then she's met hundreds of talented and inspiring people from hairstylists and dermatologists, to biochemists and aestheticians and loves passing on their incredible knowledge through her writing.
Rhiannon Derbyshire is the Senior Beauty Editor for woman&home. She started interning for magazines while working alongside her Fashion Journalism degree. There, she was lured to the beauty desk, seduced by red lipsticks, posh shampoos, and every skincare product imaginable. 10+ years into her career, she now writes about all things skincare, haircare and makeup for six national titles and frequently interviews celebrities, experts and brand founders. With 3A curls, Rhiannon specialises in writing about curly hair routines.
Stephanie Maylor is a Beauty Editor working across five national magazine titles, with almost 15 years' experience in the industry. She has written for many brands, including woman&home, Grazia, Now, More!, Fabulous, NW, Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly, Essentials, Best, Chat, and OK! online. In 2010 she launched her own beauty blog, which was shortlisted for Best Beauty Blog in the 2011 and 2012 Johnson & Johnson Beauty Journalism Awards.
Jess Beech is an experienced fashion and beauty editor, with more than eight years experience in the publishing industry. She has written for woman&home, GoodtoKnow, Now, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own and Chat. A beauty obsessive, Jess has tried everything from cryotherapy to chemical peels (minus the Samantha in Sex and The City-worthy redness) and interviewed experts including Jo Malone and Trinny Woodall.
Annie Milroy is the Beauty Writer for woman&home and other publications. After being inspired to work in magazines as a result of bingeing Ugly Betty at the age of 12, Annie knew a life working at an esteemed publishing house was her dream job. She spent three years studying Journalism and English Language at the University of Portsmouth and in 2017, she started interning in the fashion and beauty cupboard of Heat and Closer magazine and never left. Eight years later, she’s refined her career to focusing on beauty.
As woman&home.com's digital beauty editor, Fiona Mckim has tried more beauty products than she’s had hot dinners and loves to share her 15+ years of industry intel on womanandhome.com. After interning at ELLE's beauty desk, Fiona joined woman&home as Assistant Beauty Editor in 2013, working under industry legend Jo GB, who taught her everything she needed to know (clue: learn about ingredients and apply extreme cynicism to marketing claims). She has since covered every corner of the industry, interviewing dermatologists and celebrities from Davina McCall to Dame Joan Collins, reporting backstage at Fashion Week and judging the w&h Beauty Awards.
Aleesha is beauty ecommerce editor at womanandhome.com where she gets to share her expertise in all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products – with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance. She earned an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London in 2017 and has since worked with a number of brands including, Women's Health, Stylist and Goodto.
Naomi is a Beauty Writer for woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to fragrance but specialises in makeup and nail trends, sharing her expertise on the latest beauty buys and must-have manicure styles. As well as showcasing her beauty expertise, she also reviews products and shares personal shopping recommendations.
Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty launches, trending buys and personal product recommendations, from makeup and hair to skincare and nails. Previously, Sennen achieved a First Class Fashion and Beauty Journalism degree at Birmingham City University, before undertaking her role as junior digital fashion and beauty Editor at FROW Magazine.
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