Meet our expert judging panel for the 2026 woman&home Hair Awards
These industry experts tested hundreds of products to help us select the winners of the woman&home Hair Awards
The woman&home Hair Awards are back for 2026, 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. Plus, all the best products to repair damaged hair.
Article continues belowMEET OUR JUDGES FOR THE 2026 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.
Jo has worked as a hair and makeup artist for over 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.
Katie Hale is a talented and experienced colour expert who specialises in blondes. She is currently freelancing, 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.
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.
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.
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.
As the Artistic Director and Head of Education for HARE & BONE, she oversees the development of training programs and the creation of colour concepts for the brand’s creative collections. A master of precision cutting and a multi-disciplinary hairdresser, Amelia embodies the HARE & BONE ethos. She connects with her clients, aiming to create cuts and colours that exceed expectations, ensuring every client leaves the salon feeling uniquely cared for.
A true hairdressing maverick, Sarah leads the way when it comes to colour innovation. Considered a guiding light in the hairdressing world, Sarah took home the big one at the L’Oréal Colour Trophy in 2017 and last year, Adam Reed presented Sarah with the ‘It’ trophy at the Creative Head Most Wanted Awards. She is the Creative Director of Arkive by Adam Reed, a salon in Covent Garden.
An expert in blending greys, Nancy leads Stripe Colour Studio, which was established in 2021 to curate the perfect space for clients to relax and receive the high standard of hair they truly deserve. A soft and intimate environment exists where you can trust that Nancy or one of her team of specialists will take you on the path you need to be on to receive your dream hair.
Undeniably cool, with an eye for detail like no other, Pete has already shaken the industry and taken the editorial world by storm with his unique vision and eclectic style. Having been quickly recognised for his work behind the scenes, styling stars such as Stella Maxwell for Max Factor and Wallis Day and Lily Allen. Pete’s reputation has spread rapidly throughout the industry. He styles the hair of the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Katy Perry, and Megan Fox.
Leah joined the Aveda team in 2021, as Aveda’s very first hybrid UK & Ireland Texture Expert & Technical Educator. She helped propel Aveda ahead of the industry, with a revolutionised programme specialising in textured hair. Leah is extremely passionate about hair styling & colouring with an ever-growing influencer & celebrity clientele, championing the growth within the industry to become fully inclusive to confidently service guests with all hair types and textures.
Eva Proudman FIT IAT – founder of www.ukhairconsultants.com – has been working for over 20 years as an expert in hair and scalp health, becoming one of the UK’s most recognised and respected Consultant Trichologists. Eva is a highly reputable, ‘go to’ source of expert comment for UK and international media and is often asked to work in advisory, research and clinical product development roles for commercial brands across the hair and scalp care industry.
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 focus 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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