Welcome to How I Pick My Picks — a kind-of-regular newsletter series in which we check in with the Strategist staff on the stuff they’re using day-to-day, the products they’re testing for stories, and the things their friends and family won’t stop asking them about. Consider it a peek into the always-whirring brain of a Strategist writer. Today, we talk to beauty and grooming writer Rachael Griffiths.
To put it simply, my hair has been abused. I’ve subjected it to e-girl streaks, a Future Nostalgia half-and-half bleach job, every Crazy Color imaginable, and lashings upon lashings of my current, vibrant cherry red. All that experimentation takes a toll and when I was just starting out as a beauty writer, my hair was quite literally snapping off. For me, the quest to find the very best hair products is as personal as it is professional.
Also — and not by design — I have the type of hair that calls out for product. It’s color-treated, it’s thin, and it’s dry (I know, pick a struggle). I also have bangs that are in a daily battle with my middle-parting. My objectives are simple: I want products that can prolong my time between washes, styling, and pricy salon appointments. Right now my solution is a good, hydrating leave-in conditioner. When I got back from a dusty festival earlier this summer, none of my usual masks or oils could stop my ends from resembling straw after a single wash day. The key to nursing them back to health has been a dollop of Monday’s moisture leave-in. It’s my favorite out of all I’ve tested and (best of all) I picked it up for less than $10; finding a drugstore gem will forever be my favorite part of the job.
What’s the product that friends and family always ask for your advice on?
Surprisingly, shaving: it’s how I got into writing about men’s grooming. My girl friends always have questions about new launches or the best dupes (which you can read all about in The Strategist Beauty Brief), but it genuinely felt like some of the men in my life didn’t know where to start. My flatmate, for example, had just accepted that everytime he shaved his neck he’d get an itchy rash. I was like: You do realize that there are creams and trimmers specifically designed to avoid that? He’s since become one of my go-to testers when it comes to grooming for sensitive skin — and that rash? Nowhere to be seen.
Do you have any strongly held opinions that have changed after testing?
I used to be super laissez-faire about sulfates, which is wild when you consider I have dry, color-treated hair. Sulfates aren’t at all evil — if you have oilier hair they can actually solve a lot of problems — but for hair like mine they’re simply too harsh. I notice the difference straight away when I’m testing a product with sulfates in. Luckily, I’ve tested so many wonderful (and wonderfully lathering) sulfate-free options that I can recommend the right one if you’re looking to ditch.
What’s the least amount of money you should spend on, for example, a shampoo?
The limit does not exist! I reach for some of the $10 bottles on my shelf just as much as the products that cost four times as much. That’s not to say throw out your Olaplex, though. Lots of drugstore products are filled with things your hair doesn’t need, and lack some of those luxurious ingredients (glycerin, vitamins, proteins, oats) that will strengthen your hair. That being said, there’s always an option around the $10 mark that I find myself recommending to someone on a budget. You can definitely build an effective hair routine for $50 or so, if you know where to look (and luckily for you, I do).
What are you currently testing and researching?
I’m currently on a big anti-frizz product drive. Since ColorWow exploded on Tiktok shop, I’ve been trying to figure out if their Dream Coat is really the best product to keep hair looking glossy and not-at-all static. I do have a few more options to try, but as of right now, the answer is yes.
What’s the last thing you bought?
K18 dry shampoo. In many ways, I still have the mentality of a broke university student, so I can’t really believe that I willingly dropped almost $50 on a dry shampoo. But it works so well! I exercise a lot, and finding a dry shampoo I can use after a run that doesn’t build up means I can get my hair washes down to once or twice a week. Excellent news to keep my red looking red, excellent news to keep my bouncy blow dry looking fresh, and excellent news for my tendency to be a little lazy.
What’s the most expensive product that you own?
The Dyson AirWrap, and unfortunately … it’s worth every penny in my eyes. I bought it with my first big-girl-job paycheck. I still lived with my parents, so didn’t have rent to consider, which meant I didn’t deliberate as much as I imagine most people do. But I absolutely love it. I think some people get frustrated when it doesn’t work right out of the box the way they’d like. And I can understand why you’d feel along the lines of “I’ve already dropped $600, why do I then need to spend more on products to make it work?” But it is still just a tool, and finding the right products is the key to unlocking the best from any hair tool. My trick is applying some Sachajuan hair mousse on second or third day hair (whilst dry) before using the AirWrap barrels to get long-lasting curls. I won’t even travel without the thing — when you have bangs like mine, it becomes an essential.
If you had to spend $1,000 at Sephora, what would you buy?
I’d add the Dyson hair straighteners to my collection, which would take up a big chunk. Then, I’d invest in Olaplex 3, 4, and 5 — when I’m in a hair rut, they’re always my first line of defense. Next, I’m adding the top products from my best in classes, like the Malin+Goetz Moisturizing shampoo, Verb Ghost conditioner, and the Ouai Leave-in conditioner. I’ve also highly rated everything I’ve ever tried from Drybar, so I’d add their Liquid Glass blowout cream, Hot Toddy heat protectant, and the detangler I know keeps my bangs in check.
If I were coming at it from a grooming angle, I’d definitely pick up a beard trimmer from Philips Norelco, and the Wahl Peanut clippers. Those clippers get rave reviews from everyone I ask to test them, from my flatmate who uses them to shave his beard, to my friend who finally gave up on his Hector Bellerin mullet to shave his head (those being the only two acceptable hairstyles for the modern man, of course).
What are some open tabs on your computer right now? What’s on your list, but you can’t bring yourself to buy it just yet?
I’m British, and Filter by Love Island darling Molly-Mae is one of the biggest fake-tan brands over here. Each one of my friends who buys it loves it — it’s even weaned my makeup artist friend off her dependency on a pre-Glastonbury spray tan. Once I get through the heaps I have to try already, that’s next on my list. I’ve also been really into mermaid waves this summer, and have been deliberating over trying the Drybar Mixologist styler. (If you want the truth, the only thing putting me off is whether or not I’ll actually be bothered to wave my hair once the novelty has worn off.)
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
