Frizzy hair be gone: five great fixes (and one flunk)

Kérastase Oléo Relax From €25
I try out all the hair-care brands, but I always return to Kérastase. I have tried every single one of its ranges, and the best anti-frizz option is still Oléo Relax shampoo, conditioner and serum. They use silicones and polymers to smooth and they work brilliantly. If you have wrecked the condition of your hair with heat and colour, there's no judgment here – so have I. I use the deep conditioning mask every time I wash my hair.

Kiehl's Smoothing Oil-Infused Haircare From €21
If you find that oil-based hair care works for you, then you'll like this. With argan oil and babassu oil, it will soften and untangle hair that's in pretty good condition to start with. This type of treatment works best on what's known as "virgin hair" – hair that has never been chemically treated or coloured. That may be no one who reads this column, but you never know.

Aussie Frizz Miracle €7.99
I'm including this as something of a cautionary tale. Just because a product says it will control frizz, that doesn't guarantee that it will. I have no idea how the Australian blue gum leaf extract in this product works to smooth frizz, and my tester wasn't convinced. In this case, Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Conditioner is a better bet.

L'Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Liss Unlimited From €15
If you have had your hair chemically straightened and the damage compounded by highlights or colour, choose a keratin-based regime such as this one. Keratin is one of the natural "building blocks" of hair, and it may help to strengthen it. I would still finish with a good silicone-based serum – try L'Oréal Mythic Oil. A frizzy hair day is a day of misery.

Toni & Guy Prep Smoothing Detangler €8.99
It's not enough to just shampoo and condition if you have the potential for mad poodle hair. You must use a serum or a leave-in product such as this one on damp hair. In extreme humidity you can try adding a blob of hair gel to your leave-in treatment. My hairdresser shared this trick with me when I was planning a holiday to Thailand in monsoon season, and it did help. However, the description "frizzy hair hell" doesn't even do justice to the suffering I went through. The takeaway from this is? Never go on holiday during a monsoon.

AISLING LOVES . . .
Babyliss New Big Hair €63.99
If you don't completely dry your hair before leaving the house, it will frizz. Blast your hair with a hairdryer, or dry naturally until it is about 80 per cent dry and then use a Babyliss Big Hair. The spinning brush smooths hair very effectively. I once had to cut a round bristle brush out of my hair, so I appreciate its wonders. This magic tool has transformed many lives and gladdened many hearts.