Hollywood hair stylist Tara Smith tests her hair products on film stars, not animals – and we love it, reports Kiran Branch
You may not have heard of her yet, but celebrity hair stylist Tara Smith could soon be a household name. A stylist for over 20 years, Tara has tended to the tresses of a bevvy of A-list beauties and has now used her vast experience to create a vegan hair care line.
Vegan, you ask? Yes indeed. Every ingredient in the range avoids all forms of animal cruelty, and has specifically not been tested on animals – hence the wonderfully cheeky tagline "Tested on film stars, not on animals". Green queen Tara has also ensured that all ingredients are natural, non-toxic and minus any nasty chemicals. It’s not just the ingredients (or lack of) that we are impressed with, but also the eye catching packaging – think National Geographic crossed with LA cool.
Having acknowledged the glowing testimonials from many A-list celebs including the likes of Rosario Dawson, Yasmin Le Bon and Demi Moore, we were still slightly dubious. The range consists of shampoo and conditioners for four hair types plus three styling products, and we weren’t convinced they would meet our high hair care expectations. However, we were pleasantly surprised. Unlike many natural shampoos, the products actually lather up a treat, leaving hair feeling squeaky-clean after just one wash.
Yasmin Le Bon
Demi Moore
The conditioners are also deeply nourishing, but our highest praise is reserved for the Base Coat Serum (£14, www.marksandspencer.com ). Applied to wet hair, it’s designed to act like a primer for all hair types by eliminating frizz and leaving it super sleek. It definitely keeps its promise; unlike many serums that we've tested it’s not sticky and really does banish frizz as well as leaving hair sublimely soft without weighing it down.
Our verdict? We're big fans. Let’s be honest, if its good enough for Demi...
The Tara Smith Vegan Haircare range is available exclusively at Marks and Spencer. Shampoos and conditioners are £10 each, styling products range from £10-14.