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Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
My ultimate guide to having the best hair in 2025 - from the treatment worth investing in to the must-have beauty gadget: POLISHED with Elise Wilson
Welcome to Polished with Elise Wilson, where FEMAIL's qualified makeup artist and hair stylist answers your questions, shares advice and trials the up-and-coming beauty and skincare trends so you don't have to. Off the back of both fashion week here in Australia and the glamorous red carpet of Cannes Film Festival, I've been in a pretty blissful beauty bubble. All in the name of work (yes, I love my job), I've spent a lot of time staring at the stunning makeup looks on the models and A-listers, but it's the hair that's having the biggest moment. Have you seen Bella Hadid 's blonde transformation? Just stunning. Right now, we're living in a golden age of hair innovation. From fancy new tools that promise salon-quality styling at home, to the rise in destination scalp care 'spas' and serums that treat your roots and locks like skincare, the tech really is taking over. As someone who lives and breathes beauty, I've had my hands (and hair) in everything over the years, and although I may only be one hair type, I'm happy to report that 2025's trends are more inclusive than ever. Smoothing treatments are back in a big way (hello, keratin revival), reformulated to be gentler, more customisable, and free from harsh chemicals like formaldehyde. Think sleek strands without the stiff, overly flat finish of the past. Crimped locks are most definitely back in vogue too – as seen on the models at AFW's runway shows Bianca Spender and Amiss. Which is perfect timing with the surge in barrelled wavers hitting our shelves this winter - to which I can confirm ghd's newest gadget is now certified, by me, as one of the best on the market. And correct me if I'm wrong, (I'm not), but are simple trims now a thing of the past? I'm referring to the haircut that's been the talk of my beauty editor friends recently. Dubbed the 'ultimate' hair transformation, this tailored experience will set you back a cool $750. Worth the hype? Apparently so, but more on that below. Whether you're chasing glossy, frizz-free strands, looking to treat your scalp to a little TLC, or ready for full hair re-do, I've got you covered with these budget-friendly finds, luxe splurges, and everything in between. Crazy about Keratin Is it just me, or is everyone getting a keratin smoothing treatment lately? Specifically, the Kerasilk one - aka the secret behind all those gorgeous, confident, frizz-free women strutting around like Leslie Bibb with their new, and super-smooth 'c*nty little bobs'. I had my mane treated with it a few years ago when it wasn't so well-known, and honestly, I really loved it. For about three glorious months, my hair air-dried smooth, barely needed a straightener, and didn't puff up the moment I walked outside. When debating 'do I really need it', I'm just warning that you may have to choose between this and your three-monthly anti-wrinkle injections, because at around $500, it's not exactly spare change. However, the payoff is silky, humidity-resistant strands with way less styling stress. It's not a straightening treatment per se, as your curls and waves aren't erased, just softened and smoothed into submission. A stark contrast to those polka-straight treatments years ago that left your locks looking, well, just a bit flat. Perfect if your hair has a mind of its own and you'd like to reclaim a bit of control. It doesn't last forever, but for a season of low-maintenance good hair days? Worth it. Tool on trial When I think of hair tools, ghd is always top-of my mind for being innovators in their field. I saved up for my very first straightener when I was 14 and I've been a loyal customer ever since. Which is interesting, because when it comes to their latest launch – the new Wave Triple Barrel Hair Waver ($290) – I feel like they're the last ones to market. Maybe we've just saved the best until last? Because upon trying this (rather hefty) new hair crimping device, my locks were transformed within minutes. Featuring dual temperature sensors for 185˚C heat across three barrels, meaning you also get a more consistent bends in the hair, and curved edges for zero indentations. Waves were seen on the models at AFW's runway shows like Bianca Spender and Amiss (pictured left) I parted my hair into three sections and worked from the bottom to the top, holding the tool on my strands for a maximum of five seconds each time. A stand-out for me is the fact that my strands didn't seem to steam with this tool. With others on the market, I've often felt the plates are so hot they might be burning my hair (I could also be paranoid though). It's down to the fact that it features dual temperature sensors for 185˚C heat across three barrels, meaning you also get a more consistent bends in the hair, and curved edges for zero indentations. Another big tick is the safety, thanks to plastic ends attached to it to stop users (me in particular) singeing the tops of their ears or foreheads accidentally. The 'ultimate' hair cut I never thought I'd say this, but I found a haircut that costs more than my last weekend getaway - and I'm still thinking about getting it. Named the 'Texture Edit,' this $750 chop by Sydney hair guru John Pulitano is less about snips and more about a hair transformation. Involved is a full scalp analysis, a hair facial, and a bespoke cutting technique that somehow makes your hair look good undone. It's designed to hold shape and swagger for 12 weeks, meaning it grows out like it's got a stylist on speed dial – or so it promises. Yes, the price is eye-watering and not for every budget, but for those willing to invest, it's being called the new gold standard in personalised, precision hairdressing by Sydney's elite (AKA all my other beauty editor friends). The follow-up cuts drop to $390 which softens the blow slightly, but when you break it down, it's $250 per month for hair that behaves, flatters, and pretty much styles itself. I am very intrigued – so I promise to report back if I can scrape together enough pennies before my next trim is due. Maybe he'll let me go rogue and get a fringe? Probably not. My frizz-fighting product picks of the week John Frieda Silk Drench Smoothing Water ($20.99) Think of this like a hair gloss for some serious shine Think of this like a hair gloss for some serious shine. I was skeptical at adding yet another step in my shower routine, but after one use my hair was beaming and so manageable after. First shampoo your locks, then apply this rinse infused with rice oil and glycerin to help treat frizzy, damaged hair, through your mid-length and ends, rinse, then go in with your conditioner as usual. TRESemme's Lamellar Shine Spray ($18) I have since given away all my other heat protecting sprays, because this is The One. A 'heat-activated shine' this product protects up to 230C. I apply it on my towel-dried strands after my hair oil, and my frizz and flyaways are now basically non-existent. I should mention that I trialled this during Sydney's rainiest month of the year. A 'heat-activated shine' this Tresemme product (left) protects up to 230C, while the AG Care Frizzproof Argan Anti-Humidity Finishing Spray (right) is great for locking in your freshly tonged curls and won't leave any sticky residue thanks to the ultra-fine spray nozzle AG Care Frizzproof Argan Anti-Humidity Finishing Spray ($38.99) Not new, but worth a mention as one of my favourite frizz-fighting hairsprays for every hair type. It only offers a very light hold, but it's great for locking in your freshly tonged curls and won't leave any sticky residue thanks to the ultra-fine spray nozzle. Hair boosters to know about Just because we all need another product to add to our list (sorry), scalp serums are now very much a thing. If you're not yet clued up, think of them like skincare for your scalp. Very light in consistency, designed to leave on, and act as targeted treatments to address specific scalp concerns like dryness, flakiness, itchiness, and hair thinning. Bouf Haircare Tonic ($34.95) I was lucky enough to get a sample of this tonic a couple of months before it's launch date (the whole range is available tomorrow by the way), and although I can't talk to my transformative growth results right now, I'm assured that after 90 days I will. The solution is applied directly to the scalp morning and night and has a fancy patented FGF5 hair tech to stimulate hair growth. By NIKŌL SO'L THIC ($109) This brand is the first that I know of to offer hair growth and strengthening power as well as SPF sun protection too. I know we're in the depths of winter, but any product that defends against UV damage gets a tick from me The non-greasy formula absorbs quickly and is formulated with active ingredients including 3% Procapil®, which help enhance and strengthen your hair follicles while boosting density too. Apply morning or night and rub it in. That's a wrap on this week's POLISHED deep dive. Whether you're ready to invest or just want your hair to behave in this dreadful rain we're all having, there's never been a better time to shake up your routine. If there is one thing I've learned though, it's that good hair days don't just happen - they're made, with a little help from the right tools, treatments, expert advice… and a product list as long as your hairbrush handle.
NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Our 2025 Beauty Trend Predictions Came True at Australian Fashion Week
From wine-stained lips to skincare-as-makeup, here are the top trends beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti spotted at AFW. Sydney's inner-city suburbs were bursting with energy last week as hundreds of editors, stylists, fashion buyers and content creators descended upon Gadigal land for Australian Fashion Week. Now in its 29th
Fibre2Fashion
16-05-2025
- General
- Fibre2Fashion
Australian Fashion Week bans fur, exotic skins & feathers on catwalk
The Australian Fashion Council has officially banned the use of fur, wild-animal skins, and wild feathers from Australian Fashion Week (AFW) catwalks. Effective immediately, the new policy ensures that the 2025 edition of AFW will be entirely free from wildlife exploitation. Australian Fashion Week has banned fur, wild-animal skins, and feathers from its catwalks, making the 2025 edition wildlife-free. The policy, developed with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection, marks a major win for ethical fashion. The decision reflects growing public demand for cruelty-free, sustainable alternatives. The policy is developed in collaboration with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection. With this policy, crocodiles, foxes, and exotic birds will be protected, ensuring they are no longer used in fashion displays at this event. This decision reflects the growing public demand for ethical and sustainable fashion. It is a victory driven by thousands of compassionate Australians who believe fashion should never come at the cost of animal lives, according to World Animal Protection. This move builds on similar wildlife-free commitments achieved at Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne Fashion Festival, and international runways in Berlin and Copenhagen. 'This latest announcement is a reminder that the fashion industry can be a positive force or wildlife, and change the lives of crocodiles, ostriches, minks and more. We are seeing a domino effect of fashion events around Australia and the world rejecting exotic skins, feathers and fur. With this new wildlife friendly policy, Australian Fashion Week have joined the growing list of runways that are embracing innovative alternatives to cruelty,' said Suzanne Milthorpe, head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia. Animal rights organisations, including PETA, have long campaigned for this change. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's about life and dance and colour': inclusivity still in fashion on Australian runways
Having been in business since 1999, fashion designer Lee Mathews is always searching for something out of the ordinary. 'At 25 years it feels like you've seen everything and worked with everyone,' she says. For her anniversary runway at this year's Australian fashion week (AFW) in Sydney, she decided to add friends to her usual cast of professional models. 'Casting was more about how people wear the clothes,' she says. 'Not how tall they are or how polished they look. 'Asking someone who's not a model to try on clothes and walk a runway takes a kind of vulnerability. I think that subtle awkwardness and lack of polish brings a different energy to a show. There's honesty in it, and it reflects the collection in a more human way,' she says. The runway is a full circle moment for Mathews. She has been producing clothes that she and her friends would want to wear since the brand's inception at her kitchen table. Now her clientele reads like a roll call of Australia's female creative class: producers, artists, chefs and writers, including Saskia Havekes, the director of Potts Point florist Grandiflora, who took to the runway this week. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning 'I'm very fortunate to have her as a friend. She's given me so many beautiful things over the years. I'd look like a bag lady if it wasn't for Lee,' says Havekes. When asked to model, 'I said 'absolutely!' straight away.' 'I can return the gesture by putting in my best effort next Tuesday,' she says. 'No matter what's going on, I will be there.' To prepare for the show and calm her nerves, Havekes felt she had to practise her walk. So she spent her evenings walking home from work through Rushcutters Bay park. 'I was thinking, knowing Lee, she'll want it to be as natural as possible,' she says. 'I better not swing my arms.' In her work as a florist, Havekes is used to being the creator driving the arrangement. She found her experience of being a model, in the hands of a team of stylists, hair and makeup artists, an interesting role reversal. 'I felt like I was the vase, and they were putting the flowers together – being the clothes,' she says. 'They were like, 'we've got to have her hair parted in the middle and combed down.' They were making me into something else, which I enjoyed.' While Havekes walked the runway, another of Mathews' high-profile friends, Nigella Lawson, sat in the front row. Mathews joins a long list of designers at Australian fashion week who platform their communities by casting their friends, clients and collaborators in shows – including Alix Higgins, Nicol & Ford, Jordan Gogos, Gary Bigeni and Romance Was Born – the last of which is celebrating 20 years in business. This practice seems to come from two places: creating better vibes on the runway and backstage, and wanting to showcase clothes on bodies that reflect their customers. Drawing from their community allows Katie-Louise and Lilian Nicol-Ford – the married couple behind Nicol & Ford – to build a sense of intimacy and energy that's impossible to replicate with a casting call. 'When you see someone on a dancefloor in the early hours of the morning, you often see their purest and most liberated form,' they say. The duo try to capture that confidence and presence by putting it on the runway. Casting friends again and again has also engendered trust between model and designer. 'Each model is allowing us to create a highly visible statement with their body, [so] careful consideration and conversation is essential for our process,' they say. The ability to do this is invaluable for a brand that embraces gender fluidity and body positivity. In an industry often characterised as aloof and self-serious, fostering a warm and welcoming atmosphere on and off the runway feels forward-looking – a necessary departure from a tradition of closed doors and exclusivity that has long been critiqued as superficial and unattainable. 'I love the support backstage,' says designer Jordan Gogos, who presented his fifth AFW runway this week. Although he is primarily an artist, Gogos has developed a reputation for high-intensity, performance runways which star his friends, muses and even his sister Yasmin. 'There's beauty working with someone you love. That IYKYK [if you know, you know] in each other's eyes. They know what's running through my head and I know what's running through theirs,' he says. 'More often than not [after the show] we refer to the garment by the name of the person who wore it.' Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion While runways in Australia are embracing the joys of friendship and inclusivity, international fashion weeks continue to send thin, unsmiling, youthful models down the runway – an apparent retreat from a brief foray into body positivity. According to the Vogue Business Autumn/Winter 2025 Size Inclusivity Report, at the last four major fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, just 2% of the models featured were mid-sized and 0.3% were plus-sized. This was down from the season before, where 4.3% of models were mid-sized and 0.8% were plus-sized. Industry insiders blame the body diversity backslide on two forces: the rise of conservative ideals that emphasise control and female subservience; and the popularity of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Designer Gary Bigeni casts sizes 8 to 20 (the equivalent of US size 4 to 16) in his runway shows. Bigeni says the return to ultra-thin models 'makes me sad'. 'It's a completely unrealistic representation of real women, and more importantly a completely unrealistic representation of how your clothes are going to look on them.' Pointing to data that shows the average Australian woman wears a size 16 (US 12) and only 9.1% of women are between sizes 4 and 8, he says: 'I would much rather show that my collection works on – and for – a range of sizes and ages.' According to its Code of Conduct, AFW (which is being run by the Australian Fashion Council after IMG's departure last year) encourages participants to promote body image positivity and body kindness, along with ethnicity, gender, ability and body types that are 'representative of the diversity of Australia'. For designers, casting friends is about business as much as ethics. In an industry that is rapidly changing under ever-evolving digital pressures, ultra-fast imports and tensions in global trade, the runway is a rare opportunity to show off the communities who love to wear their clothes. In a sense, it is a flex that comes from the heart of their business – their customers – and challenges what the fashion industry is, and who it is for. Bigeni wants his casting to tell a story that people can connect with. This year, one of his most famous mates, Dessert Masters judge Melissa Leong, made her first ever modelling appearance in his show. 'It isn't just about fashion and runways – it's about life and dance and colour,' he says. 'My last show ended with a big group hug.' The group hug is becoming something of a tradition for Bigeni – his show on Thursday concluded the same way.
The Age
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘You could feel her in the room': Carla Zampatti label returns to form
It's out with the new and in with the old as the Carla Zampatti label celebrated its 60th anniversary by opening Australian Fashion Week at Circular Quay in Sydney on Monday night. Behind the scenes at this year's annual industry event everything is different, with new operators the Australian Fashion Council and fewer big names on the schedule, but the spectacular runway show by Carla Zampatti was as comforting as one of the brand's signature black crepe gowns. 'Opening AFW is an honour that we don't take for granted,' says Alexander Schuman, Carla Zampatti chief executive, and son of the designer who died following a fall in April 2021. 'Mum was always altruistic towards the industry.' 'This collection is a bold statement of where we are, offering a contemporary DNA for the next generation of customers.' With a focus on separates and fresh blazer silhouettes alongside evening wear, it is deliberately not as bold as last year's fashion week presentation, where risque sheer pieces and plunging cuts had traditional customers clutching their Paspaley pearls. Loading Captains of industry, newsreaders and mothers of the bride who worship Zampatti as the patron saint of style can relax. 'The shift is a sign of the times because women have moved into a different space,' Schuman says. 'It's no longer all about the glamour of the gown. There's still sex appeal for the fashion-forward customer in their 30s, but we are thinking about the professional woman who is the mainstay of the brand.' Adding a layer of new to Carla Zampatti's aesthetic, so familiar that the collection is called Ubiquity, were dresses by designers including Christopher Esber, Akira Isogawa and Zampatti's daughter Bianca Spender. Rather than challenge customers, these pieces were designed for the Powerhouse Museum.
