Olaplex's First Hairspray and Aldi's £354 Airwrap Saving Lead the Week

Analysis

Olaplex has moved into dry styling with its first hairspray, a launch that takes the bond-building brand into the hair spray category for the first time ^[1][2]. Coverage has focused on how the brand is framing the product's performance, with Vogue reporting that Olaplex wants consumers to "rethink hold" ^[3]. For UK retailers and salon channels, the significance is less the single SKU than the category signal: a brand built on treatment credentials is now competing for space in styling ^[2].

On the corporate side, Cosmetics Business reports exclusively that the Estée Lauder Companies has established a regional Hair Care Hub, to be led by newly appointed VP and General Manager Kathleen Mitchell ^[4]. The move suggests hair care is being given dedicated regional leadership within a group better known for skin care and makeup ^[4].

Tools remain the most price-sensitive part of the market. The Sun reports that Aldi shoppers can buy a Dyson Airwrap dupe priced £354 cheaper than the original, with stock landing in stores from the day of publication ^[5]. Discounting is also softening the premium end, with Mashable flagging a $130 saving on the Dyson Airwrap i.d. via Amazon ^[6]. Editorial testing continues to underpin purchase decisions: InStyle says it has tested more than 100 hair dryers from brands including Dyson and Shark to identify the best ^[7], while Good Housekeeping and Cathay Pacific have both published verdicts on the Dyson Supersonic, the former assessed specifically on curly hair ^[8][9]. Separately, Central Bylines asks whether Black women are being failed by hair care regulation ^[10].