Color Wow’s Viral Money Mist Gave Me “Rich Girl Hair” – But There’s a Catch
Main image – Color Wow
As viral leave-in conditioning sprays go, Color Wow Money Mist (from £12.50 from Boots UK /$14 from Sephora US) has arguably the best name. Why? Because Money Mist is designed to provide glossy, expensive-looking ‘money hair’ with minimal effort. And who doesn’t want their hair to look a million dollars?
Founded by the beauty entrepreneur behind John Frieda and Frizz Ease, Gail Federici, Color Wow is best known for its problem-solving products. And Money Mist is no exception, thanks to its seemingly lightweight formula that hydrates, smooths and adds shine to the hair whilst detangling and protecting it from heat damage.
This leave-in conditioner, which launched in February 2024, has quickly become one of Color Wow’s most viral products on TikTok thanks to its positioning as a shortcut to ‘expensive looking’ hair. However, at £29.50/$30 for the full size, I wanted to know – is it too overpriced for a leave-in conditioner?
I have frizzy, fine hair that is slightly heat damaged, so I need my conditioners to detangle and smooth my hair without weighing it down. I always need more shine too so anything that will help in this department whilst maintaining a light, airy feel is the ideal product. Did I find it in this? Keep scrolling to discover more.
The product details
Money Mist sits within Color Wow’s wider ‘Money’ range. This collection includes other tantalisingly named products such as Money Masque and Money Shampoo/Conditioner all with the same ‘expensive hair’ goal – hydration, detangling, heat protection and providing a glossy finish.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Money Mist is packed with smoothing, hydrating ingredients and marine extracts but the standout property is the brand’s proprietary Baolyzed Amino Complex which supports strength, elasticity and smoother-looking hair. It also contains hydrolyzed rice protein and hydrolyzed vegetable protein PG-propyl silanteriol which help to reinforce and smooth the hair fibre.
Designed primarily to be spritzed onto damp hair before styling, the mist can also be sprayed lightly onto dry hair to refresh shine. It comes in two sizes – a standard 150ml bottle and a travel sized 50ml version.
How I tested Color Wow Money Mist
I spritzed this onto damp hair, after shampooing and conditioning and then applying my usual Kerastase Nectar Thermique to the ends of my hair. I applied Money Mist to my mid-lengths and ends – probably around five spritzes per side. I was due to go out for the evening, which is when I typically fiddle with my hair more than usual so this would be a good test.
First impressions
When misting this onto my hair, it smelt pleasantly fresh – a great start. It distributed well enough although it takes a bit of getting used to the mechanism of the spray which is quite large. I typically prefer sprays that you simply press your finger down on, but this involves using your entire hand which is a little awkward. There’s a clever on/off button on the top though which is handy for avoiding spillages when you’re not using it.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The mist itself seemed nicely lightweight from the off – it didn’t look or feel thick or sticky, it was an airy, smooth formula – and it was easier to comb my hair through than if I hadn’t applied a leave-in conditioner. I think there is a danger of overapplying with a mist, especially one that feels so lightweight, so I made sure I didn’t overdo it.
My results
After blow drying my hair, I instantly noticed a brightness to it which usually happens when my hair has a bit of volume to it, in other words, it hasn’t been weighed down by styling products. It also felt incredibly smooth and – word of the day – airy, which is my ideal combination when it comes to my hair.
It had a noticeable sheen too – I wouldn’t call it super glossy, but it definitely caught the light as I moved. I haven’t included a before picture in this review as it really didn’t do the product justice. Sometimes you just can’t capture the true difference between before and after with an iPhone, no matter how many tools you use but you can see from the after picture that my hair looks shiny, healthy and my blow-dry has held.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My hair felt particularly smooth too and there was zero frizz – winning! I’d say it also definitely looked and felt softer than usual, but I must reiterate that my hair didn’t feel weighed down at all. I had been given some very welcome detangled smoothness which I think is the standout result from the product.
Throughout the evening, I must say my hair did go flatter than usual. Like I said before, I do tend to fiddle with my hair more than usual when I’m out so perhaps that was the cause, but I did notice that my hair lost its volume which doesn’t usually happen the day I wash it. My frizz didn’t make a return though, the shine happily lingered and my hair still felt velvety smooth when I went to bed that night.
The next morning it still felt soft and detangled, but the shine had gone so I sprayed on a little extra (three spritzes per side) to refresh the shine and it seemed to do the job and last for the day too. My hair was even flatter the next morning too, but it always is after I’ve slept on it so I don’t think we can’t blame Money Mist for that.
I do wish my volume had stayed the night before although I think next time I won’t apply a conditioner in the shower, or my Kerastase Nectar Thermique. One leave-in conditioner that doubles up as a heat protector is quite sufficient.
What other users are saying
The overall reviews online are mostly positive with many people saying how soft and glossy it makes their hair and how lightweight it feels. Dodgergirl12 says, “My hair feels soooo soft and full. I have very fine hair. I’m definitely adding it to my list of must have products. So happy with it,” while Zetophir writes, “I am also obsessed!”
However, some users feel they need to hold back with application because of the price. Rich-Island-9435 writes, “I always thought I was someone who’d stick it out with a good product if I found one, regardless of price, however because of how much is needed I’ve found it runs out after about a month. And I think I was being pretty conservative with how much I was applying.” Willow-Bird-17 suggests an alternative. “There’s a dupe on Amazon called Sleek for like $10 USD and it works so good.”
Overall value for money
Ok so here’s where it gets tricky. The full size Money Mist costs £29.50/$30, and whilst I did enjoy my results and noticed some positive changes to my hair compared to how it looks from my usual routine, I just wouldn’t spend this amount of money on it.
That amount is what I usually would spend on my foundation – something I regard as more important than spending lots of money on a conditioner. Yes, it gave my hair great results, but I didn’t love the results enough to spend that much on the product, and I reckon other conditioners might be able to give me similar results for way less money. I can’t always say that about a foundation.
I have short hair and I used approx. 10 sprays before blow-drying and then another six the next day to refresh the shine. That’s 16 sprays per use which would no doubt make even a 50ml bottle go down quite quickly, meaning another £29.50/$30 would be leaving my account imminently!
Not convinced on the price then, but almost fully convinced on everything else. Told you this was tricky!
The takeaway
Overall, this product is really impressive, and I’m not surprised it went viral. The gleam it gave my hair was gorgeous and the softness and lightweight feel I noticed after blow-drying was a pleasant surprise.
I was disappointed when my hair went quite flat that evening but I am prepared to acknowledge that this could have been down to me applying too many conditioners/heat protectors. I now know that using one product to cover heat protection and hydration/detangling/smoothness is plenty so I’ll just be using Money Mist next time.
The issue of the high price can’t be solved though. In my opinion, spending that much on a leave-in conditioner is a huge ask. But if you have the budget and need a smooth, shiny ‘do in your life, I say go for it. You won’t be disappointed.
Get Glowing!
