Color Wow Money Mist, From Frizz Ease to a Viral Leave-In

Color Wow Money Mist makes more sense once you know who made it. Gail Federici partnered with the London stylist John Frieda in 1987, and together they built the line behind Frizz Ease, which the brand calls the first ever solution for frizzy hair. She has said the word frizz did not appear on a single product back then, because styling products were all about adding body. They sold that company in 2002, and Federici launched Color Wow in 2013.

Money Mist arrived much later. LiveThatGlow dates its launch to February 2024, and it spread on TikTok as a shortcut to a polished, salon-finished look. The brand says it is built on "adaptive technology" and a Baolyzed Amino Complex, and it states plainly that Money Mist is a heat protectant. I like that it is a spray you can use on any texture, from straight to coily.

If you are shopping for a leave-in, the real question is how much weight your hair can carry. A mist like this is the lightest end of the spectrum. Creams and masks sit heavier.

The first grid is eight Color Wow products, from the mist to a mask, a shampoo and a volumizer. The second grid is eight other leave-in conditioners and mists to compare. My tip: spritz on towel-dried hair, comb through once, then style, and start with fewer sprays than you think you need.

Color Wow Money Mist Leave In Conditioner is the hero here. It is a lightweight mist for all hair textures, with heat protection and a focus on shine, and the brand says it helps with dryness, frizz and damage. If your hair is fine or easily weighed down, start with this one.

Dream Coat Supernatural Anti-Frizz Blow Dry Treatment Spray is the brand's signature anti-frizz spray. It is an anti-humidity formula that the brand says lasts through three to four shampoos, so it suits straight or wavy hair that puffs up in damp weather. Extra Strength Dream Coat is the heavier version for curly and coily hair, with a polymer blend meant to lock moisture in and keep humidity out. I went deeper on a related idea in Color Wow Dream Coat: The Frizz Spray That Refused to Stay a Secret.

Money Masque is a deep conditioning mask for fine to thick, straight or wavy hair, and the brand calls it weightless. Pop + Lock Frizz Control + Glossing Serum is an oil-and-serum formula for flyaways and split ends, and the One Minute Transformation Anti Frizz Styling Cream is a non-greasy cream you work through dry hair to settle frizz on the spot.

Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer is a foam for fine, flat hair, and Color Security Shampoo is a sulfate-free, silicone-free wash for color-treated hair.

What I would skip: Extra Strength Dream Coat if your hair is fine and straight. It is built for curls and coils, and it will likely feel like too much.

These are the sprays and mists I would put beside Money Mist. Moroccanoil's Detangling All in One Leave-In Conditioner is a spray that says it softens for up to 72 hours, and Pureology Color Fanatic is the one for color-treated hair, with heat protection up to 450 degrees. OUAI North Bondi is a multitasking spray for detangling and frizz, and K18 Biomimetic Hairscience HeatBounce is a leave-in with heat protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit that comes in a small bottle.

Living Proof's Leave-In Conditioner & Detangler Spray is the weightless pick, with UV and heat protection, which I would hand to fine hair first. JVN Complete Leave-In Conditioning Mist is the lightest daily spritz in the grid and is silicone-free. BondiBoost Strawberry Gum Miracle Mist adds shine and heat protection, and Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Miracle Mist is the repair-minded one, a bi-phase bond formula made for heat and bleach damage.

If you are comparing, sort by what the leave-in has to do. Detangling and softness point to Moroccanoil or OUAI. Color and heat point to Pureology or K18. Repair points to Briogeo.

What I would skip: Briogeo if your hair is healthy and uncolored. A bond-repair mist is more than you need, and a simple spritz like JVN will do.

I think the best way to choose a leave-in is to decide how much weight you want before you decide on a brand. Money Mist is the light, shiny, easy one, and the Dream Coat sprays are the anti-humidity ones. If you want to compare, the second grid has a spray for almost every hair type. Try one at a time, so you can tell what is working. Give it a few washes before you decide, because a leave-in shows its character over a week, not on day one. Keep the one that leaves your hair soft and moving, and ignore the rest.