Very few haircare brands are as beloved as KEVIN.MURPHY, and for good reason. The brand only uses proper ingredients, takes care of their environmental impact and knows how to innovate in its category. I have been an avid user of KEVIN.MURPHY styling products for a long time. While I did explore some of their shampoos and conditioners, it is the styling range of products that keeps me going back to this brand. Let us take a closer look at their popular styling products to find out more about them and see if any of these could work in your haircare routine as well.
The styling product that I have purchased the most, is by far the KEVIN.MURPHY FREE.HOLD styling cream. Before I dive deeper into the characteristics of the product, I have to say that I am a big fan of the packaging of their styling products. Not only do they look very original and aesthetic, their form factor is convenient and easy to use. Recognizable by its green color, the free hold styling cream has a medium level hold. I would argue that it isn’t strong enough to keep your hair up if you have a thick, heavy quiff. But for short to medium length hair or longer hair that isn’t styled upwards, it definitely works. It is packed with ingredients that nourish your hair and take care of the health of your scalp. Let’s not forget about the elephant in the room: this product smells really good. It smells a bit like vanilla, but not in a bland way but in a rather unique, rich way. The smell of this styling product is so strong that you could skip your regular fragrance and use this to smell nice to anyone nearby. Conclusion: get it! If you are a bit unsure if this one is right for you, perhaps trying the smaller size would be wise.
Next up is KEVIN.MURPHY NIGHT.RIDER, which comes in the sophisticated black box. In contrast to the previous product which was more creamy, this one is more of a paste with the texture of a clay. You need to take a tiny bit of this and warm it up by rubbing it into your hands before you apply it in your hair. Night Rider is the strongest styling product from the ones that I own, and can really keep your hair in place if that is what you desire. If you have a certain style or look in mind, this one will lock it into place. The brand says that it works better with shorter hairstyles, and I agree. In terms of smell, Night Rider has a distinctive smell too. It does smell like a haircare product, which it is, but not as simple as an ordinary drugstore styling product but a bit more upmarket. It is not an offensive smell and can easily blend together with your fragrance without being overpowering. Also, by keeping your hair strongly together, it locks in all that important moisture. If you tend to rock shorter hairstyles and want a nice product that doesn’t take center stage in terms of smell, this one works.
Last but not least is the show stopper, and arguably my favorite product from the brand, and that is KEVIN.MURPHY ROUGH.RIDER. The packaging looks similar to Night Rider, but has a slightly lighter tint (at least my batch has). It is less strong than Night Rider, which means that it is more moldable. You need to warm up the product in your hand balm too, but it has a lot more flexibility once it sits in your hair. This allows you to restyle your hair during the day and keep it in that exact spot. It has a matte effect, so your hair will not be shiny. Next to these product attributes, there is one characteristic where Rough Rider wins by a landslide: the smell. I would go as far as saying that this is the best smelling haircare product I have come across. Safe to say: if they would release it as a fragrance, I would buy it. It smells dark, seductive, warm, with a hint of caramel. The product itself has a brown, caramel color too. You do not need to use a lot of it, and a little goes a long way here as well. For short to medium long hair that could or should be restyled during the day, this product is your winner.