The Contenders:
Redken Iron Shape 11 Finishing Thermal Spray, $17, vs. Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray, $5.79

The Breakdown:

Every time I curl or flat iron my hair without first using Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray, I feel liked I've missed an important step. The convenient spritz bottle makes distributing this stuff throughout my hair easy, and I my hair is shinier and softer after heat styling every time I prep with Tresemmé.

Redken's Iron Shape 11 does a similar job of protecting my hair from frying under the heat of so many styling tools. Even the smell is almost the same. But the bottle doesn't have Tresemmé's clever design, so the product doesn't distribute quite as nicely as you spray. The formula itself is comparable, but for the spray mechanism alone, the drugstore dupe gains an edge.

The Winner:
Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray

The Contenders:
Show Beauty Lux Volume Mousse, $47, vs. OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Voluminous Mousse, $9.99

The Breakdown:
Show Beauty's packaging is so gorgeous, it's hard to believe it's disposable. But if anyone can resist being hypnotized by a pretty bottle, I can. (I tend to root for the underdog). Still, when applied to the roots, the bombshell volume this mousse gives otherwise dry, blah hair lives up to its fancy exterior.

OGX hair products typically impress me — they don't seem like typical drugstore fare — and their volumizing mousse with argan oil offers more shine than the Show. But the OGX has that manufactured beach smell that instantly rings drugstore (unlike Show's decadent fragrance), and the volume isn't quite at Show's level. If you're passionate about your mousse, this one might be worth the extra dough.

The Winner:
Show Beauty Lux Volume Mousse

The Contenders:
Moroccanoil Treatment, $43, vs.. Suave Professional Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil, $7.29

The Breakdown:
I figured it'd be hard to compete with the original Moroccanoil, which was really the first multi-purpose argan oil treatment of its kind. This stuff is famous for its silky, golden texture, musky smell and ability to infuse dry or wet hair with instant moisture. Everyone who knows anything about hair care swears by it.

So you'll have to trust me when I say I was veritably scandalized when I actually liked the Suave version more. First of all, the smell is like the Moroccanoil, but better — sweeter, muskier. I applied this to dry ends in the office and couldn't stop smelling them. The product's color, texture and ingredients are very similar to the Moroccanoil, but I actually prefer that it's slightly less greasy. Both products are great, but for a sixth of the price, I might just be a Suave convert.

The Winner:
Suave Professional Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil

The Contenders:
Living Proof Curl Defining Styling Cream, $28, vs. Tigi Bed Head Foxy Curls Contour Cream, $19.99

The Breakdown:
The curly-hair struggle is real enough without having to suffer through bad (and expensive) curl creams. Luckily, we tested these products from Living Proof and Tigi Bed Head, and are happy to report they are both worth your time.

When applied to damp hair, the Living Proof has a surprisingly lightweight texture and a subtle, spa-like scent that won't clash with your perfume. Let your hair air-dry, or heat style with a diffuser, and you'll end up with defined, frizz-free ringlets that aren't crunchy or weighed down.

Applied and styled the same way, the Tigi also leaves you with frizz-free curls — though the finish is slightly different. This fruity-smelling drugstore find has a thicker texture and is supermoisturizing — more so than its high-end counterpart — and you wind up with curls that are glossier and more hydrated. We also determined you can get away with going longer without washing your hair after using the Tigi, which is a major bonus.

The Winner:
Tigi Bed Head Foxy Curls Contour Cream

The Contenders:
Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, $27, vs. John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray, $9.99

The Breakdown:

In a battle of the cult classic salt sprays, we were eager to put the drugstore and high-end versions to the test. Apply a salt spray to dry or wet hair and ideally you'll end up with a subtle, tousled finish that looks as if you just stepped off the beach. The results are less volumized and more natural than those of a texture spray, but on a bad day, they'll be stringier and more tangled, as well.

Though Bumble and Bumble's surf spray is a fan favorite, our editors were unanimous — the John Frieda offers prettier, more perfectly tousled waves. The texture doesn't end up crunchy, frizzy or flat. And it doesn't hurt that John Frieda's scent is nostalgic and beachy, whereas the Bumble and Bumble smells a bit soapy. In other words, this stuff makes us especially glad the Beach Blonde line came back to life.

The Winner:
John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray, $9.99