If you like hair-care lines with clever, colorful packaging, sexually charged names, and a philosophy that is a combination of fairytales and mythology, welcome to TIGI. Most of TIGI’s claims are such that a consumer must either be completely gullible or have a really good sense of humor. Either way, you will still find products that can help you create gorgeous hairstyles.
Founded in 1986 by the Italian brothers, Toni and Guy Mascolo, TIGI grew into an international brand sold in dozens of countries and was recently purchased by Unilever (of Dove Beauty Bar fame) for $414 million. That most likely means more changes coming to the line, but it certainly demonstrates the company’s growth and attractiveness as a hair-care industry leader.
TIGI’s educators (and the company’s fervent belief in teaching all aspects of haircutting and styling to the salon owners and staff who sell their products) are admirable, and they have a well-earned reputation as trendsetters in the salon industry. But, don’t let the unconventional packaging and often risqué names fool you—this line really does take hair care and styling seriously, and they have some outstanding products to prove it.
Of course, TIGI, like most other lines, also has several products that are both standard and overpriced or that contain irritating ingredients that won’t make your scalp happy (especially with daily use). This isn’t a salon line to shop with reckless abandon, but there are enough unique products (as far as hair-care products can be original) to make TIGI stand out as a line worth exploring.
There are three main categories within the TIGI hair-care brand: Bed Head, Catwalk, and S-Factor. The largest and likely most well-known is Bed Head. What began as a twist-up styling wax quickly multiplied into an entire range of products designed to give users that casual, intentionally messy, slept-in look that’s still going strong today.
Catwalk is the second largest category, and these are the products that, while differing little formula-wise from the Bed Head products, are marketed to the fashion-forward consumer looking to create runway-perfect hair others will covet. Catwalk isn’t as exciting or innovative as Bed Head, but there are some good products.
The newest category of products from TIGI is called S-Factor, but I think the “S” must stand for “spendy” because that’s the only feature that really stands out in this group. S-Factor products are the most expensive TIGI products, but the price is nothing more than marketing smoke and mirrors. Nothing you’ll find in the S-Factor category is worth its price, although most of the products are commendable in their own right. I suspect TIGI created this sub-brand to compete with the crop of high-end salon lines such as Kerastase and Fredric Fekkai. After all, those brands are doing very well, so clearly there’s a market for shampoos and styling products costing upwards of $25. Sigh. It’s sad how many people are duped into believing that expensive means better in the world of hair care (and that includes the many salon professionals who would swear TIGI is the best of the best, bar none).
For more information about Unilever-owned TIGI, call (800) 259-8596 or visit
www.tigihaircare.com. Either of these resources can also direct you to a Toni and Guy salon.