TRIED AND TESTED: 4 new supermarket shampoos, including the much-hyped $10 Monday brand.

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your weekly review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellness. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Senior Lifestyle Writer Amy Clark reviews four new supermarket shampoos, including the $10 pink Monday brand you’ve seen everywhere.

Because we’re friends, I’m going to tell you about my superpower.

No, I can’t fly and sorry, I still haven’t mastered winged eyeliner (yet). My superpower is… washing my hair. Sounds lame, but I’m convinced nothing can make you feel instantly better than a freshly-washed head of hair.

I uncovered this superpower years ago when I was off work sick for two weeks. One arvo, instead of staying in bed for the third day in a row thinking, ‘why bother?’, I decided to make the small effort of walking to the shower and washing my hair. Even though it felt like a really big effort at the time. With soft, clean hair, I felt infinitely brighter.

WATCH: Here are five ways to make every day a good hair day. Post continues after video.

In my ‘normal’ life, I wield this power whenever I’m home from work sick or feeling sad. But now I’m spending all my time at home and could very easily go weeks without touching a shampoo bottle, washing my hair every second day (OK, maybe third) is a tool I use to lift myself up when I’m down. It makes me feel that bit fresher while working from home, and a lot less grot-like.

It’s for this reason I’ve been trialling HEAPS of new supermarket shampoos and conditioners recently, including that buzzy $10 Monday brand. You know, those pink bottles you’ve been seeing all over your Instagram feed.

People will always debate whether supermarket shampoos are as good as more expensive products. The answer is complicated but what we do know is more and more mass brands are reformulating to make sure their products don’t have silicones, parabens and SLS (sodium lauryl sulphates) in them, which can be harmful for curly, textured and dyed hair (silicone is a tough one though because it’s what gives you that irresistibly soft hair). Also, now is as good a time as any to discover some great affordable beauty buys.

On that note, I bring you four excellent shampoos and conditioners my uncoloured hair has been loving sick, all under $25 and available at the supermarket.

Want to learn about silicones in shampoos? Get this episode of the You Beauty podcast in your ears below. Post continues after audio.

Best new supermarket shampoos and conditioners.

1. Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner, $7.99 each.

Pantene has always been such a crowd pleaser. Who doesn't remember watching their commercials and longing for shiny TV hair that generates its own wind?

Even though so many people love this supermarket brand, its issue was it wasn't technically that 'great' for your hair, until now. The brand has recently reformulated and repackaged (the new packaging has 0 per cent on the front).

The shampoo no longer contains silicone, and both the shampoo and conditioner are now free of parabens, mineral oils and colourants. If you love that silky, slippy finish you get from silicone products, don't worry - it's still in the conditioner. That's why I can’t stop touching my hair after washing it with these two, it's ridiculously soft.

If you're worried about the conditioner weighing your hair down, remember: use less than you need, and only on your hair from the ears down.

2. Monday Sensitive Shampoo and Smooth Conditioner, $10 each.

Now, onto the super chic pink bottles you've been seeing EVERYWHERE.

I held off trying this brand because I didn’t want to like them, purely because they've taken over my Instagram feed and I'm a highly sceptical person. Alas, I conceded and trekked to Coles to try them in the name of research. And I have to admit, they are pretty damn good.

The brand claims to be "changing the hair game" with their "salon-quality" products priced at $10 for 350ml and $20 800ml. The range is only available at Coles and comes in four types - smooth, repair, sensitive and volume.

The reviews have been mixed so far. In our You Beauty Facebook group, some say they're loving it while others reckon it's overrated. I wouldn't go as far as saying the products are as good as more expensive brands, but for the price, I'm impressed. The bottles are chic as sh*t, they have a lovely fragrance (might be a bit strong for some) and my hair looked brilliant after blow drying and felt so soft.

They are also very similar to the Kristin Ess shampoo and conditioner products that came out in 2018. These products also divided opinion, so if you don't like Kristin Ess, you probably won't like Monday. Again, use less product than you think you'll need and avoid conditioner on your roots if you're worried about them getting oily too quickly.

3. Garnier Fructis Shampoo Oily Roots Dry Ends Shampoo and Conditioner, $5.45 each.

Leigh Campbell recommended this duo as her savey affordable buy on the You Beauty podcast a few weeks back, so naturally, I needed to try it.

The formula is specifically designed to cleanse the scalp for less oily roots, and deliver hydration to parched, crunchy ends. It's hard for one product to do both and this one succeeds.

The products smell INCREDIBLE and the shampoo lathers up nicely. While they weren’t quite hydrating enough for me, which is easily fixed with some hair oil before drying, my roots didn’t get greasy as quickly so that's a win.

4. Maui Moisture Hibiscus Water Shampoo and Conditioner, $22 each.

Yes, $22 a bottle seems outrageous compared to the cheaper products listed above, but this shampoo and conditioner duo is a winner.

This brand is loved by women with curly hair because the formulas are free from all the things that frizz your strands like silicones, parabens, SLS, surfactants, synthetic dyes etc. They're also vegan and eco-friendly.

I almost didn't try these because the packaging is a bit average but I was pleased to find they do exactly what they promise - deliver lightweight hydration that gives my hair the drink it needs without weighing it down. And they smell really yum, too.

Finally, I'd like to leave you with a few tips on how to get the best out of your hair washing efforts.

• I always shampoo twice to really clean my scalp - if you have a more expensive shampoo you love, use a cheaper one first and then go in with the exxy stuff second.
• Apply conditioner from the ears down to prevent your roots from getting oily and heavy.
• Just when you're about to get out of the shower, blast your hair on the coldest water setting.
• Avoid brushing your hair when it's wet because that's when it's at its weakest.
• Apply a hair oil sparingly (or in my case, generously) through your mid lengths and ends before air drying or blow drying.
• Leaving your hair wrapped up in a hair turban for a few minutes/hours does half of the blow drying work for you. Any cheap one will do.
• If you blow dry your hair, blast it with the cold setting at the end to seal your hair cuticles for a frizz-free finish.
• Sleep on a silk pillowcase to keep hair frizz-free after washing. Or, if you're really extra like me, pop on a silk sleeping cap. It's a look.

Feature image: Supplied/@theamyclark.

Have you tried any of these new products? Tell us about it in the comments below!

You can catch up on our previous Tried and Tested reviews here:

• TRIED AND TESTED: 3 new mascaras under $25 that'll make your eyes look alive on video calls.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I slept in this $7 hair mask and woke up with the softest hair of my life.
• TRIED AND TESTED: The $50 sparkly Sand & Sky 'Body Sand' with a 10,000 person waitlist.
• TRIED AND TESTED: I tried 7 cult setting powders in 7 days to see which ones stay all day.
• TRIED AND TESTED: A celeb spray tanner gave me his 7 tanning commandments. They're game-changing.
• TRIED AND TESTED: "I tried the Kardashian-style wig that genuinely looks like real hair."