Stylists and at-home users who want a structure styling cream rather than a lightweight gel or paste.

• Short to medium hair lengths
• Fine, normal, or coarse hair structures
• Straight, wavy, or curly textures
• People building accentuated, sculpted looks with visible shine rather than a matte or undone finish

Superego is built specifically for defined, structured shapes rather than the tousled, undone texture some Creative Texture products aim for — its cream base and carnauba wax content give it noticeably more shine and hold than a matte-finish paste, so it works well when a look needs to read as polished and sculpted rather than piecey. The UV-filter and elastomer combination also means it doubles as light protection against heat-tool and sun-related colour fade while you style.

Work a small amount of Superego through towel-dried or dry hair with your fingers, starting at the roots and moving to the ends. Shape as desired using your fingers, a comb, or a blow-dryer; a flat iron or curling iron can be used afterward to set the structure. For extra hold, finish with a Goldwell StyleSign hairspray.

Pros: the VP/VA copolymer and PVP film-formers deliver strong, long-lasting hold that resists humidity, while carnauba wax and cetearyl alcohol give the finish its shine without feeling greasy once it's worked through. The elastomer-and-UV-filter combination (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) helps shield colour-treated hair from fade caused by sun and heat tools.

Cons: petrolatum and mineral oil sit near the top of the ingredient list, so the cream feels heavier than a gel and suits short-to-medium lengths better than long, fine hair. The preservative system includes methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben, which some shoppers choose to avoid.