Having voluminous hair was never really a concern for me (I was lucky enough to be blessed with thick, full head of hair)…until I started losing it. My hair loss was less medical and more cosmetic: I bleached my hair not once, but twice, in a two month period with a colorist I should have done more research on. rapid PSA—not all colorists work well with bleaches or blondes, so be sure to his investigation.
As with many drastic hair changes, my new bleached blonde hairstyle was brought about by a life change. I loved it until i started noticing my hair falling out due to severe and irreversible damage. I had no choice but to be patient and allow time to heal and regrow all my hair, which was one of the most humiliating and horrible experiences of my life. Once it grew back, it was never the same again.
A side effect of my new growth, and my whole new head, was that my hair lost its normal volume and couldn’t hold a curl the way it used to. In the several years since I grew my hair back and tried whatever product I could get my hands on to mimic the volume I used to have, none of the products lasted more than a few hours of styling. So when I heard that one of my favorite restorative brands that was helping nurture my hair back to health was releasing a volumizing mist that promised long-lasting, salon-like volume, I knew I had to try it. Enter: Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist ($30). Formulated with Olaplex’s patented bond building technology, I was hoping the product would finally be the cure for my hair volume woes.
Before its recent launch, I was invited to try the Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist at Suite Caroline Salon in New York City, with celebrity hairstylist Teddy Charles and his team. As I looked in the salon mirror excited to try the product, my only request, to truly witness the scope of what the product could do, was to make my hair as full as possible. The stylist sprayed my roots wet, went to work, and before he knew it, my hair looked full, bouncy, shiny, and overall HEALTHY looking.
I later learned that this is exactly what the product was designed to do: “It creates long-lasting body and vitality, protecting hair so it looks soft, shiny and visibly healthy,” explains Lavinia Popescu, Olaplex’s scientific director. “It’s clinically proven to speed dry time, provide moisture resistance, and protect from heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The Ingredients That Make All These Good Hair Day Vibes Possible
Popescu tells me the mist is formulated with jackfruit polysaccharides and advanced polymers to create soft, smooth blowouts for long-lasting body. Meanwhile, he says, “Bamboo Extract Lipopeptide helps protect from styling damage and promotes style retention, and Pea Peptides plump, hydrate, and protect hair.” adds Popescu. Together they create volume and style that last longer and do not leave any product residue on the hair; Its use is also recommended to refresh the hair of the second day.
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How to use the Olaplex Blow Dry Volumizing Mist
If you’re ready to try this product at home, curly hair specialist and Olaplex ambassador Christin Brown explains exactly how to use the product: You should apply it to damp hair after you’ve detangled it, she says. “Right before you towel dry, spritz on a mist and work it all over, especially where you could use more volume than style as usual,” she adds. As it dries, she recommends using a round brush to lift up the roots. “I love that this mist is super lightweight and still gets the job done,” she says. Brown also likes to use it on dry hair to revive the second day.
What happened when I tried to add volume to my own hair?
I was ready to try using the product at home after keeping it professional blow dry for as long as i could. After washing and conditioning my hair (I used Olaplex shampoo and conditioner), I towel dried my hair and then sprayed the mist directly on my roots. I’m not an at-home do-it-yourself type of girl – I could never quite master holding a round brush and blowing my hair out (I’m just not that dexterous) and have yet to jump on the Dyson bandwagon, as straightening as it was. After using the iron to simultaneously straighten and curl my hair (that, ladies and gentlemen, is my talent), I was able to muster the dexterity to use a round brush and dry, just a little, my roots to seal in the volume. The result? My hair had volume and shine and best of all, no sticky residue.
