Living Proof Hold Flexible Hairspray

Living Proof has a new hair spray, and it's definitely worth checking out! I saw Living Proof Hold Flexible Hairspray ($24) at Sephora last weekend. Having recently started using - and loving - Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair, I was intrigued.

Hair spray and I have such a difficult relationship. I need hair spray, but hate hair sprays that are heavily scented or make my hair stiff as a board. That rules out a lot of respected products. So, at Sephora, the first thing I did was spray the tester on my arm to check for fragrance. This one has a fragrance, but it's fresh and citrusy. I can deal with that, especially since the fragrance fades over the day.

What doesn't fade is its holding power. It holds my style! Here's what Sephora and Living Proof say in describing it.

Hold Flexible Hairspray modernizes hairspray and allows you to maintain your style without fear of collapsing [editorial note: I assume they mean without fear of your hair style collapsing]. Featuring the revolutionary No Frizz technology, Hold is perfect for all hair types. It effectively blocks humidity, adds shine, and protects style. Hold's technology is buildable - the more you spray the firmer the hold - but without flaking and dullness.

Here, more or less, is what the can says.

Humidity is your hair style's #1 enemy - making some hair frizzy and other hair limp and flat (mine included). That's why Living Proof's scientists invented PolyfluoroEster, a new molecule featured in Hold Flexible Hairspray that prevents the damaging effects of humidity. Hold can be layered for a light or strong finish, leaving your hair soft and natural feeling.

The first time I used it, I think I held the can too close to my hair when I sprayed. As a result, I got a heavy dose. My hair is so fine, it's easy to overdo hair spray. The second time I used it, I was better with the distance and nozzle, and I succeeded in spraying just the right amount of product for an effective all-day hold. Nice!

Living Proof has developed legions of fans with its frizz-fighting products. I checked out the reviews on Sephora's Web site after I came home with my new hair spray, and they were overwhelmingly good. It appears that Living Proof has another hit on its hands!

You can purchase this hair spray at Sephora, where I got mine. Or you can buy it at Living Proof's Web site. Let me know what you think!

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair

Yesterday, was a rainy day - just the sort of day that would make all my broken hairs break for freedom from my hair style and stick out, creating what I call frizz (it's what we straight-haired gals call frizz). I have had Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair ($14-35) at my house for more weeks than I can count, and I always forgot to try it. I didn't have much luck with the Living Proof shampoo and conditioner, but I wasn't going to give up on a brand that so many women love.

I came across it Sunday night, and yesterday morning I knew I had the weather to try it. Our drizzly day gave it a difficult test, and the No Frizz Styling Spray passed with flying colors!

There are so many new hair products that offer genuine advances over what's been available to us in the past. Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Spray for Fine to Medium Hair offers the first new anti-frizz technology in over 30 years. No Frizz addresses the two causes of frizz - humidity and friction. It provides a superior, extremely thin humidity barrier on hair while reducing surface friction. The result is the most effective, lightweight frizz fighter on the market today, according to the company.

No Frizz formulas efficiently deliver PolyfluoroEster to the surface of the hair in one smooth, perfect layer, devoid of any extraneous additives. This spray styling aid is said to repel dirt and oil so you can go longer between shampoos. It also works as a touch-up tool and an effective detangler for all hair types. I can tell you it does repel humidity!

You spray it on wet hair before styling. The directions say 10 sprays for short hair, 15 for medium, and so on. I used 15. Then I did my usual blow dry/styling routine. Off I went to work in the drizzle. When I got to my desk, I was astonished that my frizz was non-existent! My hair style had held, and it held all day. The frizz was banished all day too. Amazing!

There are two versions of this spray: one for fine-to-medium hair and one for medium-to-thick hair. They are referencing the texture of your hair, not its volume.

I think the styling product that stays in your hair, rather than the shampoo or conditioner you wash out (they have a different purpose), is going to best determine how your hair style behaves during the day. I'm keeping this one in my bag of tricks! I'll even use it on dry days.

You can purchase Living Proof products at Sephora, where I purchased mine.

Update: I just saw that my friend Kelly at Gouldylox Reviews has a new post on Living Proof Styling Cream. Looks like Living Proof has another new fan club member.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Living Proof Shampoo and Conditioner

You have probably seen the advertisements for Living Proof's relatively new "no-frizz" hair care products. They have been prominently featured by Sephora, and I was intrigued from the get-go. Billed as revolutionary products featuring the first new anti-frizz technology in over 30 years, Living Proof's shampoos and conditioners promise to weightlessly hydrate the hair, effectively block humidity, and enhance shine for truly sleek locks. The key ingredient, PolyfluoroEster, is said to create an invisible shield on the hair shafts to lock in moisture and repel dirt and oil so that you can go longer between washes to "break the frizz and damage cycle."

Here's what I had read. "Whether you've got curly cues or stick-straight strands, at some point you'll be affected by the dreaded frizz—the annoying change in hair texture that takes you from slick to static in any humid situation." Bloggers were abuzz! The girls were loving this stuff, so I sprang for the shampoo and conditioner. Did they match their hype? Not for me!

As a rule, I don't like to write about products that don't perform - it's just not fun. Living Proof falls into its own special category. I actually liked the Living Proof Shampoo ($24) and Living Proof Conditioner ($24), when considered as regular hair care products, but I found that they did nothing at all to block humidity, prevent frizz, or give me an extra day between washes.

What's to like? They have a very nice, light fragrance that doesn't linger in my hair. The shampoo lathers well, and the conditioner is hydrating and detangling. They provide bounce and shine. I used them up - emptied each container.

I have straight fine hair, so it's not hair one would call frizzy. However, like most women, I have some damage: a split end here and there and some broken hairs all over. It's the damage that creates what I call frizz. Unless they are plastered down, humidity makes the damaged hairs want to stand up and look disorderly. The Living Proof products did nothing to prevent that. Perhaps I should have used the No Frizz Straight Making Styling Spray ($24), but I wanted to see if the shampoo and conditioner lived up to their promises before I invested. I don't think I'll be spending that money.

It's certainly possible that I was a bad test subject! If you have truly frizzy hair and have tried these products, please tell us about your experience in the comments.

You can purchase Living Proof products from Sephora.

Photo courtesy of Sephora