In a never-ending quest to find haircare and hair tools capable of lifting my long, fine, flat hair, I’ve tried more products than I can admittedly recall. Where some of these products are immediate nos thanks to their texture, scent, or inability to volumize my strands for a long-lasting effect, others offer results that are nothing short of noteworthy. Case in point: the new Living Proof Volume & Root-Lifting Spray ($32) and Thickening Blow-Dry Cream ($32).
The Living Proof Full Collection
Before diving into what I love about the newly-released Living Proof Volume & Root Spray and Thickening Blow-Dry Cream, let me give you the rundown on the OG collection.
The Living Proof Full Collection is—as the name implies—designed to impart fuller-looking hair. The collection started with the Full Style Shampoo ($32) and Full Style Conditioner ($32), followed by the Full Thickening Mousse ($32), Full Thickening Cream ($32), and Full Root-Lift Spray ($32). On June 13th, the brand debuted the Full Volume & Root-Lifting Spray ($32), Full Thickening Blow-Dry Cream ($32), and Full Texturizing Foam ($32).
Of these, I’ve tried five: the shampoo and conditioner, plus the three newbies. All of the products feature a subtle floral scent that’s neither overpowering nor tantalizing. Where the shampoo is super thick and gelatinous (which I love), the conditioner is a bit thinner and leaves a bit to be desired on the texture front. Once my hair is dry post-use, though, it looks squeaky clean and lightly lifted, so no major complaints. Now, onto the styling products.
The stars of the show
The reason I enjoy using the Living Proof Volume & Root-Lifting Spray and Thickening Blow-Dry Cream so much is because of how the products work in tandem to strengthen, thicken, and lift my strands, all while smoothing them out for a salon-quality blowout at home. Both products deliver heat protection, and are designed to offer long-lasting lift without any sticky side effects. This is thanks to the brand’s Time-Released Styling Technology, which is formulated with its patented Thickening Molecule.
In terms of styling, I like to spritz the Volume & Root-Lifting Spray between the layers of my hair and concentrate the Thickening Blow-Dry Cream on my mid-lengths and ends. Where many thickening sprays leave my strands feeling gritty, and where most creams weigh down my ultra-fine hair, both of these products left my mane looking professionally styled. Best of all, the shaping I created with my Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler ($599) actually stayed put, so my hair didn’t look flat throughout the day.
It’s worth mentioning, though, that as well as these products volumized my strands and made for a lasting look, they didn’t do anything for frizz. As such, from now on, I’ll pair them with my beloved Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray Anti-Frizz Treatment ($28) to maintain the full lift sans frizz.
The product I could do without
Now, if you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned the Living Proof Texturizing Foam, there’s a reason. Of all the products, I felt that the Texturizing Foam just didn’t offer stellar enough results that I’d keep it in rotation. It minimally lifted, didn’t do much for hold, and didn’t offer anything for frizz. Plus, when massaged into my damp strands, it made my hair feel so textured and unmanageable, it was actually difficult to comb and style it. As my hair got drier, brushing got easier, but not enough for me to swoon over this newbie. That’s not to say it won’t work for someone else though!