People sometimes assume that because I have quite thick hair, I don’t need the help of volumising hair products. But the truth is, while my hair has full bounce and volume after shampooing, my hair can look lank and flat at the roots after a couple of days (hello, dry shampoo). By day two or three, my hair can look a bit limp and lifeless.
Similarly, I never like my lengths to look too polished (I’m all for the undone, tousled texture and piecey waves), which is why I like to keep texturising sprays on hand to add some much-needed body and texture to both my roots and lengths before my next hair wash. And one of the styling products I get asked the most about is the cult Living Proof’s Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray (£31).
(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)
And while I’m a huge fan of many of Living Proof’s hair products, I am somewhat ashamed to say that up until recently, I’d never actually tried it. So, I decided to put this volumising and texturising hairstyling product to the test over the past month to see if it can truly deliver on its promises.
Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray, Reviewed
Living Proof
Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray
Pros
- Adds weightless volume and texture
- Creates lift at the roots
- Adds texture to lengths
- Lasting hold
- No chalky residue
- Includes heat protection
- Fresh scent
Cons
- It can feel gritty in the hair if you’re using a lot of it
How Does It Work?
It’s a styling and finishing spray that’s designed to add lasting volume and texture on dry hair, making it ideal for reviving your hair in between hair washes. You can spritz it into the roots for lift, or mist it through the lengths to create a lived-in texture. It does so by depositing lightweight molecules onto the hair that increase the space between each strand, helping to create body while absorbing excess oils that can weigh down your lengths.
It contains heat protection up to 210°C, so you can also use it in tandem with hair tools, such as the Dyson Airwrap, hair rollers or other hair multistylers that you can use on dry hair for extra volume and hold. But it can also be used as a quick texturising spray through the lengths if you’re just after some more texture.
My Hair Before
When it comes to hair styling products, I keep a tight edit of trusted sprays to hand. I’d been loyal to a couple of other texturising sprays, but was intrigued to see what the Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray could do for me.
It has an aerosol applicator that generously mists with a gentle press of the mechanism (a little goes a long way!). I’d describe the texture as similar to that of a dry shampoo, but without the chalkiness. There’s no heavy residue here, and it doesn’t leave a trace on the hair at all (even on my brunette colour).
I tested it both on my roots as well as through the lengths of my hair, to see how it would fare at adding volume and texture. I decided to test it both on unstyled third-day hair without heat, and also as a styling product while using my Dyson Airwrap to add volume and hold to a bouncy blow-dry.
On Unstyled Hair
When misting it through my unstyled lengths, I was amazed at how much more volumised my hair looked. In the above image, I’ve used it on the right and you can see how much fuller it looks. A little goes a long way, so you only need a small amount at the roots for noticeable lift.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that you can feel the product in your hair. But that being said, it’s not sticky, powdery or greasy. There’s just a noticeable texture when you run your fingers through your hair. On the mid-lengths, it added a lived-in, tousled texture and made my hair feel incredibly thick. If you want your hair to look and feel thicker, this most definitely does the job.
On Styled Hair
My second test was using Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray as a styling accompaniment to my Dyson Airwrap. I get asked how to use the Dyson Airwrap a fair bit to actually get the curls to last, and I often recommend a texturising spray such as this one to help add volume to a bouncy blow-dry look. I used a little before styling on dry hair at the roots and a small amount through the lengths of each section and then styled as usual.
After curling, I then used a little more at the roots and through the lengths to finish. And I was gogsmacked by the volume, which was enough to probably make both Sabrina Carpenter and ’90s supermodels envious. I don’t think my hair has ever looked so full and big(I actually struggled fitting all my hair in the frame to take a selfie). I wouldn’t say it held the curls in place necessarily, but it did provide heaps of body and texture from the roots to the ends.
The Verdict
If you have fine or thin hair and want more volume and texture in your lengths, then I’d highly recommend this styling product. And even if you don’t, it’s a great product to have on standby for when your roots need some lift, or you want to create that piecey, tousled texture through your mid-lengths.
The trade-off is that you will feel the product residue in your hair, as that is what creates the scaffolding and grit for the volume and texture. So if you’re set on keeping the feeling of freshly washed hair, you might want to pass on this product. However, for the volume and texture it delivers, it’s a compromise I’m willing to take for the most voluminous hair I’ve laid eyes on, even in between wash days.
It’s also worth noting that this product smells stunning (think the scent of freshly shampooed hair) that follows you around throughout the day, and the product isn’t chalky, powdery or heavy. There’s some grittiness there, but you can still easily run your fingers or a hairbrush from root to tip without things feeling gunky. I’ll be keeping it on standby for days when I want to add oomph to my hair. It also comes in a mini size if you want to try it before committing to a full-sized bottle.
Shop Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray
Living Proof
Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray
Living Proof
Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray