My childhood bedroom reeked of Salon Selectives hairspray (tagline: "Like you just stepped out of a salon"), because like every girl who grew up in New Jersey in the 80's, I wanted my hair—specifically my bangs—to look big and teased just like Debbie Gibson's. (BTW, did anyone else wear Electric Youth perfume? I looooved that stuff.) My styling routine consisted of blow-drying my bangs while alternating between a vent brush and a round brush to achieve the ideal height and shape (the goal was a rainbow-like arc over my hairline with a few wispy pieces on my forehead—HOT). Once I was satisfied, I hit my 'do with ten pumps of my trusty Salon Selectives Maximum Hold Hairspray. Needless to say, my bangs were rock-hard and highly flammable.
When the mall hair look went the way of stirrup pants and scrunchies, I traded in my beloved hairspray for smoothing creams and anti-frizz serums. But recently I realized that hairspray has slowly crept back into my styling regimen and is now my absolute must have product. Here's why: Unlike the old formulas that practically glued your strands together, modern sprays add hold without stiffness in addition to doing a bunch of other great things including increase shine, fight frizz, protect against heat damage, and shield color-treated hair from UV rays. And when it comes to styling, hairspray has a multitude of uses beyond the obvious. For example, one of the best tricks I've picked up backstage during fashion week is to mist sections of hair with a flexible hold hairspray before wrapping them around a curling iron or running them through a flat iron to lock in the shape. I also use hairspray to keep my long bangs swept to one side, to tame flyaways, and on greasy roots (the alcohol helps dry up oil). Yet despite all its amazing uses, an informal poll of my friends and coworkers made it clear that hairspray is still considered something to be avoided like slouch socks and LA Gear sneakers (remember those?!)
So am I the only one who thinks hairspray is the ultimate styling must-have? Do you use hairspray? If so, how often and what brand? Tell me in the comments!
In case you're wondering which spray I like best, my current obsession is the new Garnier Fructis Style Flexible Hold Anti-Humidity Hairspray (the brand just launched a line of four great formulas). Even though it has the lightest hold level, it still keeps my hair in place, plus it forms a force field that blocks out humidity, which is key this time of year.
