Ask any person, and they’ll likely be able to tell you one personal beauty woe that outranks them all. For me, it’s my ultra-fine, perpetually-flat hair. As much as I love the length and color of my fiery red hair, its lack of volume remains a pain point for me.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not over here sulking about my strands but if there were a way to—I don’t know—trade volume with hair influencer Shay Sullivan or Lilly van Brooklyn, I would in a heartbeat. While I know that putting extra effort into my tresses could give them a bit more lift, the idea of spending upwards of an hour styling with hot tools and velcro rollers every few days feels dreadful, not to mention potentially stressful on my strands. (Although, that may also be because I’ve tried using them before and, despite TikTokers claiming that they’re so easy to use, I did not have such an experience…) Because of this, I like to rely on volumizing shampoo, conditioner, powders, and sprays to give my hair a welcome boost. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with R+Co’s volumizing treatments, like the Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo + Conditioner Set ($68) and the Rodeo Star Thickening Foam ($34). Now, I have yet another R+Co product to add to my list: the R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray ($36). (I have a thing for the brand, can you tell?!)
What I love most about this spray is that, unlike all my other R+Co faves, it’s designed to be sprayed into dry hair. Formulated with oil-absorbing silica, texturizing zeolite (a mineral that also absorbs excess sebum), moisture- and shine-enhancing calendula, and styling polymers that offer soft hold, the R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray works well to amp up dry hair at any state post-wash. When used immediately following a blow-dry, I find that it volumizes my strands for a soft, bouncy blowout appearance; when used two days post-shampoo, it absorbs oil at my roots while still imparting impressive lift. In both cases, it leaves my hair soft and shiny, never crunchy or weighed down the way some dry-styling sprays do.
The key to its softness comes from the addition of calendula. Many popular texturizing sprays rely on salt, sugar, and other “stiff’ ingredients to give hair that lifted, windswept look. The burst of calendula—a soothing flower that’s often used in scalp products to stimulate and nourish hair follicles—balances out the spray’s polymers for better hydration and movement. When combined with mica, it also gives tresses next-level shine.
Logistically, the R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray is vegan, as well as gluten-, paraben-, and cruelty-free. It has what the brand refers to as a “warm, romantic scent” with notes of bamboo, tangerine, pineapple, lavender, and cardamom. In that way, it not only makes my hair look good, it makes it smell heavenly, too. The best part? It’s sold in full-size (5-oz.) and itty-bitty (2-oz.) bottles, so it’s easy to always keep on hand, whether at your vanity or half a world away while traveling abroad.
Like I said, I don’t love my flat, fine hair, but R+Co’s texturizing spray makes getting along with them a bit easier.
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