Southern Fried Ringlets and Sticky Buns: Garnier Anti-Humidity Hairspray

Photo Credit: CVS

So...I'd planned to review Sephora's new-ish Tokidoki lipgloss today. It's funny how we make plans and God laughs. Well, more like: we make plans and the UPS guy decides he doesn't feel like delivering your package, even though nowhere on the shipping agreement does it state I have to be home to sign for the package, and he's left them countless times before, including during thunderstorms. Then he laughs.

So...instead, here are my thoughts on Garnier Fructis Style Volumizing Anti-Humidity Hairspray ($4.49, CVS).

I'm a fan of Pantene Classic Hairspray. I've been using it for ages; ever since my friend, Danna, introduced it to me backstage at our University Opera Theatre. For some reason, twittery little sopranos (such as myself) tend to be cast in roles that require ringlets. Maybe it's because they shake when we hit high notes? I don't know...anyway, it held the curls without making my hair crunchy, and I became a devotee.

And now I can't find it. Blast!

So...I grabbed a bottle of the Garnier, after noting that it touted flexibility and--the Holy Grail of Southern Belle hairdressing--protection from humidity. Here's what CVS has to say about the spray:

All-day humidity resistance. With bamboo extract. Provides bounce-back hold. Extra Strong: 3. Garnier Fructis Style Hairspray Collection: Introducing our first ever hairspray with bamboo extract and anti-humidity protection for long-lasting hold and natural, healthy-looking movement. Why bamboo? Selected with its strength, suppleness and resilience, bamboo bends but never breaks. What is volumizing hairspray? This volumizing hairspray lifts from root to tip to boost flat, tired hair with body, fullness and an extra strong hold - even with moisture in the air - all day, every day. Meets all state and federal clean air standards. Made in Canada.

Alrighty, folks. Yesterday, I did a bad, bad thing to my hair. I put it in pincurls to try to make waves. I did this poorly. Hilarity ensued. Honestly, I looked like a cross between Carrot Top and...actually, there is no cross. I just looked like Carrot Top. *shudder*

Carrot Top
Photo Credit: BestofVegas.com

To fix this...let's call it an issue, I embraced the messiness, teased the crown a bit, and pulled the rest into a purposely disheveled bun. I even threw in a hair flower, so as to scream, "I MEANT TO DO THAT!!!" at passersby. I sprayed the abomination with the Garnier to fix some of the flyaways, and to try to keep the height.

It worked fairly well. The teasing deflated some over the course of the day, but not completely. The flyaways were also kept to a minimum. My only real complaint was that the spray felt sticky, but with this particular style, that's kind of a non-issue. No one's going to run their fingers through your bun.

Today, however, posed more of a challenge. I had to sing at a funeral this morning (totally business. I didn't know the deceased, so no need to panic over who died), so I needed to look a little more professional than usual. I decided to do a nice blowout, then set my hair with jumbo velcro rollers, heat with the hair dryer, then pull out the rollers for a sleek, polished, slightly curled under, voluminous straight style. In other words, newscaster/pageant queen hair. And it was GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! Oh, my God, I was so excited. Then I sprayed it.

It was like spraying gel into my hair. My beautiful style suddenly felt gummy, and the sleek, polished look gave way for a beachy texture! I was not happy. However, as soon as I ran a brush through the gunk, things started to look a little more like they were supposed to. Not exactly like it had been, but fairly close. My hair looked good.

I had to park three blocks from the church and walk in Southern humidity and wind. A quick brushing once I got inside the building, and I was good to go. Then, after Mass, I had to walk back to the car, drive to work, arrive almost late, run into the building, then run to my booth. Again, a quick brushing, and I looked just fine. After a couple of hours, I went to the restroom and noticed that my hair, while not as perfect as when the rollers came out, still had volume, movement, and very few frizzies. I won't say that the humidity didn't get to it at all, but my hair looked nowhere near as bad as it should for the amount of wind and weather it had been through.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10. It's a good finishing spray for updos and less-than-perfect loose styles. I wouldn't suggest it for your wedding, though, or any style that you want to keep "just so".