I am no expert when it comes to hair – I prefer to be low maintenance when it comes to styling on an everyday basis, so I tend to look for products that can create nice textured hair without having to use much heat. A little background on my hair: it is relatively thick, it is naturally quite straight, and is very flat. Since I cut my hair shorter, I have paid more attention to adding more volume to my hair, as it is more likely to hold now I have less hair. There is a lot of hype around Charles Worthington products, and I have managed to make my whole routine full of them.
I love volumising shampoos – I have relatively greasy hair, and if I use anything too moisturising at the scalp, it builds up and I’d need to wash my hair again the next day. This shampoo is great for keeping my scalp clean – I usually wash my hair every other day, but with this one I could even leave it to the day after (with the help of dry shampoo, of course). This one is particularly good at creating voluminous styles as it very lightweight. The only downside perhaps is the scent. To me it smells a lot like Calpol…
The conditioner is also really lightweight, which is also great for not weighing down the hair. I only apply conditioner from the middle to the tips of my hair, and I find this moisturising enough for everyday use. If you have dry hair this may not be enough for you. It has a similar scent to the shampoo.
This has often been deemed as the dupe for the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray. I do agree that it is similar, but this has a much more hairspray-feel to it. To use this, I apply it on dry hair on the underneath sections of the hair near the roots. I find that this gives instant volume much like the Oribe offering, but has much more lasting power. This is probably my favourite product of the range – it gives lots of volume without having to tease or put that much effort in.
I admit, I’m a bit scared of mousse. Ever since the days that I used to use it to create those infamous crunchy wet-looking curls that everyone rocked in the Noughties, I have been quite put off the idea of it. However, I use this in the roots and through the lengths of the hair, brush through and then blow dry, and it creates great results. I find that mousse is the best product to use for true volume, and I find that the volume does last for a few days (with the help of the texturising spray of course). This product has made me want to try more volumising mousses – I am very interested in the Oribe mousse…
I thought it was mandatory to include an awkward selfie so I could show off my hair after having used all these products. Above is first day hair, where I blow dry it upside down until it is roughly 70% dry and leave the rest to dry naturally. I like that these products give my hair an effortless look, but still is nicely voluminous (at least compared to my incredibly flat hair anyway). I definitely recommend these products if you are on a budget and are looking to add some volume to your hair – I personally would much rather spend my money on makeup rather than haircare…
–RachelElizabeth