Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse REVIEW
I'm usually indifferent about hair mousses—or maybe I was going about them all wrong until I tried this one. The Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse by Oscar Blandi was somewhat of a game changer for me.
Now, I'm not sure if it's because this specific product is good, or if it's because I discovered the best way to apply a mousse, as both are true claims. I'll explain how I came to these conclusions. But before I get too far, let me make this statement:
I was not sponsored to write this post. However, this review does contain affiliate links. This just means I gain commission from sales, which helps me run my blog. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the product
I first received this Oscar Blandi mousse in a subscription box. I'm sure it was Boxycharm, though it was so long ago that my memory isn't serving me right. Either way, it sat in my bathroom cabinet until I decided to give it a shot.
On the company's website, this mousse is described as "Body beautiful. Achieve full, flexible, all-day hold. This breakthrough formula uses sodium hyaluronate to instantly give any hair type big volume."
I like to do a little digging when I write product reviews, as it turns out to be an educational experience for both of us. I researched what sodium hyaluronate was and found that it is a humectant (a substance used to reduce the loss of moisture). It's main benefits include improving dryness, replenishing the skin, and providing structure and volume. Clearly, in this mousse, it is mostly used for that final benefit: providing structure and volume.
(Source: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Sodium Hyaluronate)
Where you can buy it
I would recommend Amazon as the best and most efficient place to purchase this product. The Oscar Blandi website does advertise it, but they are currently out of stock, as of 03/06/21. If you are subscribed to Boxycharm, I've seen this product at a large discount when the BoxyPopUp is open.
How I used it
The instructions on the bottle say to "Shake well. Point nozzle down and spray into palm. Evenly distribute throughout damp hair from roots to ends. Apply heat for added fullness."
So this is exactly what I did.
I applied it to my roots when my hair was damp. I was at first worried that it was going to make my hair crunchy—you know, when you can feel the product in your hair and visibly see the way it separates the strands. I didn't have MUCH of an issue with this; however, applied by itself in this way without further action did not yield any special results. It just felt like I had product in my hair without the great appearance of additional volume or style.
Then I added the heat, as recommended to do. Using a round brush, I blow-dried my hair with the product in my wet roots. Though I didn't apply the product to my ends at all, brushing my hair while blow-drying it inevitably distributed some of that product to the entire lengths of my hair. The end result was soft, fresh-looking hair that was also textured and more voluminous.
Maybe this method is old news to the world, but it was mind-blowing to me! You couldn't even tell I had product in my hair to begin with, and the feel of the product—albeit not awful to begin with—became almost non-existent. The statement "Apply heat for added fullness" is less of a suggestion to me and more of a must-do. I don't believe I would've gotten the same results without blow-drying and brushing it through.
Here are a few selfies that show my freshly-done hair.
Discoveries and Additional Thoughts
I found out the coolest thing about this product, which definitely sets it apart in my mind. It not only gives volume to your hair, but it acts as a dry shampoo too. This feature is what sold me and made me want to write this review. It isn't advertised on the bottle, but the proof was there. My roots didn't get oily for days. I normally shower every 2-3 days, so when I got up to the 4-day mark with minimal oiliness, I thought, Hmm... I'm probably due for a good cleaning! I swear, this almost works BETTER than most dry shampoos, except it is best only applied to wet hair, making it less practical than dry shampoo.
Also, I'm not really sure where the "Thickening & Strengthening" part advertised on the bottle comes in. I'm not sure if these are additional benefits we just can't visibly see and that occur over time. Perhaps the appearance of more voluminous hair also comes across as "thicker" hair, but I don't know what connection the strengthening aspect has.
Closing Statement
This was a great addition to my hair styling collection. I could definitely see myself purchasing it again when I run out. It's relatively inexpensive too, at only $11 a bottle—granted, a 2 oz. travel size bottle, but I'm still using it after multiple applications.
I struggle to style my hair sometimes beyond my normal straightened look or the occasional curls, both because I'm not very good at it and because my hair is not the most voluminous. I've had lots of difficulties with more complex styles, like braids and up-dos. This product not only creates more volume, but it adds more texture so that hair styles stay in place better. I think almost anyone can benefit from using the Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse, yet if your hair is flatter and/or oftentimes difficult to manage, this product will be especially useful to you.
Click me to buy the product!
Until next time...
