Pump Up the Volume

I was born with fine, stick-straight hair.

In our family, my sister was the winner of the genetic lottery, scoring a bountiful amount of thick, shiny tresses. My luck of the genetic draw, on the other hand, resulted in an alarming number of childhood hair-tastrophes.

For example, I was repeatedly forced to sleep in rollers only to have every hard-won curl fall out by 9 a.m.

My Dorothy Hamill cut ended up looking more "Pennsylvania Dutch Boy" than "perky figure skater."

I’ve had more horrific perms than I care to remember.

But, despite the failures, my quest for fabulous, voluminous hair continued well into my 20s. Someone had to have the answer. I sought out talented hairdressers and solicited their opinions. In each case, I’d leave the salon laden down with $100 worth of product that promised to transform my hair into the shiny, bouncy mane it was meant to be.

But, sadly, it rarely made a difference.

So, I learned to keep my yap shut in salons and continued to buy drug store products that promised volume but never really delivered. When I stumbled across a free sample for a new line of hair products by Sunsilk called “Daring Volume,” let’s just say, my hopes weren’t exactly high. I’ve heard similar claims of “soft, sultry volume” and hair “full of body and bounce” plenty of times before.  But, I’m an eternal optimist.  So, I figured I’d give it a shot.

My initial sample included the Sunsilk Daring Volume Shampoo, Conditioner, and Weightless Volumizing Crème. I’ve got to say, after the first use, I was pleasantly surprised. My hair seemed fuller and looked thicker. I stretched the sample out over four days and, after that, I went and bought a full-sized bottle of each.

What I like best about the Weightless Volumizing Crème in particular, is that my hair doesn’t feel caked with product. I’ve noticed with fine hair, it’s very easy for product to overpower and weigh it down, creating precisely the opposite effect I’m trying to achieve. Apparently, the Sunsilk secret is lightweight silicone that gives extra texture and volume and then evaporates over time, leaving hair feeling “light and lifted.” I’m not sure I understand it. I just know it seems to work for me.

Sunsilk recently came out with two new additions to the Daring Volume Line -– a Spray-On Mousse and a Volumizing Spray. Either one is designed to be used after you apply the Weightless Volumizing Crème. Both did a good job of giving my hair an additional “boost,” but I’m in love with the mousse. It really gave my hair more volume than the Volumizing Crème alone. (Even my mom commented, “Wow. Your hair looks really good. It usually looks flat.” Thanks, Mom.) The mousse has a unique applicator tip, which made it very easy for me to apply it directly to the roots (where they always tell you mousse should be applied, but always seems impossible to achieve). See?

The Volumizing Spray is like a spray gel that provides “all over volume” without leaving your hair feeling “crunchy.” I’m told the Volumizing Spray is fast becoming a bestseller.

I have noticed a significant difference if I use just the shampoo and conditioner and forget the styling product. In my opinion, the styling product is key to the Sunsilk line. It adds a ton more volume than if I go without it. So, if you’re going to give it a try, I’d recommend the shampoo, conditioner AND styling product. (I did not try either the mousse or the Volumizing Spray without applying the Weightless Volumizing Crème first. So I can’t speak to their effectiveness alone.)

The best part is the price point. All the products come in around the $3.50 to $4.50 mark and are widely available at mass market retail stores. Without a doubt, the Sunsilk products deliver a much bigger “bang for the buck” than anything I’ve found in a salon.

No amount of shampoo, conditioner or styling product will ever transform my hair into the likes of my sister’s. A girl’s gotta play the hand she’s been dealt, after all. But, it does pay to have an ace or two in the hole – and that’s why I’m happily sticking with Sunsilk.

There are five varieties of Sunsilk available to suit a wide range of hair types (including curly, wavy, straight, fine and chemical treated). You can actually request a free sample here. 

So, what do y’all think of the Sunsilk line? Anyone try any of the other varieties? For those with fine hair, what do you do to plump up your tresses? Come on, spill the beans.

I’ll see you in the comments.

Michelle blogs regularly about life and family at her personal blog, Life with Three.