I’ve written previously about having fine hair. I’ve struggled with it my whole life. That’s a slight exaggeration. I’ve probably battled my hair since puberty, which is when I really started to care about making it looking a certain way. And I wanted it to look thicker, shinier and to stay in place once I fixed it. I think I’ve tried virtually every product I could afford (and some I couldn’t) if that product promised fuller, thicker,and/or shinier hair. So when one product comes along promising all of the above, I’m intrigued. The product in question – Moroccanoil® Luminous Hairspray. The hairspray comes in 2 options – medium and strong hold. I’ll be reviewing the “Strong Hold” version.

What You’re Promised: Moroccanoil® states this product is ideal for all hair types and says it’s “a flexible hairspray for building long-lasting styles with movable yet strong hold.” The company also describes this spray as “lightweight and workable,” stating that it “brushes out easily and leaves no flakey or sticky residue.” Sounds great so far. But the line that really hooked me was Moroccanoil’s promise that this “firm-hold finishing” spray, “blankets hair in a reflective shield of shine that fights fizz and humidity,” and is “infused with a combination of advanced ingredients, including antioxidant-rich argan oil.” So you’re telling me, this hairspray provides strong hold; builds texture; fights frizz while providing shine and antioxidant ingredients – and all without leaving any sticky residue or flaking behind; AND infusing my hair with that glorious Moroccanoil® fragrance? Wow! That sounds the like the only product I’ll ever need. Ever! Sign me up!

Price: $10 for 2.5 oz. or $24 for 10 oz. (per Moroccanoil® website). Certified stylists may purchase for lower prices at stylists-only beauty supply stores.

Where to Buy: Moroccanoil® recommends the purchase of their products from professional salons. Find a Moroccanoil® salon near year through this link. You can also purchase Moroccanoil® products online from their site store. Non-affiliated online mega-stores such as Amazon.com and eBay also sell this product for similar prices. However, Moroccanoil® strongly opposes sales of its products outside of professional salons. Read more about the company’s stance here.

What You Get: A medium to fairly strong hold hairspray that helps build texture for styling and thickness and works as a finisher to hold styles in place, providing a small amount of luminosity without obvious shimmer and zero stickiness. This is not a stand-alone styling product so don’t toss all your other styling products. This product can replace that so-so hairspray and/or texturizing spray you’re not sold on. And it makes your hair smell terrific!

Scent: This hairspray has the same deliciously ethereal signature Moroccanoil® scent that is instantly recognizable but strangely indescribable. In fact, most review sites include comments calling the brand’s signature scent “pretty but hard to describe.” If I were to forced to describe it, I’d say it’s a unique clean floral with slight hints of musk and perhaps some vanilla. I find the scent more potent and longer-lasting in the aerosol products (i.e. hairspray) than in their original oil or cream-based treatments.

Hair-Beneficial Ingredients: Argan oil is present in this hairspray, but it’s 8th (2nd to last) on the ingredient list. The 1st ingredient is alcohol, and the 2nd is hydrofluorocarbon. Otherwise, the ingredients here are pretty standard for aerosol hairsprays. Be careful not to use this stuff near an open flame or near babies (moms of young children, i.e. me). Truth is, hairspray ingredients are almost all the same, especial among aerosols.  Here’s the full ingredient list:

Texture + Finish: As promised, this product is not sticky, and does not leave your hair with any tell-tale “you just lacquered your hair down with hairspray” white flakiness, even if you brush through it. It add some texture and thickness with successive applications.

What I Like/Love: I love the signature Moroccanoil® scent. It’s really beautiful and is the only thing I’ve found that rivals the Oribe scent. This product had good hold especially in comparison to previous Moroccanoil® hairspray I’d tried. I was especially impressed with the “memory” of this product in that my hair continued to return to the original style after several brush-throughs. It played nicely with styling products from several other brands and layered well, especially when compared to another product with similar promises from Sexy Hair (their Big Sexy Hair Get Layered).

What I Don’t Love: I was a little disappointed by the promised luminosity. It didn’t provide the type or level of shine and texturizing as I get from say, Oribe’s Aprés Beach Wave and Shine Spray (yes, I am totally obsessed with that product). This hairspray also doesn’t have the kind – wow shine of say, Nick Chavez Starlet Shine Spray. On the other hand, neither of those offers the memory and hold of the Moroccanoil® Luminous Hairspray. Also, the amount of good-for-you ingredients is slightly overstated. Most of the ingredients are standard for most hairsprays. The Argan oil is present, but it’s the 2nd to last ingredient on the list, so keep that in mind and keep your expectations in check.

DBW Rating and Summary: If you’re looking for a multi-tasking product that offers hold, some thickness without stickiness or flaking, along with a little shine and that great Moroccanoil® scent, then this may be a wise purchase for you, especially if you don’t tend to overuse hairsprays. If you’re looking for a straightforward hairspray product to hold your style in place – and you’re less concerned about scent, buildable texture, thickness or shine, then you’ll likely find this product too expensive. Something like Sebastian Shaper Plus or the excellent generic equivalents would be your best bet.

So while this hairspray won’t be replacing all my styling products, it has replaced the Big Sexy Hair Get Layered (which I’ve given away) and I’ve almost completed retired Starlet Shine Spray (still in a drawer somewhere but likely to be given away soon).

Additional Product Review Sites:
1. Total Beauty Reviews (10 / 10 highest rating)
2. Makeup Alley Reviews (3.7 / 5 lipsticks; NOTE – Composite score includes reviews for both Medium and Strong holds Moroccanoil® Luminous Hairsprays. Individual reviews for strong hold formula appear to be higher than medium hold version.)
3. Influenster Reviews (4.6 / 5 stars)

Full product info available at the Moroccanoil® product page located here.

Wisdom for the Day:
“I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do,[a] not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear.” ~I Timothy 2:9 (God’s Word Translation)
Read more here.