BUDGET HAIR PRODUCTS VS BRANDED HAIR PRODUCTS
(HAIRSPRAY)
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This series was initially inspired by a vlogger/blogger Robin James. He’s got a YouTube video and has a blog so make sure you check his channel and blog out. Links will be at the bottom of the article.
The idea of a more expensive product being of higher quality and cheaper products being the opposite, we believe is not true. Some will argue that expensive products are made from higher quality materials/ingredients, therefore, they tend to perform better. But with the hair care industry becoming more and more competitive in the pricing category it is very possible to find very high-quality products at cheap prices.
We decided to test a few budget/cheaper hairsprays vs expensive hairsprays. We listed 10 hairsprays 5 budget hairsprays and 5 expensive hairsprays. None of the products mentioned were sponsored so that the experiment is fair.
Rate out of 10, 10 being the best
BUDGET PRODUCTS
1- GOT2B BLASTING FREEZE
Price- Starting from £1.89 at Superdrug and boots
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Rate - 7
Got2b glue blasting is a very popular product. Why? Because it's cheap and very good at doing what it says. A 100ml bottle can be picked up from as little as £1.89 in Superdrug or boots. Got2b glue blasting hairspray is also available at many other online retailers and in store as well, so it is widely available to anyone.
Performance
The got2b glue blasting hairspray performed very well in windy conditions. We put the hairspray to the test in mild wind and even in on a very windy day which was forecasted with 15mph winds and it held up really well. The overall style we set in the first thing in the morning was still holding up at the end of the day.
We did find it was a little difficult to wash out when compared to other hairsprays we tried.
Packaging
The packaging is not the most elegant when compared to some of the expensive hairsprays we tested. It's actually one of the worst when it comes to purely appearance. Bearing in mind that the bottle is a bold yellow so you can’t really be discrete when using it in the public toilets for the quick touch-ups for example. But if you’re a user which will not be carrying this around then this is no reason why you should not buy this product.
There is a design element which helps the hairspray perform better. The nozzle. The nozzle has a similar appearance to an air hone but a less obvious. The shape helps the balanced dispersion of the hairspray so you won’t have parts of your hair with a lot of hairspray and other parts with none at all. This is something which is very clever.
2- SILVIKRIN MAX HOLD
Price- Starting from £1.49 at Superdrug and boots
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Rate - 6
This is another very popular hairspray amongst men. Again, this is due to its price point and performance. The product is a maximum hold 5 out of 5, there other variations of hold strengths by Silvikrin but this is the best one.
Performance
The performance of this product however was average. We found the product did not hold as well in mild-high wind speeds, actually, the whole initial hairstyle which was set at the start of the day fell apart. We found the if you touched your hair when you put this hairspray in the whole style will start falling apart slowly. This is a downfall of this product. We then tried this product on a sunny and hot day. The hairspray did better this time but again the humidity was high on this and obviously from sweat buildup through the day meant that the product again underperformed.
We recommend this product for people who want their hair to have very little hold so you can run your finger through it. This hairspray also does not perform well with long hair. So it will work great with men with short to medium length hair.
The product was fairly easy to wash out with only one shampoo we found that the hairspray washed out fine.
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Packaging
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The packaging is fairly simple. We found this with all of Silvikrin’s hairsprays. The nozzle could do with some work as it can easily get clogged up which is very frustrating. With that said the distribution of the hairspray was great.
3- TRESEMME FREEZE HOLD SALON FINISH
Price- Starting from £3.00 at Superdrug and boots
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Rate - 9
This hairspray was one of many Tresemme branded products we tried. Tresemme is a very well known brand in the hair care industry so the price was a bit of a surprise to us. We put this in the budget product list due to its price. This product is available from £3.00 in Superdrug or boots.
Performance
This was one of the best hairsprays we tested as it performed incredibly well. We tested the Tresemme freeze hold hairspray in mild wind with some strong winds at times and it held up very well. The hairstyle bounced right back into place. Overall at the end of the day, the hairstyle was the same hairstyle we left off with at the start of the day. The hairspray also did well in light foggy rain, even though the hair did seem to limp just a little we thought it did better in a wetter condition that some of the hairsprays we tested in a dry summers day.
Packaging
The packaging is fairly simple. The nozzle, however, did let us down a bit. We found the nozzle was very flimsy and felt cheap. It did not allow for good distribution of the hairspray. Other than that the product was great.
4- FUDGE URBAN MATT HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £5.00 at Amazon
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Rate - 4.5
This hairspray was the less popular choice of hairspray compared to the hairspray's we'd tested. It is also more expensive than most of the budget hairspray’s we’d tested. The product price starts from £5.00 on amazon and at Superdrug.
Performance
We looked at some reviews and they were not good. On Amazon, this product is rated a 3 out of 5. However, we still tested this product and the results were not so bad actually. The product had a matte finish which is stated in the name, therefore, we assume this is one of it’s selling factors. The matte finish, however, was not any better than for example Tresemme Freeze hold for example even though it did not clearly state this in the name. The hairspray’s performance was average it did not seal the hair in place but instead just gave a little lift which slowly started to reduce as we progressed through the day. It did not do well even in light winds.
This hairspray did wash out quite easily. We think that if your looking for a hairspray which allows for some flexibility with your hair then this hairspray is great.
Packaging
The Fudge matt hairspray was very distinctive in its design. It was a blue and orange in color which is not as bad as a full-on yellow bottle of hairspray. The nozzle was a design element in this product as it had an airhorn type of design. This allowed for quick and accurate sprays of hairspray.
5- TRESEMME EXTRA HOLD
Price- Starting from £1.89 at Superdrug or boots
Rate - 7
We tested another product by Tresemme. The Tresemme extra hold. This hairspray is a 4 out 5 hold. The price started from £1.89 and is available in Boots and Superdrug. The hairspray has a lot of good reviews with an average 4.7 out 5 stars on boots website.
Performance
The Tresemme extra hold as the name suggests has above average hold. We tested it during a hot summer day with light winds. The product held up very well with the hair staying up throughout the whole day. The hair did lose a little volume however but it was not noticeable.
It was quite easy to wash out with one application of shampoo.
Packaging
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The packaging on this hairspray is fairly simple. There the bottle is all black. The nozzle is good but not the best. It did not all for precision when applying the hairspray.
EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS
6 - GHD FINAL FIX HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £9.95 at Amazon
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Rate - 8.5
Ghd final fix is available at Amazon the official website of ghd. The hairspray price starts at £9.95. This hairspray overall has a few good reviewers on websites such as Amazon who gave it a 5 star out of 5. So we put it to the test.
Performance
The ghd final fix did well in light- very windy conditions but we found that some of the budget hairsprays were able to do the very same as well for example the Tresemme freeze hold salon finish. The hairspray gave the hair good volume and did not give the hair a lot of shine at all which is great if you want a hairspray which does not leave a shine on your hair. Once the hairspray had been applied, we did find that the hair was solid and in place in the exact way we wanted it. Which is ideal for those who want to spray and forget. The hairspray boasts humidity resistance and reduces frizz. The hairspray was easily washed out with one application of shampoo.
Packaging
The packaging was simple. Which came to a surprise to us because we thought they’d at least do something different with their packaging at least, right? But no. The nozzle was of good quality however it was sturdy and was good at distributing the product equality on the hair.
7 - QUAI MEDIUM HOLD HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £22.00
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Rate - 5.5
When we first found the Ouai hairspray we were surprised to why it was so expensive because they did not boast about special ingredients they used or any special features either. The reviews also did not reflect the choice of the price because on average this product was rated 2.8 out of 5 stars. So, what’s so special about it?
Performance
We tried the Ouai hairspray and as it states in the name it is a medium hold so we didn’t expect it to have the best hold amongst all the products we tested. The hairspray performed well in mild hot weather where there was a mixture of sweat and moisture and high humidity. It also did well in light rain where it kept the overall style of the hair in place but lost a little control. The medium hold meant more control of the hair which can be a positive if you're looking for a hairspray which allows for flexibility. The hairspray smells great as well which is great if you want your hair to smell good. This smell is balanced and is not overpowering.
Packaging
The bottle is silver and white label with black text, very simplistic. The nozzle is designed for comfort of use and we have to say it was very easy and sturdy. This may be a little design implement but it made a big difference when it came to the time taken to apply the hairspray.
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Overall this product was no better than some of the budget hairspray we tried.
8- MOROCCANOIL LUMINOUS HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £17.20
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Rate - 7
The Moroccan oil luminous hairspray boast for its weightlessness. They also say that the product adds texture and it good for natural and soft hairstyles. So this product will be great for those who are going for a messy hairstyle or a more natural hairstyle which you can run your finger through. So we put this through the test.
Performance
This is a medium hold product, therefore, we took this into consideration and looked at other aspects of the hairspray. The application of the product was easy and quick. The hairspray held the initial hairstyle that was set. This product allowed for flexibility and a natural hold so there were times when the hair did bounce right back after a little light wind hit the hair. The hairspray allowed the hair to be remolded but the hairspray did lose a lot of its hold within a few hours into actually putting it into the hair.
The product was easy to brush out and also wash out.
Packaging
The packaging is fairly simple. The bottle is light blue with gold writing. The nozzle was no differently designed to a budget hairspray but the nozzle was a lot sturdier which allowed for comfortable use of the product.
9- LIVING PROOF STYLE LAB FLEX HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £20.00 at Amazon & Living proof website
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Rate - 8
Living proof was a brand well known to us. And they have some very good products. This hairspray also has very good reviews and had an average of 5 stars out of 5 stars. This hairspray even won an award by OK magazine. This product is also a medium hold product and states that it allows for flexibility.
Performance
The Living proof style lab hairspray allows for touchable control as throughout the day we moved it about whilst the hairspray was in the hair. The hair was not out of control after running our fingers through the hair either. The hairspray performed well under mild windy conditions and damp conditions as well. The hairspray helped give the hair a bit more texture and lift which was great, without adding shine to the hair.
Packaging
The packaging was very simple. The hairspray was in an all-black bottle. The nozzle was different and a lot more comfortable to use than many of the other hairspray we did try. This allowed for a more accurate distribution of the hairspray.
10- HANZ DE FUKO STYLE LOCK HAIRSPRAY
Price- Starting from £22.00 at Hanz de fuko website
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Rate - 9.5
The Hanz de fuko was one of the most expensive hairspray’s we’d tested. We had very high hopes as the reviews were great an average of 5 stars out of 5 stars. So we put it to the test.
Performance
The hairspray has a lot of plant extract from various plants etc. Adding natural ingredients is great especially in a product which can have very harsh chemicals which dry the hair for example Alcohol. Hanz de fuko say that long-term use of this product can promote healthy hair, whether this is a genuine approach Hanz de fuko took or whether it is just fancy marketing in the name of using some natural ingredients is yet to be seen. Having said that the hairspray did not perform so bad. In fact, it done a great job of holding the hair in place. There was no white residue either left behind which we did find other products did sometimes leave behind. The hairspray was not sticky either. It held the hair in place in mildly wind conditions. It was also humid the day we tested it and again it did not affect the performance of the hairspray which was great. The Hanz de fuko truly did lock the hair in place and by the end of the day the hair nearly exactly the way it was when it was initially styled.
The product was easy to wash out but a little residue was left behind so a second wash was necessary.
Packaging
The packaging did stand out because it was different. The size was bigger in width compared to other hairspray bottles. The bottle looks to be inspired from a graffiti spray bottle with graffiti type text on the side of the bottle. The nozzle was of high quality and very sturdy. The distribution of the spray was also very good.
FINAL VERDICT?
So does price really matter?
After testing 10 products 5 of which are budget and 5 which are expensive it there a great difference in quality?
No, there is not. We found that the only difference was in the ingredients. Some of the expensive hairsprays used natural ingredients. This did not make any difference to hold.
The more expensive hairspray offered less of a strong hold and was more marketed towards being workable and flexible therefore if you are looking for a product which is offering strong hold then one of the budgets hairsprays, we listed will be perfect for you. However, if you are looking for more texture then the more expensive hairsprays will be a better option but having said that there is alternative hairspray which can be a lot cheap which offer more flexibility and texture.
Comment below, do you think price matters?
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