Having voluminous hair was not something I was ever truly concerned about (I was lucky to be blessed with a full, thick head of hair)…until after I started losing it. My hair loss was less medical and more aesthetic—I bleached my hair not once, but twice, in a two month period with a hair colorist that I should have done more research on. Quick PSA—not every colorist works well with bleach and or blondes, so make sure you do your research.

As with many a drastic hair changes, my new, bleached-blonde do was triggered by a life change. I loved it until I started to notice my hair falling out from severe, irreversible damage. I had no other option than to be patient and allow time to heal and regrow my entire head of hair, which was one of the most humbling and horrifying experiences of my life. Once it grew back in, it was never quite the same.

One side effect of my regrowth, and entirely new head of hair, was that my hair lost its normal volume and was unable to hold a curl in the same way it used to. In the several years since regrowing my hair and trying whatever product I could get my hands on to mimic the volume I used to have, none of the products lasted past a few hours of styling. That’s why, when I heard that one of my favorite reparative brands that helped nurse my hair back to health was releasing a volumizing mist promising lasting and salon-like volume, I knew I just had to try it. Enter: Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist ($30). Formulated with Olaplex’s patented bond-building technology, I was hoping that the product would finally be the cure to my hair volume woes.

What happened when I tried Olaplex’s Volumizing Blow Dry Mist

Prior to its recent release, I was invited to try the Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist at Suite Caroline Salon in New York City,  with celebrity hairstylist Teddy Charles and his team. As I sat staring into the salon mirror excited to test out the product, my only request—to truly witness the extent of what the product could do—was to make my hair as voluminous as possible. The hairstylist sprayed my damp roots, got to work, and before I knew it my hair looked full, bouncy, shiny—and overall, it just looked HEALTHY.

Olaplex Volumizing Blow Dry Mist — $30.00

I learned later that this is exactly what the product was designed to do:“[It] creates lasting body and bounce, protecting hair for soft, shiny, and visibly healthy blowouts,” explains Lavinia Popescu, chief scientist for Olaplex. “It’s clinically proven to speed blow-dry time, provide humidity resistance, and protect from heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The ingredients that make all these good-hair-day vibes possible

Popescu tells me that the mist is formulated with jackfruit polysaccharides and advanced polymers to create soft smooth blowouts for lasting body. Meanwhile, she says, “Bamboo extract lipopeptide help protect from styling damage and promote style retention, and pea peptides plump, hydrate, and protect strands.” adds Popescu. Together they create volume and styling that lasts longer and won’t leave any product residue on the hair—it’s also recommended for use to refresh second-day hair.

How to use Olaplex’s Volumizing Blow Dry Mist

If you’re ready to try this product at home, curly hair specialist and Olaplex ambassador, Christin Brown, explains exactly how to use the product: You want to apply on wet hair after you’ve detangled it, she says. “Just before towel blotting, spray in the mist and distribute throughout, especially where you could use volume more then style as usual,” she adds. As you blow dry, she recommends using a round brush to lift the roots. “I love that this mist is super lightweight and still gets the job done,” she says. Brown also likes to use it on dry hair to revive a second day blowout.

What happened when I tried volumizing my own hair

I was ready to attempt to use the product at home after maintaining the professional blow out for as long as I could. After washing and conditioning my hair (I used Olaplex shampoo and conditioner), I towel dried my hair, and then sprayed the mist directly at my roots. I am not an at-home blowout kinda gal—I could never master holding a round brush and blowing out my hair (I’m just not that dexterous) and have yet to jump on the Dyson bandwagon, so straightening iron it was. After I used the straightener to simultaneously straighten and also curl my hair (that, ladies and gentlemen, is my talent), I was able to muster up the dexterity to use a round brush and blow dry—just a little—at my roots to seal in the volume. The result? My hair had volume and shine and best of all—no sticky residue.