When my cousin got married, she decided she wanted to try curls instead of her naturally pin-straight, thick, mirror-shiny hair. When her stylist was done (with 15 minutes to the ceremony), my cousin took one look in the mirror and decided that she hated how she looked with curls. So she started frantically brushing her hair out to get it back to her standard style, but after the curls had been sprayed and sprayed in place, her signature raven, thick, glossy locks were now limp, flat, dull, and so lacking in shine that her hair took on a greyish tint.

Lessons to be learned:

1) Always try a hairstyle out before your big day
2) Use a non-stick hairspray that imparts gloss
3) Genetics are a wacky thing – she is the first and only one in her family (on either parent’s side) to have straight hair. The rest of us have big mops of curls…

We’ll be talking about #2 today – how to get glossy hold from a hairspray. You may want to change hairstyles between ceremony and reception, and every bride wants soft, touchable hair, not crunchy, sticky, shellacked on hair.

Two bridal hairsprays to consider:

Blow Blow Out Serious Non-Stick Hairspray

Blow Blow Out Serious Non-Stick Hair Spray: Last year Lyn gave this hairspray a thumbs-up in her review that you can read here. It’s also my go-to hairspray – I love how it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing hairspray, but it holds volume from the roots and lasts all day. I hate that “stiff root” feel, but Blow Out is utterly weightless and lets hair moves beautifully. And if I want to restyle, just brush it out (even finger raking works), and it’s like you are starting with fresh, clean hair. And true to it’s name, hair never gets sticky and hair stays shiny. Plus, the pretty pink can looks great on a vanity table! Find it at Lock & Mane for $19.75 (it’s a huge bottle!)

Jonathan Product’s Finish Control High Shine Flexible Hairspray: I haven’t tried this one but have heard amazing things about it. If you are a fan of Pantene Ice Hairspray but would like something with more movement and less stiffness, High Shine Flexible Hairspray is a good choice. In before and afters I’ve seen, it adds great shine and has amazing ingredients: Sweet Almond protein, Cucumber, Rose infused water, and a Panthenol vitamin complex to name a few. Find it at Lock & Mane for $30.