This Texturizing Spray for Curly Hair Gets Me Tons of Compliments With Zero Effort

I'm still figuring out this whole curly hair thing little by little. I didn't even know I had a naturally curly texture until this summer when I ditched my go-to routine (which included straightening with a flatiron) and started over with products made exclusively for curls. Now, a few months into my new process, my hair can finally do its own thing with water and a little bit of gel, but getting my curls to stay consistently bouncy throughout an entire day (or better yet, the week) is another story altogether. But one evening in September, I attended a dinner party with Ouidad where I was introduced to its Stylutions collection, a line of three aerosol-based styling sprays formulated for all curly hair types, including a dry shampoo, a dry oil mist, and a texturizing spray. One of these products totally changed the way I see my own hair.

Before dinner commenced, all the attendees sat down for a product demonstration of the entire lineup; when the Going Up! Volumizing Texture Spray ($34) took its turn, the model's 3C/4A curls sprang straight up and stayed there, defying gravity before our very eyes. There was an audible reaction from the audience of editors, which I've never heard during a product preview before. Needless to say, I walked away from Ouidad's dinner desperate to put this spray in my hair, and I was totally right to feel that way — because this shit works, y'all.

Part of what makes Going Up! so effective is the fact that its ingredients hydrate your curls as you style them. Manuka honey and mongongo oil, primarily, infuse hair with hydration, preventing the breakage and frizz other aerosol sprays usually create on delicate curls. Raw silk powder, heralded in curly-hair communities for its strengthening and texturizing abilities, provides grip and volume at the same time. Think of it as a blow-dry in a bottle.

For context, I have 2C/3A curls. I've got a lot of hair, but it's fine in texture. I struggle a lot with frizz, hydration, and maintaining volume without weighing my hair down. After my weekly wash and condition, my routine usually consists of gel and curl cream before I "plop" with a microfiber towel and air-dry it out. Once it's completely dry, I flip my head upside down and shake my hair out at the roots with some hair oil and a touch of pomade on the extra-frizzy parts. Typically, when I wear my hair in its naturally curly state, it's pretty voluminous — it just doesn't stay that way for long. Adding Going Up! as the very last step in my routine guarantees that same gravity-defying look I saw during Ouidad's demonstration. It makes my hair go sideways, literally.

Applying this volumizer is truly the easiest step of all, and it doesn't require any caution unlike many other curly products, which can be easily overdone. All I do is lift my hair and spray the roots/mid-shaft while keeping the can around five inches from my head. I can always see it visibly lifting my hair upward and making my curls coil even tighter than usual. For what it's worth, it doesn't leave any residue, either. It's practically impossible to screw up with it. Minimal effort, maximum compliments — truly my favorite kind of result.