I have fine, flat hair... but this spray makes it look like I don't
AstroLift Repartaive Volume Spray
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wished for thicker, fuller hair. I’d stare in envy as my peers weaved their hair into chunky braids (versus mine, which sadly resembled a rattail) or topple their hair on their head in a messy bun (one that didn’t require a hair donut to look like more than a few strands of hair tied together). But fine, thin hair is simply in my DNA, and unless I want to pile on hair extensions, styling products are the only way to make my hair appear less stringy and lifeless. But here’s the thing: Hair volume products are historically kinda finicky, IMO. This is exactly why K18 AstroLift Reparative Volumizing Spray was created.
Typically, volumizers like mousses, creams, gels, and root lifter sprays have made my hair crunchy, sticky, and greasy – not the cascading, fluffy ’90s blowout vibes I’m going for. However, K18’s new AstroLift Volumizing Spray is meant to do the opposite, thanks to the famed K18 peptides in the formula that simultaneously add lift and fullness while repairing damage.
AstroLift is available to shop from 20 March in the UK, but I actually started testing the formula months ago (beauty editor perks), so I’ve had some serious time to compile my thoughts and take hella selfies. So, to give you a heads-up before parting with your cash, I’m here to share my full review. Keep reading for all the details on how it works and why I’m fully a convert:
AstroLift™ reparative volume spray
How K18 AstroLift Volumizing Spray works
We already know and love K18 for their bond-building hair products – namely, the OG K18 mask and their sulfate-free shampoos and lightweight conditioners. Last year, K18 launched its first-ever dedicated styler: AirWash Dry Shampoo, which became an instant favorite among the Cosmo beauty team (FR, I use it every other day). And AstroLift isn’t all that different in ethos. It’s the brand's first-ever styling spray that both volumizes and repairs damage at the same time.
How? It’s loaded with K18’s patented peptide blend, a combo of 123 amino acids, which helps strengthen hair and repair broken bonds at the molecular level. But it also helps make your hair look bouncier, lifted, and fuller – without making it feel stiff or sticky.
My review
About my hair:
Without any product, my hair will simply sit flat against my head. Like, there is no bounce, no volume, no fluff. Nothin’. I have very fine hair that errs on the thin side (curse my teenage years of constantly changing my hair color). But the biggest thing with my fine hair is how greasy it gets from even the lightest-weight products. Sometimes even a dry texture spray will make my hair look shiny. So I’m all about formulas that won’t weigh my hair down and don’t cause buildup either. But I also heat style a considerable amount and have eight-month-old highlights that I’m growing out rn, so any bit of repairing and strengthening I can get with my products, I’ll take.
My experience:
The best part about this spray is that you can use it on wet or dry hair. However, I was hella sceptical that my fine, greasy-as-hell hair could handle being spritzed with something dry. So, for the first few tests, I only sprayed it on damp hair after showering. Don’t be afraid to really go hard, too. I spritzed my whole head (roots to ends) probably about eight times to really test if this would weigh my hair down or make it feel tacky. Then I’d blow-dry with my Dyson Airwrap to help set the formula. You don’t have to use heat to activate it, but it definitely adds more volume when you do, per my testing.
Once I felt like I was comfortable using this on wet hair, I started spritzing it on my dry hair to zhuzh it up on day two before curling my hair. I wasn’t as liberal with my sprays on dry hair to avoid adding too much product. But more on this below.
My results:
When I use this on wet hair, I cannot believe how soft and smooth my hair feels. IDK if I’ve ever used a volumizing product that’s made my hair so ~touchable~. If you could see me rn, I’m lovingly running my fingers through my hair in awe at how good it feels. But it also seriously fluffs up my hair. It looks like each hair strand is just a little more plump, which definitely makes my hair feel a bit more lush and healthy. Do I suddenly have a gigantic bun on top of my head? No, but my ends don’t revert to their usual stringy, thin look. My hair looks so good, it’s simply an added bonus that it’s helping repair damage at the same time.
But what shocked me the most was how great this formula is to my second- and third-day hair: It brings some new life when I spray it on my dry ends on those days. It leaves no residue on my hair once I brush through while adding some extra bounce to my hair. It’s especially good when I pair it with K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo... a match made in heaven.
The final verdict
Sooo, K18 AstroLift is kinda like the volumizing product I’ve always been searching for. It adds fullness to my roots and ends while also hydrating and repairing my hair so it feels soft and smooth. It’s definitely expensive for a styling product, but it took me two months to use up a tiny travel-size sampler, so I know a full bottle would last a long time, even though I’m pretty liberal with my spritzing. And it basically acts as a couple of steps in one by conditioning, volumizing, and repairing. If you think about it, I’m actually saving money. Girl math!
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