When it comes to hair, I’m a firm believer that less is always, always, more. Zero shade to any of my bang eras, (both traditional and curtain – I don’t play favorites), but that trial and frequent error brought me to admit that the less I have to dry, part, and coiffe, the better.
As I’m knee deep in what could only be a quarter life crisis, I’m lucky enough to find time to blowout my hair, and even luckier if I remember to use heat protectant (please don’t come for me just yet).
Instead then, of staring at my mismatched collection of hair products for so long that I lose the will to tame the mane in the first place, I have decided to do the impossible for any beauty lover: dumb it down. Style smarter, not harder – as Verb puts it.
Verb’s newest launch, the frizz defense smoothing spray, is the kind of no BS, one-stop-shop hair styling product that makes a spring cleaning purge actually seem like a good idea. You just don’t need anything else!
This one spray boasts five separate benefits, but before you get any ideas, please forget everything you know about your ex-boyfriend’s shower routine. This, right here, is the so-distant-you-wonder-if-they’re-even-related cousin of your run of the mill 5-in-1 franchise staple. She’s tall, chic, and smells so fabulous you can’t help but do a double take.
While I can tell you that this styler helps to increase shine, reduce frizz, protect against heat and humidity, and works for extended styles, I had the chance to chat with celebrity hairstylist, David von Cannon, to help me dive deeper into the key ingredients. Something tells me that some knowledge imparted by the genius behind Gisele’s signature tousled locks and ScarJo’s red carpet up-dos might be a tad more convincing than just my own.
I would have been doing myself a disservice to not ask about the inclusion of seaweed extract in this styler, so naturally, that’s exactly where I started. According to von Cannon, the red and brown seaweed extract is “rich in vitamin B5, amino acids, and essential minerals,” all of which help to “strengthen the hair, moisturize, soften the texture, and enhance natural shine.” And while I do my best to dabble in beauty science every now and again, I wouldn’t have been able to draw the link and tie the bow between my practically instant hair texture improvement and seaweed extract. The more you know…
But seriously, one of the first things I noticed about my blowout after using this product, (the process itself I’ll get into shortly), was the silky weightlessness. If you’ve ever gotten your hair thinned, you know what it’s like to run your fingers through a fresh blowout and to be quite literally surprised at just how feathery light it feels. This product is the scissor-free version of that feeling, and let me tell you, it’s priceless.
“What sets this spray apart is its weightlessness. Many frizz-control products rely on oils or silicones, which can be heavy and build up over time. It’s also vegan, paraben-free, and sulfate-free, which makes it a cleaner choice.”
David von Cannon, Celebrity Hairstylist
The weightlessness also isn’t just an end result kind of thing. A spritz of this product is a promise that you will never have to relive the urge to scrap a blowout midway to wash your hair because the products feel so heavy. In other words, an immediate stamp of approval. Cheers to clean ingredients!
Now as for technique, I’ll do you one better than just reiterating the directions on the bottle. Thanks to a little solicited expertise, I opted to split my freshly-washed, damp hair into two sections, using “a light touch” – i.e. one to two sprays mid-length to end. However, my hair airs on the side of 2A, so for my Type 3 and 4 gals, you might decide to apply the product more generously. And if you’re planning to diffuse, von Cannon also recommends a run through with a wide-tooth comb to help spread the product evenly without causing any disruption to your curl pattern.
For the ease of my own drying and styling purposes, I picked up my tried and true Revlon brush, and don’t get me wrong, I think I’ll love that hair dryer as much as my first born child, but I also have my qualms. For example: having to battle the frizz and catastrophic volume when I start the process on damp, not dry hair. I love a good sweat, but preferably not the kind resulting from strife with a hair tool.
So when my hair remained unfrizzy (!?) and sleek (?!) throughout the duration of the drying process, I could’ve just about kissed that unsuspecting little gray bottle. I couldn’t have used more than six sprays, and yet it still made all the difference.
My hair looked like I had gotten a salon-quality gloss treatment – smooth and silky, with a deliciously deceiving facade of effortlessness. Fit for a von Cannon-esque ELLE cover, if I may say so myself.
“Whether you’re creating an effortless, tousled look or a shiny, polished blowout, having a solid foundation—like a quality heat protectant and a frizz-control spray—is key. Especially in the warmer months, a product like this can be the perfect choice for keeping frizz down and maintaining shine.”
David von Cannon, Celebrity Hairstylist
For my fellow (almost) May Gray haters, you know that the best way to make or break a good hair day is to simply step into the Girl-so-confusing Los Angeles spring weather. 64% humidity and all. And I’m pleased to report that the frizz-defense spray passed this divisive test with flying colors.
In a two-hour outdoor period, complete with cycles of both sweating and shivering, my hair did not move an inch. Frizz? Don’t know her. Humidity curls? Never heard of them. I call it magic, Verb calls it their “frizz defense technology” – tomato tomato. They’re one in the same!
And the best part? My blowout lasted days. Days… in this economy? I’m paying triple the price of this styler for a single blowout that looks, feels, and gives the same but barely lasts as long.
I know I gave myself credit for doing the impossible – dumbing it down – but I take it all back. The real credit of defying impossibility lies entirely with Verb: crafting a clean, cruelty-free, affordable, fool-proof, 5-in-1 styler. And that you can say that five times over!
Let this be the only sign you need to style smarter, not harder.