Lee Stafford is committed to providing consumers with products which are a cut above the rest. It is for this reason that they are my hair-care range of choice.

*Overview
When it comes to choosing a hairspray I generally find there are two problems; either they have no holding power or they have an unattractive smell. Luckily, in keeping with most of their products, Lee Stafford have managed to develop a product which not only smells great, but also carries out the purpose that it is intended for. Great looking hair and great smelling hair - it's what every girl needs. Hold Tight Hairspray is described as "To hold your hair in whatever position you want, just give this little baby a try. Hold tight does exactly what it says on the can, but one thing that it doesn't say is that it also banishes the stiffness you're normally left with from other sprays.
So use it to get a lasting hold, and leave your hair feeling as good as it looks." So let's find out if it really does deliver!

*About Lee Stafford
Lee Stafford is an Essex born hairdresser who first opened a salon in 1996 named The House That Built Hair. In 1997 he earned the coveted "Men's British Hairdresser of the Year" and it was from there that his career blossomed. His hairdressing skills have attained many awards such as:
~ National Hairdressing Federation Celebrity Hairdresser Of The Year
~ Hair Magazine Hairdresser Of The Year
~ Best British Hairdresser of 2004 - Fellowship of Hairdressers Awards
~ Most Influential Hairdresser of the Year 2001
~ Men's British Hairdresser of the Year 1997

He opened his second salon in London in 2000 which has also allowed him to achieve:
~ BHBA Business & Website Innovation of the year
~ The BHBA Salon Design Award 2005 for Brighton salon
~ Growing Business of the Year Award 2002
~ Training and Development Award 2002
~ Investors in People Award 2002
~ British Manager of the Year 1999 - 2000 (1 of 6 nominees)
~ British Salon of the Year 1999 - 2000 (1 of 6 nominees)

It was 2001 when the Lee Stafford range was introduced providing consumers with girly products presented with hot pink packaging and the sweetest of smells to cater for all their hair care needs. Lee Stafford states "I never decided to create a range of products, but when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it. I mean, to have my own products is a dream come true...
The products have given me the opportunity to develop what I've always wanted for me and my clients. Since we started, it's incredible the wish-list that we've been able to turn into reality." The wide range of products that are offered by Lee Stafford can be found at www.leestafford.com/uk/products/ and even from the format of the website you gain an insight into the style and creation behind the products. Their vast product range includes hair tools, fake tan, full-size hair care products as well as mini-sized products and also fragrances.

*What attracted me
I was first attracted to the Lee Stafford products of their eye-catching packaging and their quirky design as they write their letters in a mixture of capital letters - a BiT LiKe ThIS. It was also in a 3 for 2 offer in Boots and I really can't resist a bargain! Upon deciding that the offer would be too good to miss and I first tried their shampoo, conditioner and heat protection spray. After a had such a great experience of these products, when I next needed hair spray, I turned to the range that I loved and trusted.

*Price/Availability
Boots currently offer the hairspray at £5.15 for 250 ml/7.4 fl. Oz. I know that this is quite steep for a hairspray - however over the years I have noticed that hair care/make up prices seem to have steadily increased and therefore this is actually in a mid-price range. They are often on 3 for 2 in Boots so I will tend to take advantage of this offer and stock up - which at least brings the price down a bit as most of their products are around the same price.
As with all Lee Stafford products, you will find Hold Tight Hairspray either from the official Lee Stafford website (http://www.leestafford.com/uk/products/product.ph p?pi=8), through visiting Lee Stafford salons themselves or it is handily available at Boots stores. The range is exclusive to Boots so unfortunately you won't find it in other high street retailers - meaning that it can be slightly more difficult to find.

*Design
In keeping with the whole Lee Stafford range, this hairspray is packaged in a hot pink pressurised container which is a long circular bottle with an even deeper pink plastic dispenser at the top. There is the signature white writing and over the can explaining the product in a variety of small and capital letters. It is a really funky, innovative little bottle which looks great. When pressed lightly the hairspray will spray from the bottle in a light spray, when pressed down fully you will gain a thicker stream of hair spray which you can then mist around your hair. The great thing about the bottle is that it is lightweight meaning that you can easily make use of it, as I have used bigger Tres Semme hairsprays where the bottles have been really heavy and it has limited my use of the bottle.

*Smell
All the Lee Stafford range of products support a similar smell which is something that I love as it causes them to be very distinctive. I would compare their scent to that of Angel by Thierry Mugler as they almost mimic its sweet, musky smell (at a considerably lower price). What I love is that once you have used any of the Lee Stafford products, their smell will linger in your hair for hours meaning that it is not only a pleasant smell when you are using them, but it provides you with a great scent which lasts all day. I have often had people ask what perfume I am wearing and it has instead turned out that they are referring to the smell that my hair has. If you think that their products are expensive then you can substitute your perfume for this and justify your spending!

*Usage
Now down to the all important question of whether this is a product which actually works: In my opinion it delivers on its claims well. The hairspray is distributed from the bottle in an even and generous spray meaning that it covers your hair well without leaving patches where your hair seems harder or stickier than the rest which can often be a problem with other hairsprays. It is important that you spray the product at about 30cm away from your hair to insure that you don't spray the hairspray onto your hair too directed and cause it to matte. When I wear my hair in more extreme styles I do need to use quite a lot of the spray to really get a firm hold which I know will last but I find that this is the case with most hairsprays. When I want my hair to stay straight in a natural style I find that it is very effective to spray the hairspray onto a round brush and brush this through my hair. This prevents hair from flicking out and means that you can give your straight style a longer lease of life. The can is lightweight meaning that you can manoeuvre it around easily and you don't find it strains you to use the product. The great thing about this hair spray is that it doesn't leave your hair looking greasy or shiny - instead it gives it long lasting hold with a natural finish and very little sign (other than the gorgeous smell) that you have been using hair spray.

*Lasting Finish
An important feature of a hairspray is whether or not it is going to give you a lasting hold. There have been many occasions where I have styled my hair well, then used another hairspray and as soon as it has had to battle with a little bit of wind then it looks as though I have been dragged through a hedge backwards - not what you want out of a hairspray! However with Hold Tight Hairspray I find that I get a good 6 hours life out of it at least before my hair begins to fall and become limp. The benefit of this is that you do not have to carry a big bottle of hairspray where ever you go (and if you feel safer they offer a pocket size that you can fit in your handbag for nights out!) The hairspray does lasts well in your hair; however you do not get too much life out of a bottle. I must admit that I do use hairspray nearly everyday and I do use a lot if I want a particular style to really last so this could be the problem - but other hairsprays that I have used in the past have lasted longer that the Lee Stafford product. This isn't too much of problem since you receive a quality product and instead you can just learn to limit your use to make your bottle really last. If you stop by the website then they have videos of each product being used by Lee Stafford himself and he gives you some handy tips about how to make the best use out of his products.

*Conclusion
This product is one of my hair care must haves. I think that if you appreciate a good product which makes hair smell and look great then you will appreciate this. And yes paying over £5 may be quite steep - but quality always outweighs quantity in my eyes. If you want to give your hair a little treat then I advise you to buy some Lee Stafford Hold Tight loving!

Love Colleen
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