When I was browsing in Poundworld recently, I was surprised to see that they now stock a range of Toni & Guy hairstyling products. According to the assistant, the items are there because the packaging style is due to be changed but she did not think the products as a whole would be discontinued. This reminded me that I had a Finishing Shine Spray lying unopened in my "use it or lose it" toiletries bag at home. So I decided I had better give it try while there was a chance to replace it for £1. I bought my original bottle in Boots, for around £6. It is also available from numerous online stockists.



THE PRODUCT

The spray measures 100ml, and is packaged in a silver box, at least for the moment. Inside that is a clear glass bottle, which looks good quality, and a silver effect lid which does not. The latter just seems a bit cheap looking as it is so obviously made from relatively flimsy plastic. I do like the bottle in general though as it is easy to see how much you have left still to use, and it's short, squat shape is easy to hold.

The box and bottle carry the information that the spray is supposed to deliver a "light, dazzling sheen to sleek straight styles." This was how I intended to wear my hair to a few Christmas parties so so far so good. I have used shine sprays before, but none have really impressed me. The products that have really made the most difference to the shine of my hair is the Shimmer and Shine shampoo and conditioners from Timotei, but I had ran out of both prior to using the T&G spray. I had been using up a Alberto Balsam shampo/conditioner instead and these two did not give any added shine to my hair. I therefore felt confident that any gloss to my hair would be down to the spray, should it work.



SPRAY ON

The method of use is simple, as the product just needs to be sprayed over your finished style. It is recommended that you do this 3-4 times, and from a distance of 20cm. My hair is fine, but it is long, and I found it necessary to use more 5-6 sprays to cover the majority of my hair. As my scalp area gets greasy very quickly, I decided to concerntrate the spray away from there which turned out to be a wise decision. [See below.] Part of the reason that I needed to spray more than the suggested amount was the fact I found the nozzle did not deliver a well dispersed spray. I tried spraying it from a slightly further distance but this did not help. I could not really move the product through my hair after dispensing it because it is absorbed quickly. This is only a minor annoyance though, as it is still quick to use. The spray makes my hair feel slightly damp briefly, but it does not look as though I have dampened my hair. You could use this as a last minute hair fix, should you suddenly decide to go out, for that reason. There is a second suggested method of use, for "a lighter sheen", which involves spraying your hair while you dry it under a cool hairdryer. I decided against this as I was wanting full on shine if I could get it.

The spray is perfumed, and quite strongly so in my opinion. I slightly prefer it to a more chemically scented product, but I would still have liked the aroma of this to be milder. That is because I tend to wear perfume when I go out, which is also when I wanted to use my shine spray, and I think too many strong scents do not combine well. I can't quite place the fragrance of the T&G product - the best I can describe it as is a not very sweet floral scent with a citrusy undertone. [There is a reason I don't write perfume reviews!] It lasts on my hair for an entire evening, and into the next day, which is obviously an advantage if you like it more than I do.



DAZZLING?

I noticed that my hair did look very smooth after I had first used this, but it was the shine I was after. My hair did look a bit more glossy, but by no means "dazzling". I am sorry to say that washing my hair with my favourite Timotei products produces a far better effect for me. I happily used the spray to perk my hair up anyway, but I have only felt motivated to do so occasionally. This is becase my hair looks flat and lifeless the next day, and worse of all, the ends look greasy too. Now I wash my hair almost everyday because my scalp does get oily easily. However, I can usually rely on the rest of my hair looking fine even if I skip a shampoo. So a product that makes my hair even more greasy than normal is not great for me. I did think perhaps I had applied too much, so to be fair to T&G I tried just spritzing a couple of times but this left me with scarcely any shine at all. So it comes down to a choice of shiny hair that looks terrible the next day, or virtulaly no shine. I can't say that any shine was still visible the next day anyway, however much or little I used.

On the plus side, the spray doesn't make the hair hard to brush, and my locks feel normal to the touch. I did think it may be sticky on the hair but it isn't.



WOULD I RECOMMEND THE SPRAY?

It didn't deliver much shine to my hair, so I was disappointed with the product that had promised a "dazzling sheen". It certainly didn't give that, and the formula clearly doesn't suit my hair if the results the next day are anything to go by. I have been using it up when I know I will have time to give my hair a thorough clean the next day. I have decided not to buy a second bottle, even for a £1. I would not recommend it at full price, but if you are happy with a modest shine and can get it discounted, it is worth a try. It may suit other hair types more, but I don't think it is the best shine proucing product availlable regardless.


[This review is also on Ciao under the same user name.]