I regularly use hairspray and whilst back in the eighties I would spray the stuff until my hair resembled the texture of cardboard, its use these days is far more relaxed where I spray a minimal amount to hold my hairstyle in place. My first choice is always Boots Essentials due to its low price and high quality results and as a result, I have been purchasing it for as long as I can possibly remember. However, a few months ago due to my supply being totally exhausted and not being near a Boots store, I made a purchase of L'Oreal's Elnett Satin Coloured Hair Extra Strength Hairspray and this review discusses my experience with using it.

The aerosol packaging is very appealing to the eye with its bright and sparkling golden colour and as a result, it stands out from the other brands on the shelf. Similar to that of most hair sprays, the dispensing unit is neatly incorporated into the upper section, so there's no fussing about with removing and replacing the lid. The spray is easily dispensed by pressing down firmly on the appropriate area where it is released in an ultra fine mist, which adequately covered a good section of my hair. However, I found the aroma totally unbearable and it was at this point that I could vividly recall using the normal strength hairspray many years ago. Whilst all hairsprays carry a fairly strong odour I found this particularly potent, as I would describe it as similar to that of plastic and it seemed to linger in my hair for what seemed like forever.

I regularly wear my colour treated hair in an up style where I will often choose a chic French pleat or I will loosely clip my hair on the top of my head. Consequently, I need to ensure that it stays neat and tidy throughout my working day. In addition to spraying onto my up style, I also apply a fine layer of hairspray to my fringe and whilst I do not favour the cardboard texture as I did back in the eighties, I do not wish my hair to move. I found the spray fast drying and unlike some of the cheaper brands I've used, there were no miniature globules of liquid lingering on the surface of my hair, which offer an unpleasant appearance.

Whilst my hair remained soft as well as offering a healthy shine, I did not feel the spray was effective enough at holding my style, despite it being an extra strength product. My hair often struggles with many brands of hair spray, particularly as it offers a thick texture and is fairly weighty with its ringlet style natural curls. Consequently, I need fairly strong sprays to achieve the desired effect although I must admit that I found this product sufficient for my fringe. I cannot report of suffering any dryness when using although this is not something I experience when using my preferred brand.

The hairspray does not cause those horrible white flakes, which give a dandruff appearance and it was easily brushed out of my hair without leaving any build up or sticky residue. However, due to the reasons discussed above, I cannot recommend this product and as a result, it receives only one star from me. I checked on Boots website to provide an up-to-date price and was quite surprised at how many varieties of this product are available from satin holds to extra strength. My 400 ml aerosol can, which is suitable for recycling once empty is currently priced at £6.49, which I think is quite ridiculous, particularly when a 450 ml can of Boots Essentials Extra Firm costs just £1.62 and offers far superior results.

I hope you found my review useful and thanks for reading.