Whenever I go to the hair salon and the stylist asks me what my hair goals are, I have one answer: more volume please! As someone with long, thick, straight hair, it usually takes a professional hand to infuse any sort of lift into my limp, heavy locks. Often, this looks like lots of maneuvering with a round brush and hair dryer that I’m simply not coordinated enough to recreate at home. Thankfully, I found the volumizing hair care products in Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy collection, which let me achieve some gravity-defying lift all on my own. (The proof is in the before and after photos below.) And with each product priced at $15 or less, it’s far more affordable than going in for a blowout too.
From shampoo bars to powders, I've tried a lot of unique shampoo formulas, but this was the first foam shampoo I've tested. It comes out like a mousse, cleansing the hair with a weightless lather and a fruity orange-mango scent.
Just like the shampoo, the Plump for Joy conditioner comes out in a foam, so you don't have to worry about it weighing down your locks. It's not the most nourishing conditioner I've tried, so I typically only use this when I'm going for maximum volume.
This medium-hold mousse is the first styling step in the line, and it sets the foundation for your full-bodied hair look. A little goes a long way, and it performs just as well as more expensive mousses that I've tried.
After blow-drying my hair, I'll go in with this root powder. It adds some grip to the hair that helps hold lift right from the root. It only takes a pump or two per section, and once you work it into the hair and roots, it's completely invisible, even on my dark hair.
To finish the volumized look, this strong hair spray makes sure each strand stays in place. It helps me tame flyaways, stands up to humidity and keeps the body in my hair.
For my second-day hair or on days when I don't want to go through the whole volumizing hair routine, this spray adds just enough lift to make a difference.
How I found Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy
A big part of being an editor is going to meetings with publicists who will walk you through their clients’ offerings and recommend products based on what you’re looking for, which is how I was introduced to the Plump for Joy line. Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting to like every product in the collection. I’ve tried other volumizing hair products with little success.
I started out with the shampoo and conditioner and enjoyed the novelty of the foam formula, so the next time I did my hair I also tried the mousse. I added each new product to the routine one by one, seeing the volume of my hair increase each time.
Why Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy is a score
Each product in the line is $15 or under, which means you can try out one of the stylers or mix and match and still ring in under $25. For the impressive volume they bring, you really can’t beat the value. Plus, the formulas are vegan, cruelty-free and considered “clean” (free from sulfates and parabens).
While going with the full line will certainly deliver the best results, you could totally get away with adding one or two key products to give your hair a boost too. In that case, I recommend starting with the Plump for Joy Volumizing Mousse and the Plump for Joy Instant Root Boost for the biggest bang for your buck. The mousse gives noticeable lift when you add it in to damp hair and then blow-dry. I also make sure to start blow-drying with my head upside down so gravity works with my hair and gives as much volume as possible.
Once my hair is dry, I’ll apply a couple pumps of the Instant Root Boost, which really amps up the lift. The powder applies with a nozzle that allows you to get right at the root, and then you simply massage it in until its invisible. It adds a kind of gritty feeling to the hair to help keep its hold. I had to get used to this, but the payoff for the volume was worth it. I could even get a second day out of my at-home blowout after styling with the Root Boost. Although gritty, my hair was still flexible enough to be brushed out and gently teasing it a bit revived the volume instantly.
If you’re looking for a product to add lift and fullness, then I would go for the Plump for Joy Thickening Hair Lifter. Similar to the Root Boost, it adds grip to the hair to turn up the volume. But unlike the Root Boost, it helps create a thickened effect for thin strands and can be applied anywhere on the hair.?That’s?why I particularly like this product on unstyled second-day hair, so I can create volume on my dry locks without needing to do a whole blowout routine.
It’s worth noting that the line also includes a dry shampoo, but I don’t typically use one in my routine so I left it out of this review. Based on customer reviews, however, the Plump for Joy Body-Building Dry Shampoo seems to be just as great as the rest of the line.
As far as drugstore beauty products go, these have become some of my favorites. You can’t beat the results for such an affordable price.
