Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray review
The Batiste brand has branched out and created a whole new range of non-powdery styling products, including hairsprays and texturisers, all in cans. Here’s my favourite from the range: Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray, reviewed.
It’s billed as a hair protectant and the manufacturers are bigging up the fact that it contains keratin and Inca inchi oil. Seriously, I have no idea what Inca inchi oil is even supposed to be or do, but that’s immaterial anyway, because HERE COMES THE SCIENCE PART.
Yup, unlike many other bloggers, I took a moment to read the label. Surprise! Also, in the spirit of genuinely putting the product through its paces, I only used it on one side of my hair and used a similar product on the other side to see whether it was better.
Here goes. Firstly, this is NOT a product that should be used on wet hair, and this is clearly stated on the can. Secondly, the main ingredient is ‘Alcohol Denat.’, or denatured alcohol. This is a drying alcohol, and can cause irritation to sensitive skin and scalps, so it’s not a product that I’d be using all over my hair on a daily basis.
Thirdly, let’s cut the crap here. This product is a silicone spray, although it’s not being sold as such. The bulk of the rest of the ingredients list is made up of a variety of different silicones. If you’re looking for a silicone spray, this does a pretty good job within this remit and leaves the hair looking glossy whether you use it all over the hair for heat styling (on dry hair, remember) or just as a touch up on the lower half of your tresses to stop flyaways.
Fourthly, there’s something going on here that’s way beyond the usual glossiness of silicones. This spray actually gives your hair a glow. This is because – again, not mentioned by the manufacturers – it contains stacks of soft golden microshimmer particles. The reflective particles are a mixure of mica, titanium dioxide and iron oxide (yes, people, that’s rust, but it looks goddam good).
Fifthly, there’s so little keratin and made up Inca snake oil in there that neither of those ingredients is going to make much of a difference to your tresses. However, eyes on the prize….how does it make your hair look?
The answer is very good indeed, thanks. It looks shiny, glossy, healthy and really rather glam. I wouldn’t use it too often because of that alcohol content, but if you’re going for a flowing 1970s hairstyle or you have blonde, light brown or highlighted hair then it really looks great for a touch of lit-from-within glamour on a night out.
Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray has an RRP of £4.49 for a 200ml can, and a little goes a long way. It’s currently available at Boots.
