Best Hair Spray? 813 Reviews of Elnett, Living Proof and Sexy Hair

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Review-analysis guide: 813 customer reviews read on Ulta (October 29, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 29, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 29, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

No hair spray here won on hold: all three drew hold praise from 42% of usable Ulta reviews. The L'Oréal Paris Elnett Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray (paid link) drew the fewest sticky or crunchy complaints (3 of 217) in reviews that lean old; Living Proof Style Lab Flex (paid link) drew the most not-sticky praise (35% of 167); Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play (paid link) drew the most volume praise (13%) and nozzle or spray complaints (10%).

Best hair spray: what 813 reviews say

A good hair spray should hold your style without turning it crunchy, and some of us want volume too. We read 813 Ulta reviews of three popular cans to see how often reviewers praised the hold, the soft feel or the lift, and how often they complained about crunch, a weak hold, the smell or the nozzle: L'Oréal Paris Elnett Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray, Living Proof Style Lab Flex Shaping Hairspray and Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Hold praise came out level: 42% of 217 usable Elnett reviews, 42% of 167 Living Proof and 42% of 199 Sexy Hair. The gaps were elsewhere. Elnett drew sticky, crunchy or stiff complaints from 1%, against 6% and 8%. Living Proof drew not-sticky praise from 35%. Sexy Hair drew volume praise from 13% and nozzle or spray complaints from 10%. One- and two-star shares were 16%, 17% and 20%. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

Which reviews we read, and the 230 we set aside

Ulta's pages showed all 222 Elnett reviews, and we read every one. For Living Proof they served 296 of 394 shown, and for Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play the newest 295 of 2,927 shown on its 16.0 oz page; Ulta's pages stop after about the newest 300. We kept 583 and set aside 230. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

What we set aside: 126 Living Proof reviews from two waves. 84 were posted from August 24 to September 19, 2025, and 81 of them said the product was free or gifted; 42 came from December 7 to 28, 2025, 41 of them free. None of those 126 gave one or two stars, against 17% of the Living Proof reviews we kept. We also set aside 87 Sexy Hair reviews posted from October 3 to November 27, 2024, 29% of the reviews we read for it: 22 said the product was free, and 1 of the 87 gave one or two stars, against 20% of the reviews we kept. Beyond those, 4 more said the product was free, 4 repeated on the same page and 9 were about another product or shipping, not yet used or had no text. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

Some cautions. 178 of Elnett's 217 usable reviews are from 2022 or earlier, 72 of them from 2012 and 2013. Both Elnett and Sexy Hair reviews from 2023 and 2024 read worse than older ones, as the sections below show. The Ulta pages differ in age and size, so treat gaps of a few points as close. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

Elnett hairspray unscented review, from mostly older reviews

L'Oréal's Amazon listing describes Elnett Unscented as an extra strong hold hairspray with a soft, brushable finish that never feels stiff, crunchy or sticky, humidity-resistant frizz control and an ultra-fine mist. It says to spray from about 12 inches over styled hair, then brush through for flexible hold or leave it set. We link the 11 oz unscented can shipped and sold by Amazon.com; Ulta calls it Elnett Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray. [A1]

Across 217 usable Ulta reviews, 91 (42%) praised the hold, 74 (34%) said they would buy it again or call it a staple, 56 (26%) said it is not sticky, crunchy or stiff and 50 (23%) said it stays flexible or brushes out. Only 3 (1%) called it sticky, crunchy or stiff. 23 (11%) said the hold was weak, and 26 (12%) disliked the smell or found it too strong. [R-ULT-ELN]

Time matters here. Of 178 usable reviews from 2022 or earlier, 10% gave one or two stars. Of 27 from 2023 and 2024, 15 did, 8 said the hold was weak and 7 said the formula, scent or packaging changed and they like it less. The 12 reviews from 2025 on are too few to say whether that has settled. [R-ULT-ELN]

See L'Oréal Paris Elnett Unscented Hairspray, Extra Strong Hold, 11 oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 11 oz unscented can shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

What Living Proof Flex hairspray reviews say about feel

Living Proof's Amazon listing describes Style Lab Flex as a spray that builds and shapes a style when used to style, and gives flexible hold, natural movement, humidity protection and shine that never flakes when used to finish. We link the 7.5 oz can sold by Living Proof, Inc and shipped by Amazon. Ulta calls it Style Lab Flex Shaping Hairspray. [A2]

Of 167 usable Ulta reviews, 70 (42%) praised the hold and 58 (35%) said it is not sticky, crunchy or stiff, the highest share of the three. 44 (26%) said it stays flexible or brushes out, close to Elnett's 23%, and 47 (28%) liked the smell or called it light. Complaints: 20 (12%) disliked the smell, 14 (8%) found the hold weak and 10 (6%) called it sticky or stiff. [R-ULT-LPF]

Its sample is smaller than it looks: 126 of the 296 reviews Ulta served came from the two gifted-review waves above. 33 of the 167 usable reviewers said their hair is fine or thin, more than for either other spray. [R-ULT-LPF]

See Living Proof Style Lab Flex Hairspray, 7.5 oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 7.5 oz can sold by Living Proof, Inc and shipped by Amazon.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play drew the most volume praise

The SexyHair Amazon listing describes Big Spray & Play as a volumizing hairspray with medium to high hold up to 72 hours, humidity resistance up to 72 hours, thermal protection up to 450°F and a shine finish. We link the 16 oz Spray & Play can shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Amazon spells the brand SexyHair; Ulta lists it as Sexy Hair Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray. [A3]

In 199 usable Ulta reviews, 84 (42%) praised the hold, 65 (33%) said they would buy it again and 25 (13%) said it adds volume or lift, against 7% for Living Proof and 3% for Elnett. It drew the fewest not-sticky mentions (13%) and the most sticky, crunchy or stiff complaints (8%), though that is close to Living Proof's 6%. [R-ULT-BSH]

20 (10%) said the nozzle clogged or the spray came out uneven or wet, and 20 (10%) said the formula, scent or packaging changed and they like it less. Most of that came from 2023 and 2024: of 54 usable reviews from those years, 23 gave one or two stars, 16 reported a change for the worse and 13 a nozzle or spray problem, against 11% one- or two-star reviews from 2022 or earlier. Of 28 from 2025 on, 3 gave one or two stars, a small group. [R-ULT-BSH]

See SexyHair Big Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray, 16 oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 16 oz Spray & Play can shipped and sold by Amazon.com; Amazon lists the brand as SexyHair, Ulta as Sexy Hair.

How each hair spray feels on fine hair and humid days

Looking for a hairspray for fine hair that holds? Of reviewers who said their hair is fine or thin, 9 of 15 for Elnett, 18 of 33 for Living Proof and 15 of 27 for Sexy Hair praised the hold, about the same share. 16 of those 33 Living Proof and 8 of 15 Elnett reviewers said it was not sticky or crunchy, against 3 of 27 for Sexy Hair, while 8 of the 27 Sexy Hair reviewers mentioned volume. These groups are small. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

Humid weather came up rarely. Of reviewers who mentioned it, 7 of 8 for Elnett, 5 of 6 for Living Proof and 10 of 13 for Sexy Hair said it held up in humidity or controlled frizz or flyaways. Across all reviews, that praise stayed at 10%, 10% and 8%. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

On feel overall, Living Proof drew the most not-sticky praise (35%) and Elnett the fewest stiff or crunchy complaints (1%). 10 Elnett reviewers (5%) praised a fine, even mist, against 4 (2%) for Sexy Hair and 3 (2%) for Living Proof; these are small numbers. [R-ULT-ELN] [R-ULT-LPF] [R-ULT-BSH]

Keep reading

• Best dry shampoo: Living Proof, K18 and Batiste
• Leave-in conditioner: amika, Briogeo and Kristin Ess
• Hair dryer brush: Drybar, Revlon and BondiBoost

Frequently asked questions

Is Elnett hairspray good for fine hair?

In a small group, the reviews lean yes. Of 15 Elnett reviewers who said their hair is fine or thin, 9 praised the hold and 8 said it was not sticky, crunchy or stiff, while 1 called the hold weak. That is close to the hold praise fine-haired reviewers gave Living Proof (18 of 33) and Sexy Hair (15 of 27).

Does Elnett unscented hairspray have a scent?

Its Amazon listing sells it as unscented, yet the ingredient list on that page includes Parfum/Fragrance. In the reviews we read, 52 of 217 (24%) liked the smell or called it light, and 26 (12%) disliked it or found it too strong. Living Proof drew similar shares (28% and 12%).

How to use Living Proof Flex hairspray on damp or dry hair?

Its Amazon listing gives two ways. Spray it on damp hair to build a structured style, or apply it on dry hair to style or finish, with or without heat. The listing calls it brushable, layerable and reworkable. In 167 usable Ulta reviews, 26% said it stays flexible or brushes out and 35% said it is not sticky, crunchy or stiff.

What is the best hairspray for fine hair in humidity?

The reviews do not name a clear winner. Of reviewers who said their hair is fine or thin, only 3 of 15 for Elnett, 2 of 33 for Living Proof and 3 of 27 for Sexy Hair said it held up in humidity or controlled frizz or flyaways. Among reviewers who mentioned humid weather, 7 of 8, 5 of 6 and 10 of 13 did. All of these groups are small.

Is Elnett hairspray bad for your hair?

Few reviewers said so. Of 217 usable Elnett reviews, 2 said it dried out or damaged their hair, 3 mentioned buildup, flakes, white residue or dull hair, and 2 named an itchy scalp, eyes or skin they blamed on it. The bigger complaint was change: 7 of 27 reviewers from 2023 and 2024 said the formula, scent or packaging changed and they like it less.

Which hair spray drew the fewest sticky or crunchy complaints?

Elnett: 3 of 217 usable reviews (1%) called it sticky, crunchy, stiff or helmet-like, against 10 of 167 (6%) for Living Proof and 16 of 199 (8%) for Sexy Hair. Living Proof drew the most praise for not feeling sticky, crunchy or stiff (35%, against 26% and 13%), so the two lead on different measures.