For so long as I can remember, I actually have wanted greater hair. Not Dolly Parton big — I knew there was no likelihood I’d hit those incredible heights and not using a wig assist — but even only a slight lift on the roots to separate my strands from my skull. While other volumizing products have left my hair feeling more weighed down, the Living Proof Full Volume & Root-Lifting Spray appears to be the answer I’ve been waiting for.

This spray is a component of Living Proof’s newest line, which also features a blow-dry cream and texturizing foam, that uses the brand’s patented Thickening Molecule. (A fast glance at the total ingredient list suggests that a mix of commonly- and not-so-commonly-used polymers are giving this formula its ability to create volume that lasts.) I attempted all three products once they first launched but this spray was by far the standout for me: It added noticeable volume without making my effective hair feel crunchy or dry. I can still run my fingers through my roots when I take advantage of these items, which might’t be said of another volumizers that give me similar oomphy results.

Hairstylist Kiley Fitzgerald can be a fan, telling Allure she uses the Volume & Root-Lifting Spray each time she blow dries her hair, “especially if I need a whole lot of volume that may hold.” For skinny strands like mine, she recommends separating the hair into 4 sections — two on the side and two at the highest – after which gently applying the spray at the basis of every section to be sure you’re hitting every angle. “Then rough dry immediately!” she advises, noting that this gives you essentially the most body.

I’ve been using Fitzgerald’s technique, first flipping my head the wrong way up to rough dry with my Dyson Supersonic. Once it’s about 80% dry, I’ll switch to my Drybar Double Shot Blow Dryer Brush to smooth and magnificence my hair into extremely loose waves, using the comb to twist my hair away from my face in sections, then tucking the front pieces behind my ears while they cool to get that little face-framing bend at my temples. Although Living Proof only claims that the quantity lasts “all day,” I can attest to it lasting even longer for me; it seems to reactivate after I blow dry on days two and three before I wash my hair again.

A blowout without the Living Proof spray

A blowout using the identical technique plus the Living Proof spray

The one downside I’ve found is that the pump tends to clog. The brand is clearly aware of this minor packaging issue too, because it printed an advisory to run it under hot water if that happens right on the label, but those few seconds spent by the sink have not deterred me from using it each time I blow out my hair.