Styling Products & Mousses Reviews

Kenra Platinum Thickening Mousse 12 is the rare volumizing styler that genuinely changes how fine hair looks and behaves. In our testing, it turned wispy, see-through lengths into hair that suddenly had presence—roots lifted, ends felt plumper, and styles held their shape well past the workday. The finish, when applied with restraint, is soft, brushable, and far more polished than the crunchy mousses of the past.

This is not a quiet product, though. It has a distinct salon scent, a noticeable texturizing feel, and on some hair types, a tendency toward dryness if you lean on it daily or over-apply. We see it as a powerful, professional tool: brilliant for fine or thinning hair that craves drama and longevity, less ideal for those who prioritize a barely-there feel or have very fragile strands. Used thoughtfully, it earns its place as a go-to thickening mousse in a luxury hair wardrobe.

Olaplex No. 5 is less a fluffy moisture bath and more a quiet architect, rebuilding the internal scaffolding of stressed hair while still behaving like an everyday conditioner. In our lab and real-life testing, it excelled on compromised hair—bleached ends, color-fatigued mid-lengths, and desert-dry strands softened, detangled, and took on a new, healthier sheen. For some, it became that rare product that genuinely extended the life of a cut and color by keeping breakage and split ends at bay.

But this is a considered luxury, not a universal panacea. On finer or already-balanced hair, the formula can feel heavy or underwhelming, and the ingredient list won’t satisfy clean-beauty purists. The packaging is also at odds with its price point. If you’re dealing with damage and want a prestige, bond-focused conditioner that slots into a regular routine, No. 5 earns its place on the shower shelf. If your hair is already in good shape—or your priorities are minimal ingredients and low maintenance—you may want to look elsewhere.

COLOR WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer is less a magic wand and more a very smart brush in your styling toolkit. In our testing, it excelled at giving fine, flatter hair a believable, touchable boost—especially when we leaned into a proper blowout routine. The alcohol-free, unscented formula feels decidedly modern and kinder to color and extensions than traditional, resin-heavy mousses. That said, this is a high-maintenance luxury: it asks for careful sectioning, generous product, and heat styling to truly sing, and it won’t defy gravity on every hair type. For the right head of hair and the right expectations, it’s a chic, reliable way to turn up the volume; for others, it may feel like an elegant, expensive version of what they already own.

Kenra Volume Mousse Extra 17 is the kind of salon staple that quietly earns a permanent place on the vanity of those who crave real volume and control. In our testing, it transformed fine, thinning, and curl-prone hair into styles with lift, density, and definition that actually lasted. The formula itself feels decidedly professional: heat-protective, humidity-resistant, and capable of multi-day hold when reactivated with a little water.

This isn’t a mindless, slap-it-on mousse — it rewards a measured, root-focused application and punishes excess with stickiness or dryness. And the biggest blemish on an otherwise polished experience is the aerosol packaging, which too often fails before the product is gone. If you’re willing to finesse your technique and accept the occasional can that misbehaves, you’re rewarded with one of the most effective firm-hold volumizing mousses in the professional space. If not, you may find the ritual more frustrating than luxurious.