I woke up late this morning and my hair was completely wrecked. It was passed the 2 day wash point, and I wasn't looking too hot. The usual oilies had started to set in and there wasn't time for a full on hair wash and dry. I have to admit, this isn't the first time that I've been in a situation like this. I'm sure in the past, I would have panicked and had to either call in late or take the day off to salvage my pride. However, thanks to my trusty stash of Batiste Dry Shampoo, I was able to remedy my dilemma. In less than a minute, I had hair that I was not embarrassed to leave the house with.
I'm no stranger to dry shampoo. My first foray into the product was back in 2007 with Ojon's RubOut Dry Shampoo. That product actually worked quite well outside of being a little spendy at over $20 a can. Also, there was an issue at times with some of the cans clogging. The first can I had was great. No issues with clogging. Second can, I was hardly able to use any as the sprayer was bad from the get go. For the cost of the product and the unreliability of the sprayer, I gave up on it after the trouble with my second can.
I decided to look for something more affordable. I came across some reviews for Batiste and was attracted by the more affordable price tag. It was harder to come by back in 2008/2009 and I had to order it from Sally's Beauty Supply. This was before the drugstore brands started popping up everywhere. I honestly was not that thrilled with Batiste initially. I had tried their Original Green and the Blush Versions. The Original Green scent from back then was less than desirable. I've heard it be compared to the scent of a public restroom and I don't think it was all that far off. The Blush version was not much better. Almost smelled like an air freshener on top of that awful base scent of public restroom. The product actually worked quite well, but unfortunately I couldn't get past the smell. I pretty much gave up at that point, reserved to believe that a good dry shampoo was another one of those mythical unicorns of the beauty world.
It wasn't until dry shampoos started popping up at the drugstore that I decided to venture back into the dry shampoo arena. Now it seems like every brand out there has their own version. There are a ton to choose from. I tried out quite a few of the drugstore brands and was sadly disappointed by a lot of them. I went through two cans of the Suave Professionals version when that first came out. That was nice at first. Got rid of the oilies and gave my hair body. But by the time I was working on my second can, I realized it left me with a gritty, sandy feeling on my scalp when I used it. My hair also felt super coated with it. Next up, was the Tresemme one for oily hair (they have two versions, the other is for dry curly hair I believe). That one didn't do a thing for me. It left my hair feeling wet which did nothing to eliminate the oilies. I tossed the can halfway through. A travel can of Pssst that I got in a monthly sample box was next. Didn't impress me at all. Left my hair smelling stale and really didn't make my hair look fresh at all.
Somewhere in the middle of my saga with drugstore brand dry shampoo I happened upon another high end brand when I purchased one of those Allure Beauty boxes. It was Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo. It had a really nice lemon scent to it, but overall the formula was just okay really. At times I felt that it left my hair with that overly wet look similar to the Tresemme and if it didn't make it wet, it left my hair on the rather flat side. Overall, not impressed.
Somewhere along the line I had heard someone on Youtube (I forget who at this point) mention a dry shampoo made specifically for Brunettes. It was supposed to eliminate the white cast that sometimes afflicts those of use that have darker hair. It was from Batiste. Intrigued, I tracked down a can at a local grocery store and decided to give it a whirl. I was a bit apprehensive at first given my prior experience with Batiste, but I gave it a try and was blown away but how well it worked. It instantly eliminated any oiliness and gave my hair a ton of lift and body. And the smell, I'm a bit obsessed by this version I must say. I don't know how to describe it other than to say that it smells fresh. At times I think maybe it smells kind of like a powdery coconut, but maybe that's just me. And this version really cuts down on the white cast, in fact there is hardly any cast at all. Overall, I was really impressed (finally?!) and have been back to using Batiste ever since I tried that can.
Batiste has really come a long way since those 2008/2009 versions. It seems the cans that have a white cap are a newer formula I think. I retried the original one and was pleasantly surprised. I actually like the scent of it now, so unless my sense of smell has changed, I'd say they improved the product. They have a lot more scents out now as well. Instead of just the Original, Blush, and Tropical scents, there are Refresh, Wild, Paisley, and Cheeky Cherry. Refresh is a bit powdery smelling, Wild smells like a musky sexy perfume, Paisley smells a bit Patchouli-ish, and Cheeky Cherry smells sweet and fruity. There is also a special version formulated for Blondes. Ulta carries them all. Here is my current stash:
Are you a dry shampoo fan? If so, what's your favorite brand? Let me know down in the comments below.
