Lavenderwalls & Me...: Dry Shampoos, Part II: Reviews, Favorites, and Not My Favorites

I know the previous one was extremely wordy and full of information, but today, I wanted to wind down this discussion with recent dry shampoos that I have tried, my favorites, and the one that I am definitely not recommending!

Now, let me disclaim something. Yesterday, I mentioned how knowing your hair type, routine, and care are important to helping you find the dry shampoo that works best for YOU. So, the ones I am showing may happen to work well for me, but it may not for you. What I am hoping is that I give you some good suggestions and a good place to start exploring, but don't let any of my feedback keep you from trying anything.

A Popular Pick: Batiste

Batiste has a pretty solid following. There are many out there that would call this brand their holy grail. You can usually find this at Urban Outfitter, Ulta, and Walgreens, so I would say it is pretty accessible, and the price is not outrageous...$8 for a 200mL can. Batiste comes in a variety of scents and offers a few that have a hint of color to better match with your hair and minimize the highly controversial whitecast.

As you can see I have tried a few. In the picture there is actually 2 that are empty and the other 2 are almost done, so I have definitely given all of them a good try. For me, I would give the total brand a 3 out of 5. When I bought my first can of Batiste, I got the one that works with dark hair. I really, really liked it the first few times. I guess it was a dry shampoo that, for once in a long time, didn't completely suck. However, I have noticed over time that this brand is the type that does well with my hair during the beginning of the day, but wears off quickly once the afternoon nears. In addition, the smell, regardless of what "flavor" you choose is either reminiscent of bathroom potpourri sprays...or what I assume to be like a hooker. I don't know about you, but that is not what I imagine a hair refresher to smell like...ever.

Would I recommend it? Yes, because it's really not that bad at absorbing oil for those that don't have a super oily hair type...and if the scent does not bother you, then I would say give it a go. Would I re-purchase Bastiste? If I was in a desperate crunch, I would because I know how it performs and that's something I can manager.

This is a new product that I discovered at Sephora, and I got curious about it (what's new?) so I decided to try it out. There's a reason to why I own 2.5 cans of this stuff. I originally ordered the Mango Coconut scent online, but somehow got sent the Sheer Blossom. Then, on another occassion, I was at an actual Sephora store and decided to pick up what I meant to receive...Mango Coconut, as well as picked up a mini can of the unscented version.

Anyhow, I've tried these a few times and they're not bad. They really are translucent, which is good because usually dry shampoos are known to give off a pretty gnarly whitecast that can be hard to blend out, especially on dark hair. It has pretty decent longevity. I don't really start to get hints of oiliness breaking through until the latter part of the afternoon. As for the scent, it is much better than the bathroom clean you get from Batiste. The Sheer Blossom and Mango Coconut are pleasant in a Bath and Body Works kind of way....very fruity and femine, but I wouldn't quite describe it as fresh. If you like those smells, then this may be the dry shampoo for you, but I'd rather stick to the unscented version - it's much cleaner smelling.

I do want to mention one more thing about this product...It's on the expensive side coming in at a whopping $22 for a 4.75oz can!

Overall, I give it a 3/5, especially because of the price!...and therefore, even though it is not a bad product, I don't think I will be repurchasing this.

HOLY GRAIL PRODUCT RIGHT HERE!!!! Klorane was THE one that changed my opinion on dry shampoos in the most positive way! It is fresh, volumizing, effective. It's amazing! My hair can last the entire day feeling nice without any breakthrough. There are somedays that it will even last 2 days in my hair without re-application. For me, it is just that good! In addition to their regular aerosal dry shampoo, they also offer a non-aerosol plastic bottle that you squeeze the powder out of and then an aerosal can for super super oil control. Those 2 other forms are just as effective, but I choose to stick with the original. Cons...This stuff is hard to find at stores and it is pricey! For $20 a can, I can only get it online or go to my special Walgreens. With that said, because I LOVE this particular dry shampoo so much and have gone through so many cans of this stuff, I will go through the hassle and pick up or order a few at a time. My personal rating is definitely a 5 out of 5!

If your scalp and hair does not get too greasy or you are looking for a little oomph to boost your freshly washed hair that has gone a little flat, this is the stuff for you! This dry shampoo from Lush is cornflower based with beautiful and light citrus ingredients that makes your hair smell super fresh and zesty! Tap a little on to you palm and massage it into your hair or tap it directly on to your roots and you are instantly refreshed. The downside of this product for me is that the intensity was a little on the light side, so I could only use it to help boost volume in my hair and not so much for oil control purposes. If you are interested in getting this product, my tip would be to get the smaller bottle. I purchased the 4.6oz bottle a year ago and I use it quite a bit, and as you can see, I barely made a dent. With this product being 100% natural, it has a shelf life, so don't buy more than you can use! Overall for me, its a 2 out of 5 just because it doesn't serve the main purpose for me well.

Drugstore Favorite: Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo

If you are in the market for dry shampoo and you don't know what to get and don't want to spend more than $10, I recommend trying this one by Herbal Essences. After discovering Klorane, I rarely ever explore what is out there in the dry shampoo world, so when my friend requested that I blog about this particular topic, I thought to myself that I needed to look for a drugstore option to review. So, I saw this at Target and decided to try it...and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works! First off, the scent is crisp and citrusy with a hint of sweetness, and more importantly, there is no whitecast when you apply it to your roots. I feel like it gives good volume, absorbs the oil well, and has great longevity, even with my crazy hair. Definitely 5 out of 5.

In the previous post and throughout this one, the focus on dry shampoo has primarily been on oil contol and longevity. However, a very popular way of using dry shampoos is to add volume, extend your style, and give your hair a very slight hold, which is essential for teasing. Because I don't style my hair to the extent where I need to tease or shape my hair styles, I'm indifferent to "style helpers." Above is a few that have been hanging out in my collection in the rare occasion that I need a volume boost. The real take away from this is that dry shampoo has multiple purposes.

Now, this is definitely NOT a dry shampoo, but I wanted to put this in for those peeps that are going gray, like me. As I showed above with the Bastiste, there are some brands that have a hint of color added into their products mostly catering to the consumers that have darker hair. And really the purpose of that is to help resolve this huge issue that dry shampoos give off a crazy whitecast when applied. However, what it doesn't do is hide discoloration or graying...at least not well. So, if you are looking for something that will conceal your roots, this stuff is pretty potent and good. It will not, and should not, hide every strand of grays, but it does a great job at really bending your roots in. To use this product, you must style your hair first and then apply it very sparingly where the grays come through. Since I color my hair only every 2-3 months, my grays really make an appearance 3-4 weeks prior to retouching my color, so this stuff comes in handy. I have really enjoyed using this when I feel that I should make people think that I really spent some time that day putting myself together.

***STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE***

I was soooooooooo disappointed this did not work out!!! I don't even know if it worked well because this dry shampoo smelled soooooooooooo BAD I couldn't even think straight!!!!! It smelled just like the kind of perfume an old woman would wear and it lingers until you wash it out! Like I said in my last post, a horrible scent can very very very easily overshadow a product's effectivness. So, truly, this could have worked like a dream, but because I hated the smell like a friend that did me wrong, I completely wrote this product off. What shocked me, too, was the fact that this is a Drybar product! Drybar has become SO popular in the wash and style trend that has recently taken place as THE place to get a blowout. How DARE they put out a product of this caliber...and it was expensive ($20), too! Don't get this product...Just don't!

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There you go!!! A little dry shampoo review that I hope has inspired you to find the perfect one for you! I can't stress enough how much something like this has changed my daily routine! Other than dry shampoo simply being a beauty staple, it has been a great helper in maintaining my long, color-treated, damaged, dry but oily, hair.