Sophistication Sundays - Battle of the Dry Shampoos

My sophistication muse, Audrey Hepburn

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Sophistication Sundays will revolve around my favorite beauty finds, techniques, fashion trends and anything else "pretty" that catches my eye. I look forward to sharing these ideas with you and hope to hear your suggestions and feedback as well! I am no expert at beauty or fashion by any means but perhaps that will make my thoughts more relatable. Simply put, I'm just a girly-girl navigating my way through the fabulous finds I come across.

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We've all heard it: washing and drying your hair every single day and using hot styling tools wreaks HAVOC on your tresses. Unfortunately if you have wavy hair like me (with a completely unruly cowlick right in the front) it's hard not to break this hair commandment! So in an effort to obey half of that commandment (come on - I have to use a straightener. You have NOT seen this girl's cowlick!) I decided to foray into the world of dry shampoo. I know there are plenty of expensive brands that promise wonderful results but I just didn't want to take the chance with my pocket book. So without further adieu, I present you with the Battle of the Drugstore Dry Shampoos!

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In this corner, trial #1: Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

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I thought this was a great place to start because it was pretty dang cheap! I believe it came in under $5. I noticed after spraying that it gave quite a gray overcast to the roots. Typical for dry shampoo (so I've heard) so I just brushed it out as the bottle instructed. Initially I thought well that works "ok" but within minutes I noticed it didn't really soak up the oil like it's supposed to. In fact I went online and did some more reading about it and I read that people ended up using this as a way to add texture to the hair (i.e. adding something for the clean hair to hold onto). So basically the exact opposite result from what I want from dry shampoo. As my sister-in-law would say, "Bum-Diddles!"

In this corner, trial #2: John Frieda Luxurious Volume "Anytime Volume Refresher"

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After doing some research I found another drugstore brand of dry shampoo I figured was worth trying. I haven't used much John Frieda but I thought the line looked reputable and yes, let's be honest: I had a coupon. How could I resist? So I picked up a bottle at Wal-Mart (for around $6) and couldn't wait to try a new, improved dry shampoo. The next morning when my alarm clock went off I hit the snooze button a few extra times since I had new dry shampoo. ;)

I followed the directions, shook it up and made the initial sprays. Not too bad! I felt like my limp strands of hair had some new life. I was fairly pleased and left for the work day. Well needless to say after a couple hours it went right back to looking lifeless and "day old." I know sometimes you have to reapply but I just felt like it should have lasted longer. So it was a step up from Tresemme but still I expected more.

And in this uh... er, other corner I guess, trial #3: Batiste Dry Shampoo

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And finally I happened upon the European dry shampoo staple. I purchased this at Sally Beauty Supply and figured at this point why not try it. Boy am I glad I did! Batiste easily knocked out the competition. wa-BAM. K.O.

I followed the directions once again and shook up the bottle before and in between sprays to my roots. After rubbing the spray into my roots I immediately noticed a significant improvement in the texture and volume of my hair. Batiste seemed to dry my roots and pump life back into my hair style. I finished with a bit of teasing in the flatter areas and couldn't have been happier with the results! Like a breath of fresh air...

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

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To conclude, if you're looking for a great dry shampoo to extend your previous day's style or to liven up your hair mid-day I highly recommend Batiste. If you don't have a Sally's in town you could always check out their website to get it or try Drugstore.com. There is also a Batiste Blush which offers the same product but with an added fragrance.

So do you use dry shampoo? What is your favorite brand? How much are you willing to pay for a dry shampoo?

~Christi