Dry Shampoo Review ~ Batiste Special

After I posted "Dry Shampoo, The Stand Off" the lovely people at Batiste said I could choose some of their dry shampoos to try out and talk about, which was really exciting since they have several different kinds that I've never tried before and I don't know many people who have either. I wouldn't have been so interested if it was just a matter of different scents, because we all know they work equally well and the smells are just a matter of preference but of no real consequence. I feel that trying these other kinds out and telling you about my (and my friends') experience of them might actually be quite insightful, especially if you're like me and are afraid to try something new once you've found something that works for you.

The dry shampoos I picked were: Gold Shimmer, Light & Blonde, Medium & Brunette and XXL Volume. I will also be reviewing Dark & Deep Brown which I didn't get sent but thought I'd include for completion's sake.

(took this photo from the website because I forgot to take photos of my actual ones before giving them to my friends)

Because I don't have a natural hair colour (this is my current colour) these products are wasted on me so I asked the people around me whose opinions I value to try them out for me instead. All in all, I have an opinion from every sort of person; a long time user of Batiste (Hannah), a long time user of the coloured kind (Nic) and a complete novice (my mum) who's opinion would be fresh perspective since she's never used anything like this before.
 

This I gave to Hannah, who has long, bleached blonde hair. She's doing an English degree so I trusted her to word her thoughts eloquently, which she did:

"Shampoo - Good, as in still as wonderful as the ordinary stuff (so great at de-greasing and generally giving flat hair a bit of a boost). The colour element was good because it didn't make my hair white/grey like excessive use of the ordinary one (i.e. my usual amount of use) can do. However the colour was a bit too yellow for my hair which is a more platinum blonde. Even for darker blondes it seemed the colour was a bit superficial. All around a good product though, I would buy again if the colour was altered, but if not then (because mine's too platinum) I'd stick to the normal stuff. A good idea though to have the different colours."

 

This one I gave to my mum. I decided to ask my mum because she is such a busy person and always complaining that her hair needs a wash but she has no time during the day that it was a no-brainer to make her try it. Her hair is dark brown and very thick.

She said she thought it worked well at making her hair feel clean but that because she has naturally frizzy hair, using it made the frizz come out in a big way. This probably isn't too much of an issue if you straighen your hair, but my mum doesn't so she found it to be a problem. As for the colour side of things she said that even though her hair is more reddy-brown it blended well and wasn't obviously sprayed on colour.

This is one I didn't get sent but since my dear friend Nic already uses it on a regular basis I thought I might as well include it. Nic has short, dark chestnut brown hair and very acomplished in the art of words, so here's what she thought:

"I find the coloured dry shampoo preferable to the normal stuff because you're always bound to miss a bit when you brush it out and the dark brown colour was just right for my hair, eliminating that problem. However, I would advise making sure none of it is on your forehead as the brown tint really shows up against the skin. Also, coloured dry shampoo with more choice of scents would be welcome. All in all, I think it does what it says on the tin and is worth it's higher price tag."

And now to the things that I actually reviewed myself. Looks like I barely did any work for this post, don't believe it! (Also, don't you love the floating cans in the photos! That's the boyfriend getting creative, you can find more of his stuff on his tumblr!)

BEFORE USE: I was interested to try this out because I had found that normal Batiste already had a certain volumising quality to it but I was also dubious considering hairspray (which is what usually gives you volume) generally does the opposite of what a dry shampoo is supposed to do, in that it makes it stiff and afterwards it generally needs a wash.

AFTER USE: Having used it I found that it did indeed make my hair look cleaner and definitely added volume as well as some hold, but this came at a price in that my hair felt quite matted and clumped together as if it was covered in hairspray. This is fine unless you intend to replace using this with washing your hair. So, I'd recommend this product if your hair is looking a little limp (or, like me, your fringe is always awkward and needs putting in place a bit). I'd only use XXL Volume during the day but wouldn't replace it with washing your hair in the evening.

BEFORE USE: This is the one I was most excited to try out, I had a feeling even before I tried it it might be perfect for adding a little bit of razzle-dazzle in a more stylish way than just glitter. I even entertained the idea that it might be fine for every day use, if subtle enough. On the other hand I was a bit afraid it might be completely over the top.

AFTER USE: My worries about it being over the top were put top rest the moment I sprayed in onto my hair, the glitter is so small and fine and the effect on my head was really subtle. I really like this stuff, it does the usual job on top of adding a slight golden shimmer - the name is exactly right for the product. I would absolutely recommend this if you're going out and you want to add a bit of glamour without looking like a toddler's art project, in fact I'm even tempted to wear it during the day.
As you can see below is literally the best result of my trying to show you what the glitter looks like, the fact that it's hard to see is pretty much a good thing, it stresses just how subtle the sparkle is.

All in all I wasn't surprised at all about the fact that Batiste continues to be my top choice for dry shampoo and these variations are great and effective for the specific needs that their catering too. Batiste dry shampoo can be found in most Boots and Superdrug stores. I would seriously recommend you try it out, even it's just the normal range.

Disclaimer: I really must stress that I was not paid to do this. I would hate for anyone who visits this blog to think that, all I want to do is provide you this honest insight.