Dry Shampoo: Battle of the Brands

Thank God for dry shampoo. Am I right? On days of unexpected greasiness slash laziness, it's an absolute lifesaver. 

I say this, but before now I didn't use it a lot at all. My hair doesn't get too greasy too quickly and when it does, it's also crying out for a good conditioning, so dry shampoo wasn't really my go-to in those situations. 

However since dyeing my hair a colour that fades rapidly with each wash, dry shampoo is helping me prolong my colour's vibrancy, and is a product that I would recommend to anyone struggling with fast-fading hair. 

Whenever I go to a fashion event, dry shampoo is a product that without fail makes its way into the goodie bags.  I've accumulated quite a few now, so I thought I'd  put the three biggest brands (Batiste, Tresemme and label,m) to the test on my new barnett in a battle of the brands, testing them on grease-elimination and volume. 

Batiste Pixie Lott Limited Edition - £2.99

Obviously the most well-known, with Pixie Lott fronting their latest ad campaign and a variety of different scents and patterned cans on the shelves. The variety that Batiste has to offer is vast, and I will admit that it smells amazing. It does the job perfectly well in terms of eliminating the greasy bed-head look, however when it comes to styling and adding more volume, if you've got a gargantuan head of hair like mine, it just won't cut it. With my hair being so heavy, I need as much help as I can get when it comes to creating volume. I was also left with quite a powdery texture in my hair which really dried it out. 

Tresemme Instant Refresh - £5.25 (for 200ml. Mine's 100ml) 

For me, Tresemme is a brand I really trust. I've had a lot of success with their conditioners in the past, and I wasn't let down by this product either. I found that I needed less than I did with Batiste, and the actual feel of the product on  my hair was, as it says, refreshing. It didn't feel powdery or dry and doesn't leave any white residue at all. Didn't even need to rub it in really. Again my hair was too heavy for this to have any voluminous effect, but for a fresh, shampooed effect, this one is my favourite. A bit more expensive than Batiste, but you'll use less and it will last you longer. 

label.m Brunette Dry Shampoo - £11.95 (200ml)

Obviously I don't use this at the moment, but when my hair was ombre I did. I know the can is tiny, and it's just a sample size. This is my favourite for texture and volume. It's the one product that can actually take on my hair and give it some lift, so if you've got a thick head of hair, or just want something a bit more heavy duty, then this is what you need. For dry shampooing, it's got a brown tint to it so that it doesn't leave any powdery marks, and it actually works well on reddy / auburn hair too. I've also tried and reviewed the larger Texturising and Volume spray which is actually quite similar, just more aimed at styling.  They're both brilliant for spraying on your hair before curling or backcombing for some extra hold and lift, whilst leaving the hair soft and pliable. 

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90s Hair Tutorials

Not sure if you've noticed, but elements of the 90s are subtly creeping their way back into our lives. Jelly shoes, flatforms,crop tops and bucket hats reigned the Summer fashion trends, with a Marmite-like reception. The winter months may rid us of some of these fads, but I feel the 90s theme will remain for quite some time yet.

One aspect of 90s fashion that I feel can be brought into the modern day without an assault on the visionary senses is 90s hairstyles. Teamed with all the other garish garb and we're close to a fashion disaster, but tone it down and incorporate with this season's trends and you've actually got something. 

I just recently bought a lushious floral scrunchie from New Look, which inspired me to do a little 90s hair tutorial. I've chosen my two favourite styles so far: the Double Buns and a Scrunchie Half Up Half Down

Double Buns

Scrunchie Half Up Half Down

P.S: If your hair is thick and resists backcombing like mine, use a texturising spray like label.m's Texturising  Volume Spray

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4 Simple Summer Up-Dos with Label.M’s Texturising Volume Spray

Now that I’ve got this fiery ombre look, Nat and I decided to have a little play around with some up-dos (in my living room, so excuse the mess, we're not tidy workers). Also, the lovely people at Label.M sent me their Texturising Volume Spray to try out, so all of these styles show the best way to use this product when doing hair ups.

                              

Look 1

1)Take the top section of hair, starting two inches above the ear and clip it up.

       2) French plait the remaining hair above the ears on both side until you’ve reached just behind the ear, then    continue plaiting the lengths. Secure at the ends with a pin.

      3) Unclip the top section, add Label M spray, remembering to hold the spray about 20cm away from the hair, and then backcomb. Bring together, push forward for height, twist and pin securely.

                                                     

4)Take the remaining hair at the back, twist up into a rough chignon and pin.

    5)Bring the remaining hair around into a rough bun, and pin.

    6) Take the plaits and wrap the loose ends around the bun

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Look 2

        1)Follow steps 1,2 and 3 from above, but put the remaining hair into a secure ponytail.

       2)Wrap the plaits around, in opposite directions around the ponytail.

        3)Add some Label.M Texturising Volume Spray  to the ponytail for a messy texture.

Look 3

       1) Brush hair to one side

       2)Spray Label.M Texturisng Volume Spray to top part of the hair. Ruffle with fingers for a messy texture.

        3)Spray the rest of the hair with Label.M Texturising Volume Spray if you’re hair is really smooth or difficult to manipulate.  

        4)Divide hair into two sections.

        5)Take a small piece from the outside of the left section, and pass over the front  to the right section. Take a small piece from the outside of the right section, and pass over the front to the left section.

       6)  Leave out every third strand for a tassel look.

                                                

Look 4

       1)  Repeat all of the above steps except the last.

       2)Instead of leaving pieces out, incorporate all of the hair into a fishtail plat, and pull out the strands once tied to loosen it and spray well with Label.M Texturising Volume Spray. 

   Me and Nat really enjoyed working with the Label.M Texturising Volume Spray. I have really thick, sleek hair that'll slip out of any style I put it in. The spray added enough texture to make it workable and enabled us to manipulate it in a variety of ways. However be really vigilant as to how close to the hair you hold the spray. Just like dry shampoo, if you hold it too close, you will end up with grey patches. On that note, is does actually work quite well as a dry shampoo or a hairspray, and can add a bit of edge to normal straight hair. 

    I hope you find these tutorials useful, and if you're from the Bedfordshire area and want more information on Nat's work, visit elegancebytlc.co.uk

Steph and Nat 

x x x

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