Lipstick Masala

It’s 8 am. You should have been out of the house fifteen minutes ago, but you slept through your alarm. You are jumping like a madwoman to get one leg into your pants while you furiously brush your teeth and send a message to your colleague on your blackberry. You then run back to your bathroom and groan as you catch a glimpse of your oily bangs in the mirror. There is no time for a cup of coffee let alone a wash and blow-dry. So, what do you do? Do you walk into your meeting your hair plastered against your forehead? No, ladies. Let’s try to avoid greasy hair in the boardroom.

Hair companies have begun en masse to market a product known as “dry shampoo,” basically a glorified form of baby powder that soaks up the oil in your hair/roots upon application. Although the concept has been around for a while, women everywhere have started to spend upwards of 30 dollars on single bottles of this product. After a brief discussion with a group of brilliant ladies on Twitter, I was inspired to pull out my sources to find the best of the wide range of dry shampoos.

Now before I get into the different options available, I just want to point out that I don’t condone this product for when you’re feeling too lazy to wash your hair, it should only be bought for use in a pinch. As the weather grows warmer, gals with oily hair tend to suffer from greasy patches even when they have just washed it the day before. It’s not healthy to lather up every day as you risk stripping your natural oils, so if you need a quick fix, dry shampoo may be your answer.
The most popular product on the market is the Bumble and Bumble hair powder. It used to be available in a loose form but the website now appears to only carry the spray version. Bumble and Bumble claims three uses for this product, including tinting your hair, dry cleansing and allowing for ease in styling by making the hair less soft and workable. The hair powder is available in blonde, red, white, brown and black for all hair types. However, upon a little research, this may not be one of the best products out there. For one, it costs $19 for only 1oz. I could use that amount in one spray on my thick Asian hair. Second, many users have complained the color from the hair powder not only stains clothes, but oftentimes ends up on one’s face while sweating. Greasy bangs or black-smudged forehead? I think I will pick the grease, thank you. Finally, it’s a pain to wash out and gets all over your bathtub. In my opinion, this product seems more hassle than benefit.

Now, before you run to your nearest store for the versions by Oscar Blandi, Toni & Guy or Ojon, there is a cheaper alternative available that works just as well if not better. The brand Batiste has been making a dry shampoo spray for several years. Yes, the can looks like it belongs on your mother’s dressing table in the 1980s, but don’t underestimate its fabulousness by the way it looks. It has a sweet faint smell that supposedly fades after a few minutes and is very simple to use. After spraying on your hair, make sure to brush it out to avoid the grey look that may occur on brunettes. Available at Boots for those in the UK, and on folica.com, amazon.com and at your local Sally Beauty Supply for those in the US/Canada (sallybeauty.com).

If you’re like me and can’t be bothered to go out and buy dry shampoo or don’t wish to spend $$$, you can also use baby (talcum) powder or cornstarch. I personally prefer baby powder, but apparently cornstarch is the healthier choice, as you don’t end up inhaling as much of the powder as with talc. Many dark-haired ladies don’t like using this option because it leaves their hair looking grey, however, there are techniques that can prevent you from looking like Indira Gandhi.

- Using a large, fluffy powder brush, pick up a little powder/cornstarch and get rid of the excess by holding the brush in one hand and tapping the handle with the other. Apply the powder to the greasy area in small amounts until the oil is soaked up.

- Turn on your hair dryer quickly and blow the excess powder out of your hair. If you don’t have a dryer handy, quickly comb your fingers through your hair and pat your head in a dusting off motion.

- Finally, whether you use regular baby powder or dry shampoo, soaking up oil causes your hair to look dull. Apply a little shine spray on your fingers and run quickly through your hair – but make sure to use very little and avoid the roots of your hair, especially if you have oily roots, or you will end up right where you started!

It sounds like an ordeal, but it’s really quite simple once you get the hang of it – although, try NOT to get the hang of it by making dry shampoo-ing a habit. Remember, desperate use only – at Lipstick Masala we try to promote good hygiene

**UPDATE** Twitter user @kirstieh has recommended Oatmilk Gentle Dry Shampoo Spray by Klorane, available at escentual.com and sephora.com. I haven’t tried this product out but I love anything natural with Oat so I will definitely be looking for this at my local mall. @kirstien says there is no chalky effect with the Klorane, check it out!

http://www.bollywoodgo.com/2009/03/nikita-anand-drools-over-malaika-arora.html
http://www.beautique.com/product/Bumble_and_Bumble/Bumble_and_Bumble_Hair_Powder_Brown.aspx
http://www.healthinajiffy.co.uk/batiste-dry-shampoo-150ml-p-4058.html
http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00avZEntCyYQzhM/Powder-Brush-with-Copper-Ferrule.jpg
http://cafeboys.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html