So I've been reading a lot about these new hair powders that act like a dry shampoo-- you use them at your roots to absorb oil so that you can go longer between hair washings. Sounds pretty brilliant-- your hair doesn't get as dried out from too frequent shampoos, and if you spend time getting that perfect blow-dry or other straight or curly styles, you want to extend the life of your styling efforts as long as possible.
The two main products I keep seeing over and over in magazines are Bb Hair Powder ($19- $34) and Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion ($22). I've recently been dissapointed by my first foray into Bumble and Bumble hair products (with their Surf Spray) so I decided to try the Aveda Hair Potion first.
I went to the Aveda store at the mall and was able to find the Hair Potion quickly (it is clearly being highly promoted) and my first reaction was "I'm gonna pay $22 for this?" The bottle is tiny. I believe its contents are just under an ounce in weight. But I figured it's powder, which doesn't weigh much or take up much space, so there must be a decent amount of it in there and decided to go for it... being sure to also ask about their return policy just in case.
The stuff itself is pretty nifty. It's a powder that, as soon as you rub it between your fingers, turns into a sticky paste. When sprinkled directly onto your roots it feels cool and tingly. However, its merits kinda ended there for me.
One thing I found odd was that all the magazines advertised this Hair Potion for its oil-absorbing qualities. However neither the in-store ads nor the bottle itself really even mention this effect. They seem to be marketing it mainly as a way to give more body and volume to fine hair. Anyway, I tried it out-- sprinlling the powder directly onto my roots and rubbing in from there, another time forming the paste in my hands and transferring to my hair afterwards... I tried it on several different occasions, trying to give it a fair shot to show me what it's made of.
Well, it would at first fluff up my hair at the roots, but then 5 minutes later it'd fall flat again. And when I attempted to use it to absorb the appearing grease on my 3rd day post-shampoo, it didn't seem to really do anything. If anything, since it turned into a paste the stickyness of the paste only seemed to make my hair feel more greasy, or like it had way too much product in it (I guess that could've been my fault, using too much powder, but I tried to use it sparingly).
To sum up... I will be returning the teeny little bottle today.
I'm still debating whether I want to try the Bumble and Bumble version. I've heard raves, and I've also seen many reviews complaining that since their new formula is an aerosol spray, it's very messy and tends to get powder everywhere. In fact I read at least 2 accounts where the use suggested spraying it on while standing in a closed shower stall, then running out quickly so as not to inhale the fumes. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to splurge on a fancy hair product I'd rather not have to run screaming from it, much less risk my life while doing so (I can see myself now trying to escape the shower and tumbling over the edge of my tub). I am however curious of another product I recently heard about, Satin Sugar, that I may try... Then again perhaps I'll stick to good, old fashioned corn starch for a while.
13 comments:
I've been hesitant to try the Bb one, too, but only because it's aerosol. Seems too much like the Ron Popeil spray-on hair.
;)
Thanks for posting a real review. The old Bumble and Bumble was great before they went aerosol. Now it doesn't work as well and gets clogged before can is empty. I'm looking for an alternative. If you find one please post!
i just bought the aveda hair potion yesterday and am still working with it (quantity, application, etc.) to see if i like it. just fyi i read about stylist who uses klorane dry oat shampoo for extending style and adding volume and i do like the product. you may want to try it. i didn't try to find it in any brick and mortars...
Try baby powder. Adds body, soaks up oil, and it's very cheap :).
the hair potion is NOT a dry shampoo. This is a styling product that is used on wet hair before styling. You only need a tiny amount, otherwise your hair will be too sticky to work with. With this product you will be able to maintain most any style. My hair stylist showed me how it worked. Never pour the powder on your head! Only use enough to put on 2 fingers and work thru ALL of the hair. This really is a wonderful product.
I swear by klorane oat dry shampoo. It brushes in with ease and lasts all day, at least. One can usually lasts about 2 weeks and it is very reasonably priced.
There is a product by Oscar Blandi called Pronto that is great!! It is a fine powder that really absorbs, adds body and smells really great and fresh. I go to the gym a lot and I need a product between washings. This really does the trick
Hair Potion is not supposed to be a replacement for your shower entirely-- wash your hair once in a while.
The Hair Potion is quite possibly the most effective volume-inducing product I have ever used. Even the next day, my hair did not have any indiciation of being greasy.
Further, it is extremely cost-efficient in that one needs only a few sprinkles of the product to achieve satisfaction--that is, if you exercise normal and acceptable practices of hygiene.
I worked in a salon that used bumble and bumble products for a while and Ive tried the spray. It definitely helps and adds body. The annoying thing is when I used the one that matched my hair color (brown) sometimes it would drip and I ended up with spots on my skin or clothes! So I ended up using the one for gray hair and it usually doesnt show as long as you dont use too much of it. There is also a brand called Psssst! (not sure how many s's) which can be found in CVS or drugstore.com for about $5 and works almost as well. Stila also has a small bottle of hair powder that smells nice as an added bonus.
aveda hair potion is amazing, you were probably using it wrong. you lift up sections and sprinkle it for volume. it does obsorb oil, that's why it creates a matte finish, but it's main purpose is to create texture and volume, so if you were looking for a dry shampoo, then you were looking at the wrong product. and it lasts all day, and if you don't like the feeling of the potion in your hair, all you do if brush it through to your ends and can still get the same effect.
The best one by far is Oscar Blandi's Dry Shampoo. It smells very good. I highly recommend getting the powder over the spray because the powder lasts so much longer. More bang for your buck. You can get it from Sephora online or in the store. I have always been the girl who has to wash her hair everyday, but this stuff has changed everything. I live in a very humid climate too. So I can only imagine how this would work for someone who lived other than FL.
My fave dry shampoo is Stila Hair Refresher! I've tried others, but always come back to this one. It is $28 but the bottle lasts forever! I share it with my sister, we both use it almost everyday and one bottle lasts us a year. It also comes in two different scents :)
The Aveda hair potion is an AMAZING product so it's a shame you returned it! It is not supposed to be used as a shampoo replacement but more as a texturizer for the roots to create volume. I blow dry my hair and then separate sections near the crown of my head, sprinkle a little bit and massage into scalp. If you use this product before teasing your hair with a fine tooth comb and then set your hair with hair spray it works awesome! Even after dancing for hours your hair will not fall flat if you can master it! Hope you reconsider :)
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