I don’t know where you are, but here in NYC the air is starting to get a bite to it – juuuuusssst under the warm air is a bit of refreshing coolness that means fall is on its way.  Though, with global warming and all, is maybe a bit further away than we’d like.

Regardless of when it gets here, fall means breaking out those cute hats – the ones that look good but are basically useless, because they’re more form than function.

However, I’ve always found that not only do hats – practical or otherwise – flatten my hair, it also leaves it sort of musty and stuffy smelling.  It doesn’t matter how much I let it “air out” after sporting my chic fedora all day, it’s never going to get that freshly shampooed and blow-dried bounce back.  Since I don’t wash my hair every day (a habit that took too long to break), I am a dry shampoo fanatic – always seeking the perfect one in order to correct not just fall or winter hat hair, but summer sweat hair and spring frizz hair.

Dry shampoos are mostly sprays these days, but the one I’m testing out today, Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo, is a powder.  I’ve resigned myself to assuming that dry shampoo will, at best, refresh my hair enough so that it doesn’t smell, or that a good brush after using a dry shampoo will give it some volume.  The form of this, though, gave me hope that it might actually work better than a spray, as it actually had solid, physical material coming out of it and absorbing oil.  Not only that, but it smells like absolute heaven.  I’m not good with ascribing particulars to different notes of scents, but if I must, I would say that it’s what a woman who wears pearls and has good manners but is also a spy would smell like.

How I Got It: Honestly?  My mom tried it and decided dry shampoo isn’t for her, so she passed it to me.  Thanks Mom!

So, to get a baseline, here is my hair after almost three days of not washing it (ew).

I am definitely holding up a lamp to it in that first one to ensure you get it in all its greasy glory!  So, it was time to see what this stuff could do.

Yeah, so, I couldn’t figure out the pumping aspect of this.  It seems like you’re supposed to push the top down, but mine wouldn’t move.  And so I ended up just sort of shaking it over my head, with little idea of how much was coming out.  (If you’re applying yours in your bathroom as opposed to filming it for a blog, you’ll have an easier time, I bet.)

You can actually see the moment the uncertainty comes over my face, and I keep going, dammit.  No dry shampoo (shampuuurrreeee) is going to bring me down!

Now, I rubbed it in a bit to make sure it touched every single root of every single strand (again: I’d had no idea how much I’d put on, cause if I did, I would have known I did not have to rub it in, probably.) I really wanted to post this because I think you can see how quickly this stuff works.

Finally, I brushed it out (turning upside down for additional volume).

Now that that’s all done, this is the final look.  I (as you can see) couldn’t hide my surprise and excitement of how good my hair looked.

Whoa, mama!  That is SOME volume!  Not just volume, but silkiness and mmmmm, it smells incredible!  I kept running my fingers through the roots (I feel like this is getting too sexy?) and didn’t once get that gross, “Ew, I need to wash my hair” grease residue.  It was completely gone.  Not only that, but it lasted into the next day.  Typically, I use dry shampoo the day I was going to wash my hair, but didn’t have time, or when I unexpectedly go out and want a refresher.  And even then, most of the time, any effect doesn’t last more than a few hours.  But, I had no reason to even wash it the next day.  Whew!  This stuff is AWESOME.

. . . Though I feel like I should point out what happens when you use way too much, a discovery I made after I thought I was done dealing with my hair for the day:

Yeaaaah, sooo . . . if you’re super picky about what goes on your hair, AND you want to look like an older, sophisticated lady for Halloween, you can use this, apparently.  It’s not a huge deal, but I brushed, added water, brushed some more, tried everything I could think of and the situation didn’t improve much.  I would recommend pouring some out into your hand and then adding it to your, little by little, so you don’t over do it.

Product: Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo

Price: $31 (Yes, this is crazy expensive, BUT – it works.  Honestly worth having in your arsenal to grab when you get asked out on a hot date and you haven’t washed your hair in three days.  Not only will your significant other think you just washed it, your hair will be fresh through the next day too if, uh, you’re still out. Wink.)

Where to Get It/Accessibility: At Aveda salons, which you can just google for places around you; if none are, then through their website, Aveda.com.

Effectiveness: High

Downside: As you can see, I was a bit confused by the packaging and whether or not I was supposed to shake it out, or if there was an easier way, which ended up dumping a large amount on my head. And, the price is steep for sure; if you only use dry shampoo for a quick touch up before you go out for a few hours, you don’t need this.  But, if you have especially greasy hair and get sick of washing and styling every day or every other day, this will probably be a big help.