How To: Dry Shampoo + Review: Batiste, Oscar Blandi

Happy weekend!

Wrapping up another week, I wanted to go over something this working girl depends on: dry shampoo!

It has been not just a huge time-saver but also a way to strengthen my hair because I'm not washing it everyday anymore.

Here's a demo/review:

I used to feel like I needed to wash my hair every single day. Now I wash it every 3 or 4 days. Think about all the stress I'm NOT putting my hair through.

And it allows my hair to take in some of the natural oils and not get stripped of them each day.

THE KIND I LOVE

My favorite (and the reason I can now go days without washing my hair) is Batiste Dry Shampoo ($7.99).

It's a spray that comes in different scents and shades. So although I like the scent of the original formula, I've been using the "Hint of Color Dark & Deep Brown" version ($8.99) to prevent that gray powdery look you could get from the original.

They also carry one for "Light & Blonde" hair.

Batiste has been a big hit on YouTube, and I finally purchased it a couple months ago. I'm so happy I did!

BATISTE VS. OSCAR BLANDI

I've been using the Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo ($21) for a few years now. It's a powder, not a spray. I like this for touch-ups around the hairline, but I don't think it's great for taking you through several days without washing your hair.

I don't get that same "clean" feeling from Oscar Blandi's formula. It may be because of the powder vs. spray. This one is also a lot more expensive, so I guess it works out that I prefer Batiste!

Please check out the video if you're interested in seeing my quick demo. I know my hair doesn't look super healthy yet, but I'm hoping it gets better over time. I just recently started using the dry shampoo regularly, so this is a pretty new routine :)

Thanks for reading/watching! I'll be posting about another facial mask I love very soon.

For more beauty and lifestyle posts, please subscribe or "follow by email" on the top right hand corner of the page. I'm also on Instagram @erisaxo.

Back to Day 1: Shampoo, conditioner for ombre hair

After initially starting a blog with the same title in 2008, I decided to give it another go 5 years later.

The reasons for discontinuing the original blog was graduating from college and getting my first real job, which sent me to another state.

But lately I've just wanted a new place to jot down my thoughts that aren't necessarily associated with my work... and won't clog my friends' newsfeeds on Facebook.

So I'll try to update this regularly with whatever I'm loving "right now" hence the title.

To start off (again), I want to talk about my "holy grail" shampoo and conditioner, especially now that I have ombre hair. I know the ombre rage started years ago, but I finally tried it out (after months of considering it).

One of my biggest concerns was how my typically healthy hair would turn out after bleaching. "What if it starts falling out after finally growing out?" But once I found my new shampoo/conditioner obsession, I knew I'd be in the clear. More on that shortly.

I finally ombre'd myself

So for my birthday in early April, I went to my usual salon and asked for a very natural-looking ombre.

When I say natural, I mean just a few shades lighter than my dark Asian black hair, just on the bottom half... sort of a caramel tone. Like I've been out in the sun a lot (which I don't do anymore). The image to the right is the end result (though not in natural sunlight so not as obvious). And I'm loving it!

I'm writing about it right now because I'm falling more and more in love with the look (and the products I'm using) each day. That's how it should be, right? The color really brightens up my look for spring/summer, and I personally wanted a change without going too far.

My favorite celebrity who consistently rocks this look is Victoria's Secret Angel Lily Aldridge. So stunning. Hers is more blonde and obvious than mine, but she was my inspiration for this look.

Which hair products I'm loving right now

Now this is where my favorite shampoo/conditioner duo comes into play. I've been a huge fan of Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 1 shampoo/conditioner (green bottles) for a few years now thanks to my hairstylist. It's the perfect amount of oomph my hair needs without weighing it down.

I stopped using it for a bit, thinking I can save money by using something cheaper at the drugstore but then realized how much better my hair feels when I use the Level 1 Urban Antidotes products.

THEN... I discovered the Level 2 (blue bottles) which give colored hair more love. Holy Grail! My hair feels the softest, healthiest when I use these bottles. Guaranteed. Now I break up the routine maybe once every 5 to 7 days by using the green bottles but then go back to using the blue ones. And they both smell DIVINE.

There's a 3rd level (red bottles) that are for the extremely damaged hair, for anyone who would need that extra help.

For a great deal, I purchased them at Nordstrom Rack. The 25.36 oz bottles are typically around $25 each (pricey!), but at Nordstrom Rack, I got them as a package deal Shampoo + Conditioner for $25! Amazing deal!

I can't recommend these bottles enough. I don't do much else with my hair - blow, curl and go.

More to come this week!

For more beauty and lifestyle posts, please subscribe or "follow by email" on the top right hand corner of the page. I'm also on Instagram @erisaxo.