Product Comparison: Batiste XXL Volume and Batiste Wild

Left: Batiste Dry Shampoo - Wild*
Right: Batiste Dry Shampoo - XXL Volume*
Hey, readers! I doubt I have to tell you at this point how much I'm obsessed with dry shampoo. I rely heavily on it to get me through the week and avoid looking like a greasy blonde rat at work. I've said it before and I'll say it again, cutting back on the frequency at which you wash your hair is good for hair's condition, growth, and general appearance - well, appearance as long as you don't just leave it hanging on your head all greasy and gross! If you haven't used a dry shampoo before, you really need to check one out. The brand I keep coming back to is Batiste. I'll include a few links at the end of this post that will help you find where it's available in your area. For this post, and since I was sent the two bottles at the same time, I wanted to do a product comparison. There are countless dry shampoo options available to you, but since I'm a die hard fan of Batiste, I'll be comparing Batiste Wild and Batiste XXL Volume. Both do the same thing (refresh your hair in between washes) but they do it differently and with different benefits. Read on!

First up, we've got Batiste Wild. As you can see by the bottle, it's a fun and youthful product. As far as performance goes, it holds up nicely against any other regular Batiste dry shampoo. It has a "feisty oriental" scent that smells, to me at least, very similarly to J Lo's Miami Glow perfume from a few years back. It has notes of vanilla and spice and would be an awesome dry shampoo to use right before a night out on the town to prevent any oil from building up and ruining your sexily coiffed hair. It adds a bit of body at the roots (when applied correctly) and is an all around solid product. It's tied very closely in my heart with Batiste Boho!

Now, there's Batiste XXL Volume. I'm going to tell you straight away this is my absolute favourite dry shampoo ever. It beat out all other Batiste dry shampoos, and even my favourite powder dry shampoo from Cake Beauty - which is no easy feat. The reason? It adds a ton of extra body and looks exactly as if I've just washed and styled my hair again. The fullness doesn't last all day by any means, but I find dry shampoo effects tend to wear off throughout the day no matter what you do since your hair oils are constantly being produced. The fragrance is much more feminine and reminds me of a cherry blossom. It's what I'll be using throughout the work week to avoid anything too overpowering and to really give my roots a kick in the volume department.

I've gotten a few questions about the "chalky" or "white-ish" appearance of dry shampoos. I really don't know enough about how they work with darker hair shades to give you a proper answer so I'd recommend just giving it a try. Because my hair is pretty light, I don't notice too much of a colour change when I use them. I suppose my advice would be to ensure you really disperse it throughout your hair and, even when you think you've worked it in enough using your fingers, work it a little more. This should help break down any heavy application areas and help with decreasing any powdery appearance you might get. Have a different tip? Let me know in a comment because I'd love to hear it!

**Update: Here's my first YouTube video showing "how to use dry shampoo"**