Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo

Hair looking a little lifeless? Second-day hair not smelling so great?

Bangs a little flat? Strands looking a little oily?

That's when dry shampoo will be your best friend. I try to keep my thin hair as healthy as possible by washing it only every other day, but sometimes it's hard to keep up with this routine because my strands just get so darn greasy-looking by the morning of the second day. Before I discovered dry shampoo, I used to just pull my hair into a ponytail and call it a day. After I saw the light (haha), dry shampoo has become an absolute essential in my everyday routine.

This one by Rene Furterer ($24) is my personal favorite. I've been using it for the past 2 years and I think I'm on my 4th or 5th can by now. Recently, I bought the smaller version to throw into my purse and use on the go. Once, I tried using Ojon's dry shampoo when the Rene Furterer was sold out (the Sephora I used to frequent in LA kept selling out of Rene every time they restocked), but the smell was so off-putting that I suffered without my beloved dry shampoo for a week and exchanged the Ojon when the Rene was back in stock.

Unlike the Ojon, which smelled strongly to me of old lady perfume and gave me a headache, Rene Furterer's dry shampoo smells fresh and awesome. Who wants to have hair that smells worse after dry shampoo than before?? Not me. Rene has basil, caraway, and peppermint to help "refresh and deep-cleanse" hair...rice, corn starch, clay, and silica powders to "absorb sebum and impurities"...and best of all?

"Colored iron oxides" to "add color to the powder for easy application." See the above? Let me tell you, for those of you with any hair color other than blonde or gray, this is a godsend. No more looking like you had a bag of flour dumped on your head. The flesh-colored dry shampoo is great for darker hair and absorbs quickly. leaving no residue behind.

Just lift up pieces of hair and spray towards the roots.

Don't forget the other side, too.

Look! Instant volume! Just wait 2 minutes, gently pat with a towel to get rid of the excess...

...and comb out your bangs. I like to flip my hair upside down and shake it a bit with my fingers. When I flip my head back again, my hair is voluminous and looks like it did the first day after I showered.

Fix a few strands here and there and you're good to go!

Rene Furterer's dry shampoo really does leave your hair "light, luminous, and perfectly healthy without the use of water." While it's great for use to avoid frequent shampooing, I also find that it's perfect for giving my bangs some lift after styling in the morning and an absolute lifesaver if I'm about to go out with my friends at night and need my hair to look as fresh as it did when I first left the house (I see no point in showering beforehand if I'm going to be outside anyway, so I usually shower after I get back). I have much more freedom with my hair; instead of having to resort to finding ways to mask the dirtiness, I can simply spray and be out the door with the same straight style I had if I wanted to.

The only gripe I have with this product is its price tag--$24 for 3.2 oz and $12 for 1.6 oz...but until I find something cheaper that works as well as this, I'm going to have to stick with Rene Furterer for my dry shampoo needs.

Do any of you love dry shampoo, too?

Any recommendations for a cheaper alternative?

Do tell! :)