Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo

There was an article in the March issue of Cosmopolitan that made me think about this product a bit more than I normally do. The article was talking about how women are showering less and less and therefore sales of dry shampoos have been skyrocketing over the past few years. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo is the first version of this product that I ever remember seeing and now it seems that every single line contains a bottle or two of dry shampoo. I first bought this product at Sephora in 2007 and it stills remains one of their best selling hair care products.

Sephora states, "A fast fix for dirty hair. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo is the ultimate time saver. It refreshes, revives, and rejuvenates the hair in a matter of minutes - no water or blow dryer required. Voted Best Dry Shampoo and Best Quick Fix by Allure magazine, it effectively soaks up oil, removes product build up, and boosts volume, Hair looks, feels, and smells freshly shampooed with a clean, lemon verbena scent. Go ahead, hit snooze!"

So why did I buy this product in the first place? Part of it was just plain curiousity, I had no idea if this product would work and I had never seen anything like it before so I just had to try it out. Also, I first bought this product when I had my long hair and since I blow it out and straighten all the time, some days I just don't have the time or patience to do it on mornings that I had to be out of the house in a hurry. This product was a huge help in saving time and making my blow outs last twice as long as they normally did.

I will admit that my first few times with this product were not positive. I learned through trial and error that the best way to apply this product is to put it right on the area where I part my hair and then rub it in and down the hair shaft. I have also found that you need very little of this product to start making it work and it better to start with a bit and then add more because if you add too much to begin with... Your hair will be trashed for the rest of the day. I usually made several parts in my hair and applied it to each area and then worked in it. Results will appear with the use of this product by itself and a natural bristle brush but I prefer to use it and rub it in and then quickly blow dry my roots to help re-awaken my blow out.

The scent of this product is listed as "lemon verbena", I found it to be more lemon than a mixture of the two. And the scent is strong, I have had several people comment on the scent of it. All of the comments on it were compliments but if you are sensitive to smells, this might not be the best choice for you. The powder is white and if you don't rub it in well enough or use too much, your hair will have a white cast for the rest of the day. Which is not attractive at all. Also, I discovered that if I used too much of this powder, the shine will be gone from my hair for the rest of the day.

This product is available in two forms now, the traditional powder form and a newer spray form. I haven't had the chance to try the spray form but I do wonder how well it can be controlled in this type of packaging. The powder form now also comes in a smaller size that is perfect for travel or for a gym bag. I have the large bottle of this product and I do want to buy the smaller size to keep with me for touch ups through out the day.

First of its kind...and it had both spawned and out sold many of it's imitations.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Oscar Blandi Jasmine Collection Shampoo and Conditioner

If you have been wondering about the dirth of hair care posts lately, I actually do have a legit reason for it. I started using the massive sizes of Fekkai's Protein RX Shampoo and Conditioner and have been using them for over four solid months now. So that hasn't really left me open to trying new items. However, if you are considering purhcasing the large sizes of Fekkai products, you will be very happy with how long you are able to use the same bottles.

After several months, I finished them up and was able to turn to something new. I tried out the Oscar Blandi Jasmine Collection shampoo and the matching conditioner and I really love them so far. This collection is used to soothe and smooth out frizzy or unruly hair...exactly my type! Both products are scented with jasmine, making them a great choice for a fan of floral fragrances. However, with the strength of the fragrance, these might not be a good choice for someone who doesn't love florals. The fragrance lasts all day and doesn't leave after showering is over, so it is vital that the user loves this fragrance in order to continue use of the products.

Here is the description of the shampoo from the Sephora website, "Shampoo di Jasmine is essential for cleansing and smoothing all hair types that tend to be frizzy or unruly. Infused with natural extracts of jasmine and vitamin E, this smoothing shampoo creates a luxurious moisturizing lather that prepares and tames hair for maximum pre-styled frizz control".

And the description on the conditioner, "Balsamo di Jasmine is essential for conditioning and smoothing all hair types that tend to be frizzy or unruly. Infused with natural extracts of Jasmine and vitamin E, this smoothing conditioner controls hair and instantly seals the cuticle for maximum pre-styled frizz control".

When used together, these two products really deliver on the hair smoothing promise. The jasmine oil hydrates hair, helping to ward off frizz. The Vitamin E helps to seal down the cuticle so that excess moisture doesn't seep in and create frizz. Neither product weighed my hair down, which is quite unusual for anti-frizz products that are actually able to deliver on their claims. This combination of products came highly recommended to me by the manager of my local Sephora and after using it several times, it is not hard to see why. This combination is great for anyone with unruly, very dry, or frizzy hair.

photo courtesy of Sephora