The mane event

If my mother taught me anything, it's the importance of a blow-dry. I have incredibly straight, flat hair, so I learned young to master my brush-work to add volume, bounce and shape.

Since I moved to mid-length a couple of years back, I've been on the search for the perfect brush, and I've finally found it courtesy of the lovely people at Denman.

After trying natural bristles, aero brushes, paddle brushes, synthetic brushes and everything in-between, I was sent the Headhugger DHH3 and can't believe I didn't go with industry fave Denman sooner. Here, in pictures, is my first bash at this brilliant brush:






After a 20-minute blow-dry, hair really did have the bounce, extreme shine and shape you usually only get from a pro, and I'd say I'm only an 8/10 when it comes to amateur styling skills.

The brush is also pretty lightweight, which makes it good for beginners, and I found it's almost impossible to tangle your hair in - I'm usually a bugger for doing that!

A small note on the products I use; I have a strange hair type - a hell of a lot of very fine hair - which is prone to being greasy, flat, and any extra product tends to weigh it down. I'm, therefore, fiercely loyal to Aussie Mega shampoo, which cleans the hair and leaves a nice fresh mane.
For the same reasons, I never use conditioner in the shower, but spritz Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance through the ends for protection and added shine without weight. I then use a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray as a styling product - when it's blow dried through your hair it adds thickness, volume and the more 'mussed up' effect I usually strive for.

What's your hair routine?
P.S - Apologies for the cheeky drying rack that creeped in the pics - I realised way too late it was still out - oops!

Greasy dreadlocks be gone...

I've spoken before of my love for Batiste - seriously, it's an addiction - so I was excited to receive a sample of Batiste Nude.

It's a more eco-friendly option from the dry shampoo experts: 100% natural, fragrance free and without a spray application. I was keen to see if it lived up to the rest of the range.

My first thought was that it's a little tricky to apply. The spray gives a pretty even coverage, whereas the nozzle on this makes it a bit more difficult to target the roots without a stubborn white scalp effect... until I tried the palm technique. This natural powder's pretty silky, so you can rub some into your hands and then rub it into your hair, and it works really well.

It also feels like you get more in the bottle with this baby. It's a 50g powder compared to 150ml in the can, but I reckon you spray half in the air with the canister, so this should last much longer (I currently average a can every two weeks on the spray formula).

Some dry shampoos I've used only last about 4 hours before the grease returns, but this different formula was still long-lasting, and there's the added bonus of knowing you're using a chemical-free formula.

Overall I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. If you have the time to apply more strategically, the benefits of Nude outweigh the pitfalls of its nozzle. But, unfortunately for Nude I'm a girl on the go.

That said, it's great to have a more environmentally concious option on the market.

Eco-warriers, go forth and dryify!