Meet the Dry Shampoo That Won't Make You Look Like George Washington

We all know the perils of dry shampoo that doesn't absorb. It dulls color in old-white-guy fashion (see below), causes unsavory buildup, and makes hair feel like straw.

Like many people over the past few months, I've become a much more discerning dry shampoo user and that's why I'm sharing my newfound obsession with Shu Uemura's new Dry Cleaner 2-in-1 Dry Shampoo (opens in new tab). 

I'm going to level with you, it isn't SO different. It sops up oil, cleanses the scalp (to a certain point), and will make your post-gym hair look like Kate Moss's bedhead better than your baby powder or your drugstore go-to.

However, its next-level powers come to life where it really counts i.e. if you're layering it on for the fifth day in a row or if you have fine or dark-colored hair.

As a bleach blonde, I can only speak to the former (by Friday my hair is 90% dry shampoo (opens in new tab)). Scratchy buildup has been a problem for me in the past and this formula's micro-fine powder was far less dulling to my color as the days wore on, plus my scalp felt less roughed up by buildup. 

To see how it worked on a different hair color and texture, I consulted a friend with super-fine, two-day-old brunette strands to give it a try and that's where I found myself most impressed by its translucent consistency.

After spraying her roots and giving them a quick shake, her chocolate brown color looked just as vivid while her texture looked way less stringy and limp. She loved it so much, I ended up giving her my Dry Cleaner can. It may have seemed selfless, but really I wanted to see if/how she used it again.

As further testament to its game-changing results, she ended up using it in the two days that followed (without giving George Washington a run for his powdered wig) when normally she'd have totally washed it after day two or three. Success.

It's definitely a splurge but if you, for whatever reason, are not loving your dry shampoo day in and day out, this may be THE one you've been waiting for.

Shu Uemura Color Lustre Dry Cleaner 2-in-1 Dry Shampoo; $39; shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com (opens in new tab).

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