Product Review:Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder

Influenced by Bumble and Bumble's auspicious reputation amongst beauty editors, I finally decided to pony up the cash for what I was sure was going to be my holy grail hair care product: Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder. I have long, fine, color treated hair- washing it daily is simply not an option if I want to keep the hair on my head, well....on my head. Hair Powder is Bumble and Bumble's answer to dry shampoo- it is designed to be an alternative to daily wet shampooing, I was intrigued by the fact that unlike any other brand I know of, Bumble's powder is colored. It also comes in a spray form, which I looked forward to since I tend to be a bit messy.

I purchased the powder when I went to my salon for a cut and a blow-out, and I have to tell you, I've never wished for dirty hair so much in my life. When I finally got around to using it a couple of days later, I couldn't suppress the feeling that I'd used something like this before. I've tried baby powder and cornstarch on the occasional "alarm didn't ring" morning. They do work in a pinch but can leave you looking looking like one of our founding fathers if you're not careful (powdered wig, anyone?) Finally, I realized where my déjà vu was coming from: my $35 can of designer haircare suspiciously reminded me of the temporary hair color spray we all used to buy for Halloween. The spray we used to pay $3.00 for.

I can say that this spray "powder" did what was advertised. The product absorbed oil, and added some texture and lift to my lank roots. Unfortunately, that's really the most positive thing I can say about it.

The first thing I noticed was the color. My hair is vibrant true red (I do add a touch of red-violet just to keep it from looking brassy.) Despite this, I still found the red powder a bit too bright. It only blended well on my hair if it was freshly colored- once my dark blond roots started to grow out, it looked as if I had a blotchy, botched dye job. The powder also made my hair incredibly dull looking, which I'm not sure is any better than having unwashed hair. It was easy to apply, but required a once-over to remove the errant specks of red from my face.

While overall it wasn't horrible product, it definitely was not worth the price for me. I purchased the large 4 oz can for $35 and barely got 10 applications out of it. The only way I could be persuaded to buy this again is if the price went down about $25. Somehow, I don't see that happening, so for now I'm keeping my eyes open for another option on lazy days.

I'd give this product a 3.5 out of 10. It's workable and has it's uses, but is not widely available and hardly justifies it's steep price. Not something I'd suggest searching out.

Pros:
- absorbs excess oil from the scalp to help prolong time in between washes.
- gives hair a bit of grip or texture to make styling easier.
- has a root lifting effect, adding volume to the hair.
- could be used as a root touch up if you can find a matching shade.
- 5 shades available: white, blonde, red, brown and black.

Cons:
- powder color is very opaque, making it difficult to match
- makes hair appear dull
- limited availability
- small amount of product for the cost (the can looks almost as big as my 10oz hairspray, but only holds 4oz of product. Go figure.)
- can be messy, product creates a mist that will land on skin, countertops, etc...