Product Review: Garnier Fructis Pure Volume Fortifying Dry Shampoo

Garnier Fructis pure volume fortifying dry shampoo 150ml rrp: $8.95

dry shampoo. we all know what it is. most of us rely on dry shampoo weekly (if not daily) to extend a blow wave, freshen up after gym or simply because one has been to lazy to wash their hair when the slick gloss of oil has started to make its way from the roots in a rapid downward spiral (eww). the claims made by most dry shampoos are that they absorb excess oil, add body and life to flat/limp roots, and leaving you looking fresh as a daisy (even when it is certainly not the case). so when Garnier add a dry shampoo to their enormous range of hair products (ranging from shampoos and conditioners to styling products and at home hair colouring), i'm thinking they must have done their research, and have created a winning product to trump (or at the very least match) the existing products (for the same purpose) on the market. although their packaging is bright and fun (consistent to that of their signature branding), the product inside is...very disappointing.

i really wanted to like this product, i really and truly did. not only am i a sucker for the bright lime and pink bottle, but the product is also very reasonably priced (much cheaper than my two favourite dry shampoos in the same product size which both have rrp: $12.95, Klorane and Batiste coloured in brilliant brunette).

but, i just can't warm to it.

can i say firstly, that it does tick all the boxes in terms of soaking up oil, freshening up, and adding volume/texture. that's all great. the huge down fall is that the smell is positively atrocious! it has such a strong and horrible fragrance, which i would best describe as "chemically". trust me, it is not how you would like your hair to smell. i (and i'm sure you'd agree) would much rather pay an extra $4.00 to have fresh, volumised hair which smells like coconut (Batiste tropical dry shampoo) or creamy oat milk (Klorane gentle dry shampoo).

i'm sorry Garnier, but in my opinion, this isn't a product worthy of your name.

rating out of 5: 2

reason in a nut shell: i gave 1 point for price and another for effectiveness (in the appearance of hair's improvement post product application)

where to buy: supermarkets and most chemists
number of uses (promised on packaging): 32 uses

product tagline: refreshes hair between washes

ingredients (for those who care to know): butane, alcohol denat., isobutane, oryza sativa starch / rice starch, propane, isopropyl myristate, dicocoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate, stearalkonium hectorie, limonen, linalool, propylene glycol, propylene cabonate, citrus limonum oil / lemon seed oil, citral, hexyl cinnamal, parfum / fragrance (fil c51215/3)

B xoxo

Saturday Night Shop

a typical saturday night, for most girls my age generally involves going out having dinner, or a drink, or a dance... or at the very least, enjoying the company of a close friend or two.

me? i was doing a spot of shopping at my local Chemist Warehouse (conveniently located just a stone throw from my door step). i made my way down there with the intent on buying a thermometer! apparently there's not a much of a demand for said item, and consequently CW don't stock them. great. what a waste of an outing! ummm as if!! surround my 100s of beauty related products that i do not need...i'm in heaven!

after promising myself that i wouldn't get carried away and spend up big (particularly on items that i have 10 similar of at home in my bathroom cupboard), i did my usual browse, making sure each and every isle was carefully inspected, looking for my next life changing purchase! life changing? perhaps CW is the wrong place to search for an item with that much expectation, but you have to start somewhere, right?

getting back to the isle browsing, i found myself at hair care...and what do you know?! i actually need shampoo! just ran out of my dearest Redken extreme shampoo, this is great! i can actually justify this purchase! the wall of options i face is so pretty, products in every colour, from the gold and champagne Organix vanilla silk products to the ravishing red John Frieda full body range. i'm instantly drawn to the Herbal Essences range. not only are they on special (very reasonably priced), but the products sound utterly delicious! for those who aren't familiar with my dilemma, the options in front of me include hello hydration (a fusion of with hawaiian coconut and orchid), dangerously straight (pink lily and asian silk) and body envy (white nectarine and pink coral flower), just to name a few. however given the sad state of my damaged long locks, i feel that range titled long term relationship is an appropriate fit for me (not to mention the product features a red raspberry and brazilian silk infusion, which sounds utterly divine).

ok, i can tick shampoo of my (mental) shopping list.

as i proceed to exit this isle, i spot (of out of the corner of my eye) the new Garnier pure volume fortifying dry shampoo (that's quite a mouthful). well i have to have this now don't i? i really do need it, to add to my growing collection of Klorane and Batiste dry shampoos which seem to be located in every room of my house (and every handbag and floating around my car). i was being a tad (actually very) sarcastic there. i don't need it, but in the name of beauty, i'd like to give Garnier a whirl, and see how their dry shampoo matches up to that of their (very) well established and hugely successful competitors (cult status products, if you will).

the next isle which catches my eye, is body care. it never ceases to amaze me, just how many different body moisturisers, cremes, cream, lotions, smoothers, glosses (etc, etc) there are on offer. it is extremely overwhelming. however in this instance, i am particularly drawn to the range of Aveeno on offer. i don't really know very much at all about this brand (however i have picked up on their vibe of mainly natural ingredients, from their advertisements which i have noticed in magazines). i recently tried a sachet sample of their daily moisturising lotion (which i think was in a Marie Claire mag) and was really impressed with the (small amount of) product i was able to trial. the marketing team have got me here, a little taste and i was left wanting more. so with out much further ado, i grabbed the Aveeno skin relief moisturising lotion (which boasts a special formulation for 24 hour relief and protection from dry/aggravated skin), as i have suffered from horrible itchy skin on my legs since winter settled in and i was forced to wear stockings/tights to work everyday, to ward off the looming frost bit whilst i sit at my reception desk.

i'm starting to accumulate a nice little armful of loot, so i start heading back to the register, worried the old EFT card might decline if i stay much longer!

but of course, it's very rarely a direct journey, i get distracted by all the fluro yellow stickers which are boasting a sale price, covering the vitamins shelving. i'm a bit of a fence-sitter when it comes to vitamins. my doctor says that they are just a scam, however i am of the mentality that even if they aren't prove to have the positive effects which their packaging claims, it's not as though they will have a detrimental effect on ones health. so why not? the worst case scenario is that you will not notice any benefits, in which case you can count your losses and simply move on. i always read about the super dooper benefits (particularly regarding the appearance, condition and ageing of skin) which are able to be achieved from a diet high in B vitamins, so i decide to invest in Nature's Own super b complex. this little superhero contains 75 days worth of essential B vitamins, and claims to facilitate energy production and provides (some much need - in my case) support to the nervous system. sounds good to me!

i hastily made my way to the counter and kept my eyes to the floor, determined on not add any more items to the small collection i had already managed to gather, paid for my products and made my way home.

on my arrival, i inspected my new purchases.

not bad, not bad...even if i do say so myself. and thanks to CW for pointing out how much money i have just saved (according to them of course), as i feeling even better about the spontaneous purchases! with the satisfaction, which can only be felt after a successful and savvy shopping experience has occurred, i settled in with a glass of red (it's a saturday night after all) and marvelled over my new products.

for those of you who can't make out the figures, total was $36.45 and just below that the receipt reads "you have saved $20.18"

jumping forward now to today, i have been using the Aveeno moisturiser and taking the super b complex each day, and the shampoo and dry shampoo twice each. following this post with be a product review on each of my CW purchases.

i would love to hear (in the comments section) any great products you've picked up at your local supermarket or pharmacy!

B xoxo