Veracious Product Review: CoLab Sheer Invisible Dry Shampoo

Hi, everyone! And now for something completely affordable... Felt like I needed to include that lead-in, as I'm fully aware that I've been touting some pretty pricey items lately. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for luxe products, but in the spirit of balance, I want to ensure that I'm purchasing, trying, and reviewing items from all price ranges. Plus, there are few things more satisfying than a truly impressive budget pick!

I've been a fan of Ruth Crilly and her blog A Model Recommends for a couple years now. She has impeccable taste, a deliciously dry sense of humour, and it totally gorgeous! My interest was instantly piqued when she announced the launch of her new line of dry shampoo a few months back. I didn't think the range was yet available in Canada, so I was surprised and utterly excited to receive a package of CoLab products from FarleyCo late last month. 

CoLab Sheer Invisible Dry Shampoo**, as with most dry shampoos, is aimed at refreshing and absorbing oil on greasy tresses and comes in an aerosol, spray-on formula. The promised difference with CoLab, however, is that it is designed to be completely residue-free. A true drawback of other dry shampoos I've used (including those I love) is that they do indeed have a tendency to leave a white powdery feel on the hair. This is typically remedied by a quick brush-through, but there have been occasions when I've spotted white patches and streaks later in the day- not cool! Given this strife, I was so eager to put CoLab's promise of weightlessness and invisibility to the test!

CoLab's Dry Shampoos come in silver tins with black lettering and coloured caps that mirror the fragrance inside. They also feature a patterned bottom that represents the aesthetic of the scent, which is a nice touch! The line offers 5 scent selections, each of which channels a particular global city. Quite appropriate for a globe-trotting fashion model! The varieties I was sent are:

Rio**- "a carnival of tropical notes of papaya, pineapple, and a heart of cassis" and 
London**- "a classic, yet contemporary fragrance of bermagot, musk, and magnolia"

I have to say that I prefer the lighter, fruitier fragrance of Rio, but they are both quite nice and wearable. I find the scents to be neither too fleeting nor too cloying- a nice balance, really!

The instructions prompt you to shake the can thoroughly and spray onto hair at a distance of 20cm. I did just that and even captured an action shot in the process!

Here are some Before and After shots, using CoLab Dry Shampoo in Rio:

Before CoLab- roots look rather flat and lifeless

After CoLab- definitely a lot more oomph!

I hope you can tell from the photos that this stuff does quite a nice job at giving some life back into my greasy roots. I was rather impressed! After a few spritzes, a quick massage, and comb-through, things were definitely looking revitalized. 

I decided to take it a step further and spray the shampoo down the lengths of my hair as well. After a bit of a toussle, CoLab definitely gave my (much in need of a haircut) locks some amazing texture. 

Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of this dry shampoo newbie:

Pros:

• As long as you don't overdo-it, this stuff truly is weightless and residue-free! No white streaks here
• Does a very nice job at refreshing greasy roots and adding life to second-day hair
• This does add a decent amount of volume to the hair as well
• The fragrances are fun, yet sophisticated, and are neither to fleeting nor too cloying
• Quite nice as a subtle texturizing spray for the lengths of the hair
• Cute, compact packaging; nice that you can sample a mini size before committing to a full bottle
• The price point! You can snag a 50mL can for $5.49 CAD and a 200mL can for $9.99 CAD. 

Cons:

• It is  possible to get subtle white patches with this shampoo, but only if you really over-do it
• This doesn't give as much volume as other dry shampoos I've tried (though CoLab has just released a range of sprays specifically aimed at adding body to the hair)
• I do seem to be going through these bottles rather quickly. So perhaps a little doesn't go a long way?

Overall, I'm quite pleased with my first CoLab experience! These dry shampoos do the job quite nicely and are perfectly affordable. I think I slightly prefer my go-to Batiste to these (gives hair better volume and with less product), but CoLab definitely wins out when I'm in a rush. When I'm hurrying out the door and don't have time to fuss over pesky white residue, this will be my go-to!

Are you a fan of dry shampoo? What's your favourite at the moment?

Thanks for stopping by! xo

** These products were kindly sent to me by FarleyCo for the purpose of consideration and review. All expressed opinions are authentic and 100% my own!