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Living Proof’s dry shampoo is a 2-in-1 hair wash and perfume – and our beauty writer’s a fan
The perfect companion for those in-between wash days
Living Proof is the brand synonymous with Jennifer Aniston’s glossy locks and so any product – from the perfect hair day dry shampoo (£24.95, Lookfantastic.com) to the best-selling full shampoo (£29, Lookfantastic.com) – that’ll get me even close to the Friends star’s hair has got my attention.
Aniston was the face of the brand for four years from 2012-2016, but the TV adverts and magazine spreads remain in my head rent free. As such, when I first got hold of some of the Living Proof products a couple of years back, I was eager to get stuck in; and the one formula I’ve loved since? The perfect hair day dry shampoos. They smell fresh and apple-y, they don’t form an unsightly claggy texture while absorbing your hair’s excess oil, and they last forever. Plus, there’s two editions to suit your strands’ needs: the original PhD dry shampoo (as above) and the PhD advanced clean dry shampoo (£26.95, Lookfantastic.com). Keep reading for my in-depth thoughts in both.
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How I tested Living Proof perfect hair day dry shampoo
Applying the product after washing my hair the day previous, I targeted the spray towards my roots. As you can see, it immediately dispenses as a white powder, though I can assure you this rubs out after you shzuzh the product through your hair. What’s more, IndyBest’s resident brunette tester, Daisy Lester, attests to the fact that even on darker coloured hair, the initial whiteness does dissolve. After working in the dry shampoo I made note of how my hair felt, how the formula smelt and, lastly, the state of my hair as the day developed. Though, I might add, I’ve used the product more than once over the years, so I’m quite well-versed in its staying power at this point.
1Living Proof perfect hair day (PhD) dry shampoo
- Size: 198ml
- Key ingredients: Lightweight yet absorbing rice starch, water and hydrated silica to soften
- Fragranced?: Yes
- Cruelty free?: Yes
- For...hair type: Normal to thick hair
- Why we love it
- Smells amazing, like apple and lychee
- Leaves hair feeling soft
- Take note
- Some of the powdery feel does come off on your hands if you touch your hair a lot
A more intense dry shampoo, despite the latter product’s ‘advanced clean’ branding, I’d argue that the original PhD shampoo offers a more thorough distribution of the product with a dryer powder for either thicker hair types or oilier scalps. The product requires working into the scalp in order to diffuse the white powder residue, as previously mentioned, though it certainly does dissipate and leave the hair far less oilier that its starting point.
Of course it does what it says on the tin – cleans your hair without water – but, for me, the scent is the real star here. With a springtime blossom-cum-apple-cum-lychee fragrance, the Living Proof PhD shampoo will leave your hair smelling great from application through till the evening. I always get excited to use a new bottle of this.
2Living Proof perfect hair day (PhD) advanced clean dry shampoo
- Size: 198ml
- Key ingredients: Rice *and* corn starch, hydrated silica, moisturising glycerin and water
- Fragranced?: Yes
- Cruelty-free?: Yes
- For...hair type: Normal to fine hair
- Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Dissolves into hair immediately
- Again, smells wonderful
For me, someone with a very average hair thickness, the advanced clean version of the PhD formula is the best. The product seemingly disappears into your hair to do its job; it still smells amazing (the same apple-y scent); and it’s lighter for a less heavy finish on finer hair types.
Read more: Is Color Wow’s dream coat the answer to glossy hair? I put it to the test
Surprisingly, the dispenser is actually different, too, and pushes the product out slightly faster than its PhD original sibling. In my opinion, this pushes the spray closer to the roots for a quicker application without having to mess around with your mid-lengths and any excess product. It’s a real hero in my haircare routine.
The verdict: Living Proof PhD dry shampoo, original and advanced clean
These dry shampoos are, and have been for some time, the best in the haircare business. From the scent - it really is amazing - to the packaging and, of course, the killer formulas, the PhD dry shampoos effectively clean and volumise the hair from the root. Between the two variants, there’s something for every hair type and, with the advanced specifically, I just adore how weightless it is.