Bumble & Bumble Hair Powder - tips/techniques/alternativ
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free skin care · Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:03 pm

I started using Bumble and Bumble hair powder when I first got bangs cut, at the recommendation of my hairdresser. I've seen a lot of forum chatter about using this as a dry shampoo, but I was wondering if people who use it more as a styling aid like me could chime in. I've had some problems with it, but it's such a unique and great product I'm unwilling to give it up without a darn good alternative, so I'm hoping maybe y'all have some tips.

My hair is generally pretty dry and coarse, and my bangs kind of have a mind of their own, but I would have them be "sideswept" rather than "all over the place". I usually flatiron my hair, then apply hair powder to just the bangs to give them some hold and direction without making them at all crunchy or oily - even though the rest of my hair is dry, my bangs get oily and stringy very easily.

The problem is, it's a very weird formula - they come in colors, and the "blondes" color is a bit too dark for my hair but the next lighter would be waaaay too light. So I spray some into my bangs, but it makes a big brown SPOT where it lands, and I have to use my fingers to try and distribute the product as much as possible manually, and get my hands all gunky and brown. Also this stuff sprays in a really small targeted area from up close, but because it's quite colored I don't want to spray from far away because it gets all over my arm, clothes, sink and counter, etc. I've tried using a brush to disperse it through my hair but it doesn't really seem to work.

Does anyone have any tips for how to use this product better, or have any tips for a similar product that has hold and "trainability" but without any sort of oily or crunchy feel? I hate the way most gels and sprays feel, and hairsprays seem to "trap" hair whereas this stuff actually seems to "train" my bangs to go in the way that I want over time. I just can't stand the dark-brown-splotchy phenomenon (and people who use it as a dry shampoo also complain it dyes their scalp, which I imagine it would - it sometimes dyes my forehead if I'm not careful!).

So if anyone has tips or tricks, or product alternatives that do similar things, please pretty please share! I love the effect this product has but I really hate using it, and I hope I can find a substitute or find a way to make it a little less nasty to apply. Thanks EDS, you gals rule, it's so nice to have somewhere to ask this stuff!

free skin care · Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:36 pm

Honestly, I have not used this Bumble stuff, but it sounds awful.

Have you tried mousse, or serums? Light hold hair spray?

I would suggest Sebastian Shaper hairspray (it won't make your hair crunchy; even the Sally's knock off is good). Or Paul Mitchell super skinny serum. Biolage Hydra-seal leave-in has shaping polymers in it so it provides some very moderate hold. I have to say I don't really think you can train your hair to go a certain way; trust me, I've hoped and hoped that my hair would train itself straight but it's just not gonna happen. You're going to have to use some sort of styling product to acheive the look you want. HTH.

Ps. You should return that Bumble stuff if you hate using it.

free skin care · Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:58 pm

Hm, I'll have to give some of those guys a try, the polymer one sounds interesting. I don't totally hate the Bumble stuff, I'm torn - I've just never found another product like it, it's very "drying" but in a good way. The good outweighs the bad (even if just barely). I just wonder if there are similar things out there? This seems so unique to me but I figured if anyone knows of comparable products, it's you gals!

And you're probably right about the training, haha, but for my particular purposes (getting my kinky coarse bangs to stay straight and yet stick to one side of my face but not get at all limp or greasy) it really seems like it helps. I don't mean that it trains them permanently, but with a hairspray or mousse it always feels like my hair's natural texture or direction is sort of fighting against the shackles of the product, so to speak, but this seems to "convince" my hair to do what I tell it, until I wash it out. It definitely is awful, in the blotchy color-ness, but it's also so effective that I'm addicted!

free skin care · Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:13 pm

I remember reading about this stuff in a magazine and it sounded interesting so my daughter and I went and checked it out. She has blond hair, and yes, the colour was way too dark. We had a play around with it and, basically thought that it was a waste of time and money. Even the SA thought that good old talcum powder would do the same job. Plus its horrendously expensive.

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