Being a regular style and beauty writer, I am always up for trying the latest hair gadgets, gizmos and goodies. But I have to admit, when I was handed a bottle of Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush, my suds-loving locks and I were more than a tad skeptical.

How exactly, I wondered, can a dry shampoo give you that squeaky-clean hair that makes you feel so, well, clean? And how could this possibly make my bedhead, hat head and sweaty workout head look decent enough to be seen in public?

Ever since the days of my early youth, I was told to shower and shampoo daily. And aside from the handful of days when I skipped the whole bathing scene altogether, I have obliged. As a matter of fact, much to the chagrin of my money-conscious husband, who is on a mission to cut our water bill in half, there are days when I make sudsing up a two-for.

You see, I am a runner and power yoga freak by nature, which translates into many smelly, sweaty and wet body parts. So naturally, the thought of skipping my coif-cleansing ritual and using a dry shampoo instead had me a bit on edge. So much so that this little pink bottle of Batiste sat on my desk for two weeks before I gave in.

After my early-morning trail run today, I pulled off my sporty purple cap and, voilà, I had hat head at its finest. Luckily, since it was 30 degrees here, my locks were barely sweaty and wet. A good day to give the dry shampoo a test run, I surmised.

After squinting to read the tiny print on the back of the can and not sure exactly how far the recommended spray distance of 30 centimeters is, I doused my hair with the powdery substance. I was surprised at the huge burst it let out (reminded me of the air-blasting security machines at the airport these days). And while the scent was pleasant enough, it rekindled distant memories of my eighth-grade Love's Baby Soft days.

I fluffed my matted mane with my fingers as the directions stated and then brushed it out. And while the piece-y fringes of my long bangs and choppy sides didn't restyle themselves to how I am accustomed to them looking, I did notice that the volume of my hair bounced back rather nicely. Hmmm, maybe there is something to this, I told the mirror.

After working my strands a bit more into an acceptable 'do, I realized this might just be an ideal product for someone who has spent hours sleeping on an airplane or someone who wants a quick hair pick-me-up when transitioning from office to nightlife -- or someone who, unlike me, doesn't mind skipping an occasional shower.

I do, however, think the term "shampoo" is misleading because this is not a product I would use to clean my locks. Instead, I think it should be called "liven-up-my-hair-that's-so-flat-I-can't-stand-it-anymore spray." Or something like that.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (5.05 fl oz) is now available for $7.99 at Ulta.com and BatisteHair.com.

In related news, see how long this writer went without washing her hair!