Batiste
Something supposed to improve the situation, which in fact just make matters worse.

After famous Schwarzkopf brand of spray-on dry shampoo, which makes ones hair far more greasy and unkempt than it ever was before.  Often considered a good idea for backpackers, who can't wash their hair properly, its actual use never fails to come as a nasty surprise.
1.  I used Batiste shampoo once, when I was travelling in Germany;  I spent a whole day in Aachen with hair like a homeless man.

2. "That advice you gave to Belinda, that was so batiste.  She hasn't stopped crying since."

3. After Iraq, everyone agreed that America's foreign policy was extremely batiste.