When I was younger, I tried everything possible to make my hair look like **Gisele’**s sun-kissed strands during the summer. Once, I squeezed lemon juice over my head; another time, following the recommendation of a friend’s hopelessly chic older sister, I tried beer. It was only after stumbling upon a bottle of Sun-In stashed in someone else’s beach bag that I discovered my secret summer beauty weapon.
Yes, that bright neon bottle—which costs just five dollars and comes in fragrances like “Tropical Breeze” and “Lemon Fresh”—is my guilty pleasure. What can I say? Ever since high school, I’ve been hooked. And although I’ve had my light-brown hair colored professionally in the decade plus that’s followed, I still find myself returning to the drugstore at the start of each season to restock.
I’ve heard the horror stories of hair that has turned orange following a Sun-In–fueled weekend at the beach, but it’s never been the case for me. Because I’ve learned that the trick to ensuring blonde over brassy results from a spray bottle is patience—a lot of it.
To reach its full Gisele-worthy potential, Sun-In takes time. Instead of saturating my hair with an all-over mist during an afternoon at the beach, I spritz just a few carefully chosen strands each day and let the sunshine do the rest.
Common sense must be exercised: If you have dark hair, Sun-In probably isn’t for you (the company recommends it for blondes to medium brunettes); and you shouldn’t use it if you have chemically treated hair—the ingredients don’t mix.
But if you’re going for easy golden highlights this summer, I cast my vote firmly in favor of the original eighties spray-in staple. Throw the tacky bottle proudly into your tote, along with your sunscreen. Your newly acquired sun-kissed hair needs no explanation.
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