In my dream world, I'd have tousled, perfectly imperfect hair fresh off a Malibu beach trip. My reality, however, is very different.
I have fine, straight locks that are so silky that it's incapable of holding a curl without hair product assistance. In fact, it wasn't until a year ago that a hairstylist introduced me to sea salt spray, a miracle elixir that brought my limp hair to life.
Since then, I've been on the search for the perfect product—one guaranteeing windblown, Gisele-like results, with no crunchy hair or weird scent aftermath. And trust me—I've read almost every Best Sea Salt/Volumizing/Texturizing Spray list on the Internet and tried most of them. But the holy grail of sea salt sprays is one I never would have reached for.
Enter: Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray. The hefty price tag alone ($39) initially kept my interest at bay. But allow me to explain why a nearly $40 bottle of aerated extracts is 100% worth it.
The bottle sprays with such velocity that it adds volume to your hair. Scrunched in, it makes hair piece-y without looking greasy (I'm such a poet). What is most delightful, though, is the scent. It smells like a vacation at Hotel Bel-Air and pure luxury. No matter how much I added to my hair and no matter how many times I tried it, the spray never dried out my hair. Instead, my locks remained soft, voluminous and tousled. Considering I have fine hair that goes flat within minutes if the wrong product is used, this find was major.
For a mid-priced option, I was pleasantly surprised by Philip B. Maui Wowie Volumizing & Thickening Beach Mist. The $22 bottle spritzed on lightly and added just enough definition to waves. A tropical coconut scent settles into hair and lasts all day, and if my hair needed a boost, all I had to do was add a little water to my hands and scrunch.
A solid drugstore option proved to be John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray, which was just brought back from the dead this summer. Honestly, go stock up on this—it is the best bang for your buck at $8.99 a bottle. I first tested this on a trip to Palm Springs and maintained my goal hair all weekend. It adds a gritty, almost sandy texture that truly makes you feel like you've been at the beach. It's my dream, realized.