Review of Avon Advance Techniques Summer Rescue Highlighter

This hair gel lightens your hair very gradually. If you want an instant dramatic lightening effect, you are best off going to a salon, or taking your chances with a kit from the drugstore.

They don't recommend that people with hair darker than medium brown use this product, as it would produce reddish tones.

I just wanted to address my roots that are a result of my last bout with blond-a-rexia. I'm tired of paying money at the salon to have color done, and don't have the time to do it anyway.

Since this product lightens gradually, my results have been subtle. Applications over a period of weeks gradually got me to where I wanted to be.

Why do I put up with gradual results? It is so much handier to use than your typical bleach product which involves mixing powder and goop. When I've used such products in the past, I've had trouble with bits of powder falling into my eyes. Naturally, the box warns against getting the product in your eyes. One such at-home dye job involved so much flushing of my eyes that I paid out the nose for salon hair coloring for years after.

It smells pleasant. There is none of the catbox ammonia odor you'll get from bleaching kits. It's just your run-of-the-mill perfumey shampoo scent.

It says to avoid contact with the skin. I keep my hair off my forehead after application so that's not a problem. I don't wear gloves while applying - it's just not that harsh to deal with. After I am done applying it, I just rinse my hands off and I'm done. There's no irritation to the skin, though my hands now smell pretty. It takes very little product to get results, so I can see my bottle lasting me quite a while for touching up roots.

They say you can put it into wet or dry hair, letting it dry naturally or with a blowdryer. You don't have to rinse it out, or hang out with a towel on your head for a half hour. This really keeps your options open! A person could apply it in the morning as they style their hair.

My hair is very fine and can be weighed down by product, so I apply it at night and wash my hair in the morning.

The price simply can't be beat. You get a 5 fluid ounce bottle for $5.99, which is even cheaper than a box of hair dye. And since it's Avon, you can get your money back if you don't like it. The fact that it works gradually means you won't end up having a disaster on your hands.

If you dislike the time and money spent at a salon and would like to take matters into your own hands without risking a hair disaster this is a wonderful option.