My Overgrown Roots Don't Stand a Chance Against This $5 Treatment

Confession: Sometimes my vacation prep costs more than the actual vacation. No, this is not a flex, and yes, I'm working on it. Manicures and pedicures, lash extensions, waxes, and hair appointments leave me feeling my best physically and my worst financially before a trip. I'm making it my mission to cut down my maintenance costs this year, and Garnier is coming in clutch.

Just take it from @_businesscasualty, who has been using the brand's Color Retouch to make her grays do a disappearing act in 10 minutes. Gone are the days of sitting in the salon chair for two-plus hours to get the perfect balayage. In fact, you can even do your root touch-up on vacation without stressing out the rest of the group or staining the bathroom sink. This demi-permanent hair color comes in a small, TSA-approved packet that packs a big punch, and @_businesscasualty is here with impressive results.

Marie Claire: What is your biggest hair concern?

@_businesscasualty: Genetics blessed me with a lot of hair but also with many premature grays. I discovered my first gray hair while taking a final look in the mirror of my college freshman dorm room, mere moments before I had to leave for my Principles of Accounting class (not traumatic at all for a 19-year-old). As a dark-haired gal, my silver strands are loud.

It can feel damn near impossible to be a woman sometimes. As we age, society tries to delete us and tell us that we no longer matter. While aging is a privilege, I want people to see me first, not my premature gray hairs.

MC: Can you walk us through the process of priming, coloring, and treating?

BC: I wash my hair the day before any color application. I'm a lazy girl at heart, so I don't blow it dry, which is convenient because I believe you're supposed to minimize heat styling before adding hair color. For application, I just did what it said to do on the packet: I put on the gloves, mixed it up, and slapped it wherever I saw grays.

I keep my hair healthy by eating a varied diet that is dense in whole foods, taking a B-complex vitamin, washing my mane only a couple times a week, using color-safe products, and doing a conditioning hair mask once a month.

MC: What do you love about Garnier's Color Retouch?

BC: My favorite things are that I can quickly and easily cover up grays, allowing me to reduce my salon visits to just a couple times a year when I want to touch up my highlights. That saves me a lot of time and a good chunk of cash. Plus, it's TSA-friendly, so when I am inevitably running behind when heading on a trip (very on-brand of me), I don't have to stress because this is something I can do once I arrive at my destination.

MC: Tell us why Garnier is your new go-to destination for hair.

BC: Once I know and like something, I tend to be a devoted creature of habit. Make it easy? Even better. Another thing that has me reaching for Garnier is that it's a cruelty-free brand, which I absolutely love.