My failsafe summer hair-saving trick used to be to smother the lengths and ends in a deep conditioning mask before going out in the sun. Then, at the end of the day, I’d simply rinse out the conditioner and all would be silky and well.

There were a number of problems with this approach, however, the biggest of them being the fact that the hair mask would set like concrete by lunchtime, making it feel as though I was wearing some sort of papier mache helmet. En route to the concrete state, the mask-saturated hair would pass through several phases, including “squidgy” and “fly-paper” – a very specific kind of stickiness that attracted flies, sand particles and bits of broken shell and invited them to take up residence in my slicked-back ‘do, turning me into a sort of human A-level art project.

Anyway, helmet-head no more, for this summer I have discovered PhytoPlage Protective Sun Veil from excellent hair brand Phyto. It’s a brilliantly lightweight, transparent hair mist that protects against the effects of excessive sun exposure, salt water, chlorine and whatever else is knocking about when you’re on holiday. (Or out in the garden, which is about as exotic as my life is getting this year.)

I have been a fan of the original PhytoPlage for years – it’s an oil with quite heavy-duty effects, protecting coloured hair from UV damage and keeping it smooth and shiny even when you’ve been frazzling your head under the Ibizan sun. But the oil was always just a tiny bit too much for my fine hair, weighing it down if I wanted to use it anywhere but on the very ends, so the Protective Sun Veil, the non-oily little sister, is just perfect for me.

Prices for these moisture-saving, hair-smoothing wonder sprays? The oil is a very decent £16 here and the veil, £15 here. However, I have FIVE sets of PhytoPlage to give away to UK readers (sorry world readers, issues with sending sprays overseas, apparently), each including the oil, the veil and a very special bag featuring the Queen of Beach Hair, Brigitte Bardot.

To be in with a chance of winning a special set, leave a comment (one per person) before noon next Friday (12th August 2016) and tell me where you’re going on holiday. (If, indeed, you are going on holiday at all.) All the details, please – go on, make me jealous!