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Color Wow's multifunctional Dream Coat Supernatural Spray won us over
Hair gloss is the secret to getting shiny, salon-fresh hair from the comfort of your home. It’s a simple and straightforward treatment that can boost shine, moisture, and color between professional touch-ups, says Nina Rubel, colorist and creative director at Rob Peetoom Salon Williamsburg.
The More You Know
“Glosses work on the outer layer of the hair strand called the cuticle and can make the hair appear shiny, glossy, and vibrant. It can come in the form of a clear gloss to purely add shine or can be used to add depth, add or change tone, or neutralize unwanted warmth.” —Nina Rubel, color specialist and creative director
To help you pick the best one for your needs, we tested 23 hair glosses over the course of eight weeks (1,472 hours in total, to be specific) and thoroughly analyzed each product based on its application, consistency, and overall effectiveness. These 12 hair glosses and glazes ultimately earned our PEOPLE Tested seal of approval.
Best Overall: Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray Anti-Frizz Treatment
Star Qualities
Drastically helped reduce our flyaways
Hair instantly looked shinier and smoother after each use
Made hair easier to blow dry
Ultra-lightweight formula great for fine hair
Red Flags
Need to reapply after each wash (every 2-3 days) to see continued results
This hair gloss won us over: The lightweight formula instantly boosted our hair’s shine and softness, while majorly taming frizz and flyaways. It’s enhanced with a humidity-blocking technology that leaves strands supple and moisture-repellent, making it a breeze to achieve a salon-worthy blowout at home. For those who heat style regularly, this is a game changer, even on color- or keratin-treated hair and extensions. Heat-activated polymer technology kicks in when you begin to brush and blow dry your hair, compressing strands into sleek and smooth perfection.
The relatively affordable formula is incredibly effective but temporary, so it needs to be applied after every wash to see results. We found that it lasted two to three days on average in between washes. To use, simply spritz the feather-light spray onto damp hair, then brush it out and blow dry. The mist is easy to use and never left our hair feeling greasy or weighed down — instead, our strands looked and felt healthier as soon as we applied it. They also appeared more hydrated, although the formula did not appear to actually impart moisture.
Active Ingredients: Flower extracts | Size: 1.7 ounces, 6.7 ounces, 16.9 ounces
Best Overall, Runner-up: Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask in Clear
Star Qualities
Noticeably boosted our hair color and shine
Helps seal and repair the cuticle for smoother, healthier hair
Hair instantly felt softer and more moisturized
Long-lasting results (2 weeks!)
Red Flags
May be too rich for fine or grease-prone hair
Nourishing Argan oil is the star player in this shine-enhancing formula. Much like our top pick, this professional-strength clear gloss works to boost vibrancy and hair color in a matter of minutes. Better yet, the results are impressively long-lasting — we only needed to reapply every two weeks. A little of the rich, creamy gel formula goes a long way, so while it’s a tiny bit pricier than our overall winner, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Our results mimicked those that we see at the salon. In fact, they were so noticeable that our hair stylist even commended the upkeep of our color when we went in for a touch-up. Our strands looked healthier and more hydrated thanks to this moisture-locking formula.
Active Ingredients: Argan oil, aspartic acid, dimethicone | 1 ounce, 6.7 ounces
Related: The 14 Best Masks and Conditioners for Hair Growth, Tested By Real People
Best Budget: Hally Fluffy G Totally Clean Foaming Hair Gloss
Star Qualities
Foamy consistency goes a long way
Notably brightened and boosted color while adding shine
Quick, shower-friendly treatment
Comes in three shades for optimal color enhancement
Red Flags
Off-putting scent (but doesn’t linger after washing out)
For such a wallet-friendly pick, this hair gloss punches above its weight. It yielded more drastic results than the gloss that’s used at our salon: Our tester's hair looked shinier and felt softer than it had in years after the very first use. While the effects are temporary, they lasted us a full week between applications and helped combat some of the dulling side effects of hard water.
There’s a light scent that didn’t bother us at first, but it smelled a bit damp upon application — it wasn’t enough to put us off, and didn’t linger after we washed the product out. The formula itself is a light, fluffy foam which left our hair feeling lighter and cleaner after we rinsed it out, and even helped our shampoo to lather more easily.
Active Ingredients: Propylene glycol | Size: 3.4 ounces
Pro Tip!
For a dose of high-shine, go for the clear option; brassy blondes can choose the cool neutralizing shade, while brunettes can achieve rich dimension with Bouncy Brown.
Related: After 6 Weeks of Testing, We Found the 13 Best Shampoos (and Conditioners) for Dry Hair
Best for Frizz: Alterna My Hair My Canvas Glow for It Universal Gloss
Star Qualities
Instantly tamed frizz — great for heat styling or wearing hair natural
Offers heat and environmental protection
Clean, refreshing fragrance
Infused moisture into our parched split ends
Red Flags
Results aren’t very long lasting; you’ll need to apply between washes
Heat and environmental pollutants are major culprits when it comes to dry, damaged hair — thankfully, this clear gloss protects against both. Prickly pear and white charcoal work to recondition and seal the cuticle for smooth, shiny hair.
The serum-like consistency was a breeze to apply and to work into our hair routine, and we noticed immediate results: our hair looked and felt more moisturized, and our frizz was a thing of the past. This makes for a great touch-up product on a daily basis when frizz gets out of control — it instantly smoothes and softens.
Running this oil through our hair helped to bring life back into our dry ends, which was a major plus. We also loved the refreshing fragrance, which added a nice clean feeling. We only wish the effects lasted longer!
Active Ingredients: Vegan botanical caviar, prickly pear oil, white charcoal | Size: 2.5 ounces
Best Smoothing: Amika Flash Instant Shine Hair Gloss Mask
Star Qualities
Hair texture felt distinctly softer and smoother after applying
Quick 60-second application — great for those with shorter hair care routines
UV filters help protect hair from sun damage
Red Flags
Didn’t have a noticeable impact on our shine
For a speedy shortcut to smoother, softer hair, look no further than this fast-acting hair gloss. We loved that this mask only needs 60 seconds to soak in, making it an ideal pick for those in a rush or anyone who prefers a low-maintenance routine. Fine and oily hair types should apply it instead of conditioner to avoid weighing down hair; those with thick and dry hair can use it after shampoo and conditioner for added moisture.
The serum-like consistency was easy to spread through wet strands and left our hair feeling weightless. While the product didn’t add much noticeable shine, we did see a major improvement in our frizz after every application. The formula left our hair feeling baby soft, especially after we blew it out.
Active Ingredients: Flaxseed, amino acids, antioxidants | Size: 6.7 ounces
Related: The 13 Best Purple Shampoos of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Best Color-Enhancing: dpHue Gloss+
Star Qualities
Noticeably boosted color and shine
Results lasted for a full week
Available in wide range of shades including transparent
Red Flags
Slight hair dye scent
Darker shades can stain hands if you don’t apply carefully
This award-winning formula is perfect for faking more frequent salon visits in between touch-ups. The product is available in 11 pigmented shades and one transparent hue, allowing you to easily find your perfect match for a quick and easy color boost whenever you need it. The formula isn’t designed to change the color of your hair (unless you opt for a darker hue than your current shade); instead, it adds depth and richness.
Rubel warns that when using an at-home hair gloss for color maintenance, it’s a good idea to talk to your hairstylist first to make sure the product won’t negatively impact your color. It kept our color looking vibrant and fresh for a week at a time, adding professional-level shine and smoothness with each application. The creamy, conditioner-like consistency slicks down frizz and adds a glossy top-coat layer of shine.
Active Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone | Size: 6.5 ounces
Pro Tip!
“Clear glosses can be applied more frequently. But if you are using an at home gloss for color maintenance, it is important not to overdo it because in some cases you can create a build up of tone on that hair that can cause the color to look darker, dull, muddy, or ashy — especially when working with cooler shades.” —Nina Rubel, color specialist and creative director
Best for Beginners: IGK Expensive Glaze
Star Qualities
Great low-maintenance pick — use it in place of conditioner 1 or 2 times weekly
Boasts UV protection
Safe to use on color-treated hair
Red Flags
Improves softness more than shine
We tested IKG Expensive Glaze Clear Gloss Top Coat on non-color-treated hair and were impressed with how touchably soft it left our strands. The shine-boosting formula is equipped with UV protection and is designed to seal the cuticle in order to prevent color fading and heat damage, and it certainly does its job. We noticed that the gloss even illuminated the light brown hue in our jet black hair during testing, creating depth and richness that lasted for a few days at a time.
For those who are looking for a low-lift way to add some vibrance to their hair, this product is ideal: Simply use it in place of conditioner once or twice weekly for ultra-soft strands. While not the most dramatic shine-boosting formula, it does help enhance hair’s overall appearance and left us swishing our hair around, Pantene-commercial style!
Active Ingredients: Amla oil, sea kelp extract, sunflower seed oil | Size: 4.2 ounces
Related: The 11 Best Brushes for Curly Hair of 2024, Tested by Real People
Best for Touch-Ups: Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss
Star Qualities
Hair looked significantly shinier, softer, and more hydrated after just one use
Mess-free formula didn’t stain our skin, scalp, or shower
Color lasts 3-4 weeks
Red Flags
Slightly chemical scent (but doesn’t linger long)
Minimal impact on frizz or flyaways
Single-application formula means you’ll need to repurchase and reapply for upkeep
This tone-enhancing, color- and keratin-safe hair gloss was crafted by celebrity hairstylist Kristin Ess herself, and it quickly won our tester’s seal of approval. We found it to be a super formula for boosting our color in between salon appointments, lasting three or four weeks after every application.
The application process itself is relatively straightforward, and can be done in or out of the shower; we loved that the product didn’t stain our skin or shower one bit! We opted for a slightly richer shade of brown than our current color, and it created a majorly glossy sheen that boosted the look of our hair’s hydration and shine after the first use.
The product is single-use only, which means more frequent re-ups for those looking to maintain their color this way, but moreover it’s ideal for those curious to try out at-home color solutions without making a big investment first. Plus, the price point is hard to beat given the quality and efficacy of the formula — our color looked dynamic and vibrant with one application.
Active Ingredients: Propylene Glycol | Size: 4 ounces
Related: The 15 Best Hair Growth Products of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Best Drugstore: L'Oreal Paris Le Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss
Star Qualities
Similar hydrating and softening effect as far more expensive products
Made our hair a breeze to detangle
Available in a range of 15 shades — easy to match to your ideal color
Red Flags
Functions more like a great hair mask than a toning product
Temporarily stained our fingernails — use gloves when applying
L’Oreal is one of our go-tos when it comes to reliable drugstore heavy hitters, and this hair gloss is case in point. The wallet-friendly formula is nourishing and hydrating, infusing strands with an extra dose of moisture to help soften dry, brittle ends. We found this to be one of the best value options on the market, as it left our hair looking as soft and healthy as luxury name-brand products that cost more than triple the price.
While this is designed as a tone-enhancing product, we’d sooner reach for this to help with hydration and shine, as it didn’t seem to have much of an effect on our tone. We even tried rinsing it out with cool water, but temperature didn’t seem to improve its toning capabilities. The creamy, generous formula was easy to apply and has a similar consistency to conditioner, instantly detangling our locks without weighing them down.
Active Ingredients: Propylene Glycol | Size: 4 ounces
Best Investment: Oribe Glaze for Beautiful Color
Star Qualities
Hair looked instantly shinier, healthier, and more hydrated
Helped define our wavy hair and noticeably reduced frizz
Cumulative effect on our hair’s overall softness and silkiness throughout testing
A little goes a long way
Great for low-maintenance routines
Red Flags
Chemical scent similar to professional-grade products used at the salon
Of all the hair glosses we tested, this was one of the only ones that had a lasting effect on our overall hair health. It gives a similar feel to how soft hair feels after getting it done in a salon, according to our tester. We used it weekly for eight weeks, and at the end of the testing period, our hair looked noticeably shinier, felt softer and looked less frizzy than before. The most dramatic results — an instant boost of visible vibrancy and hydration — typically lasted three days.
Beyond general shine and softness, this helped to define our waves and enhanced professional highlights, allowing us to go longer between salon visits while maintaining salon-quality color. For a gloss that only needs to sit on hair for three to five minutes, this had some of the most noticeable results.
Active Ingredients: Soybean extract, watermelon extract, lychee extract, dimethicone | Size: 5.9 ounces
Best Softening: Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger HydraSoft Glossing Treatment
Star Qualities
Safe for non-color-treated hair — won’t cause any damage or dryness
Hair was markedly softer and shinier for 1-2 days after each application
Hydrating formula is great for all hair types, particularly dry and frizzy hair
Red Flags
Watery consistency makes it a bit messy to apply
For ultra-soft, touchable tresses, our top pick is the Paul Mitchell HydraSoft Glossing Treatment. This clear gloss is a great option for those with uncolored and untreated hair — our tester even called their customer service line to confirm the product was suitable for their untreated locks. Each use enhanced our hair’s overall shine and sleekness, lacquering our strands with a glossy top coat that lasted a day or two.
If you’re looking for longer-lasting results, consider some of the more targeted products on this list — but for a quick and easy fix that only takes 15 seconds (yes, you read that right!) to apply in the shower, this nourishing formula wins our vote.
Active Ingredients: White ginger root extract, Macadamia seed oil, Jojoba seed oil, Avocado oil, Beet root extract, aloe extract | Size: 8 ounces
Best for Professional Results: Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss
Star Qualities
This softening, smoothing formula boosted our hair’s shine and hydration after each use.
We loved how quick and low-fuss the application process was, and that it could be done in the shower.
The formula lasts quite a while.
It breathes fresh life into dead ends.
It’s available in a range of hues to improve the tone of your hair.
Red Flags
The bottle lid loosened over our testing period, which isn’t ideal given that the product is pigmented.
This product earned top scores across the board for its sleek, shine-enhancing formula. Perhaps our favorite thing about this formula is that it gave our brittle ends a major dose of hydration, helping to seal and repair the cuticle. This in turn helped reduce our everyday frizz, creating softer and shinier locks. The results lasted for 48 hours after every use, and left our hair feeling overall softer by the end of the testing period.
The runny formula can be slightly tricky and messy to apply — we ended up spilling much of it in the shower at first, until we learned to work with smaller amounts of product at a time. This helped us apply it more evenly, and it rinses out beautifully to leave our hair feeling soft and detangled. We also appreciated that despite the professional-quality results, this formula doesn’t feature that chemical smell you get with most salon hair products.
Active Ingredients: Oat milk, camellia oil, olive oil | Size: 6.7 ounces
The More You Know
Blondes can tone their hair with the gold or purple gloss, while redheads can look to their copper or red shade, and brunettes can deepen their hue with the blue formula.
What to Know About Hair Gloss
Key Ingredients
When shopping for an at-home hair gloss, you want to look for products with hydrating, nourishing ingredients as well as those that enhance luminosity and shine. Rubel suggests looking for beneficial ingredients such as amino acids and hyaluronic acid to help boost and retain moisture, as well as keratin for smoother and shinier cuticles, plus vitamins and conditioning agents for softer, stronger, and more hydrated locks.
Hair Type
Generally speaking, hair glosses are suitable for the vast majority of hair types, regardless of strand porosity, thickness, color, or pattern. But it’s crucial to pick the right formula for your desired effects — starting with whether or not you want to add pigment.
“Both in-salon and at-home glosses are ideal for all hair types and will help boost shine, moisture, color vibrancy, and can help fight frizz,” says Rubel. “Glosses are great even for those who don’t color their hair but are looking for a glossier, shinier finish.”
The More You Know
“[Hair glosses] are usually temporary or semi-permanent and are not mixed with hydrogen peroxide (with the exception of a few) — [they] work on the surface of the cuticle providing shine, moisture, and in some cases, slight tonal deposit. The results don’t last as long as an in-salon treatment and the shade options are more limited and less customizable. However, you can apply them more frequently at home between salon visits.”—Nina Rubel, color specialist and creative director
Your Desired Results
Hair gloss can go by a few different names, so it’s important to thoroughly read through the packaging on any at-home hair products to ensure they’ll have the desired effect.
“With the emergence of at-home hair care becoming increasingly popular, the difference in at-home hair gloss and hair glaze can be quite tricky to navigate and can differ depending on the product and branding,” explains Rubel. “The terms gloss and glaze tend to get intermixed these days so this can be confusing for some. Both will add shine and moisture to the hair and in some cases deposit tone. Generally speaking a gloss is going to have more longevity than a glaze and will be applied less frequently.”
Behind the Scenes
We tested 23 hair glosses from both luxury and drugstore brands, as well as celebrity hair care lines, to narrow down a list of our top-rated, most highly-recommended products that we found to be most effective at making our hair shinier, smoother, and overall healthier-looking.
In order to test each hair gloss, we analyzed their look and feel, as well as their consistency, and the ease of application. We tested clear glosses by cleansing our hair with shampoo, wringing out any excess water, applying the gloss from mid-lengths to ends on our damp hair, then rinsing it out. For dry hair, we followed up with conditioner; we skipped it for oily-prone hair.
With the color-enhanced hair glosses, we applied the formula evenly from root to tip throughout our hair, using a comb to distribute it throughout.
After our eight-week testing period, which spanned 1472 hours of testing, we rated each hair gloss on a scale of one to five, with five performing the highest. The 12 hair glosses with the top average scores earned a spot on this list as well as the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you apply hair gloss? Are there any tricks/tips to keep in mind?
It’s important to follow the application instructions of your individual product, says Rubel, who adds that the steps can vary slightly, particularly between clear and pigmented glosses.
“Most are applied on to damp, pre-shampooed hair from mid lengths to ends and sit for varying lengths of time prior to rinsing, although some products rinse out instantly,” she explains. “There are some products that create a gloss-like finish that are applied more like a traditional serum or oil on wet and/or dry hair and are not rinsed out. These can be used daily as part of your regular styling routine.”
Many glosses have a somewhat runny, thin consistency. For these, we found that it was easiest to work with a small amount of product at a time, working it in completely before applying more.
How often can or should you apply hair gloss?
The frequency with which you can apply hair gloss depends on the individual product, and on your desired end result. At-home hair glosses come in a range of formulas, some of which can be applied more often than others.
If you color your hair professionally, be sure to communicate with your stylist about any changes you make to your color at home, says Rubel, who adds that you’ll want to make sure the glosses won’t create a build-up that could impact your professional color.
Why Trust PEOPLE?
Sophie Dodd is a freelance contributor who has been writing for People.com since 2018. She covers travel and lifestyle, with a focus on homegoods and beauty products. For this story, Sophie spent hours reading over the results of our hair gloss testing and used her expertise as a commerce and lifestyle writer to thoroughly research the products that ranked the highest in order to narrow down this list.She also tapped expert colorists for their advice, getting insights from L’Oreal Professionnel Artist Nina Rubel on the benefits of hair gloss and what to keep in mind when shopping for them.
Our Expert Panel
Nina Rubel is a L’Oreal Professionnel hair colorist and creative director at Rob Peetoom Salon Williamsburg.
What Is PEOPLE Tested?
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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