The best at-home hair glosses for super shiny locks

Score: 88/100

Glycolic acid is known for its hydrating benefits in skincare, and it does a similar job in this hair gloss. It penetrates deep into hair cuticles to improve shine, while also working to seal and strengthen strands.

Our testers were impressed with this speedy hair gloss treatment. After leaving it on for just five minutes (the perfect opportunity to squeeze in a leg shave), it delivers super glossy and hydrated hair, according to our panel. In fact, one tester said their hair felt softer immediately after application.

Another praised the “lovely fragrance that stays even once dry.” In other words, this is a triple threat – it leaves your hair looking good, feeling good and smelling good.

Score: 88/100

If you're looking for a quick refresh between salon visits, or a temporary change, then Wella’s colour mask is a great place to start. It combines both conditioning care with semi-permanent colour, meaning you can top up your tone and add gloss at the same time. Our panel liked how it left their hair feeling “vibrant and shiny”, without any tackiness or residue.

As with all pigmented products, we'd recommend being careful around the hairline and using gloves for application to avoid any unwanted staining. With 13 assorted colours to try (at an affordable price point too), Wella has covered all bases here, from toning and adding depth to natural shades to ensuring your pink stays popping.

Score: 84/100

This hair gloss from TRESemmé impressed our panel, leaving their hair less frizzy, and feeling soft for days.

It uses TRESemmé’s patented Lamella Technology, which essentially wraps each strand of hair in a ceramide- and amino acid-rich formulation, for smooth, silky hair. This also helps keep locks tangle-free and allows for maximum light-reflection, creating extra shine from roots to ends.

This is a leave-in option, so you can skip the rinsing required with many other hair glosses. Simply apply three pumps after your shampoo and conditioner and wait for the magic to happen.

Score: 82/100

To keep the bombshell in your blonde for as long as possible, look no further than Davines’ Heart of Glass gloss. When you take the bleach route, it’s easy for hair to appear dull and dry, but this serum is designed to leave your coloured locks glossy and fresh.

Featuring a formula enriched with biacidic bond complex and illuminating amino concentrate, it promises to strengthen and repair hair fibres, leaving your hair extra shiny. It also contains UV protection, combatting any risk of dull, yellow tones from exposure to sunlight, and instead helps prolong colour intensity and brightness.

Not only did our panel praise this luxurious product for adding gloss and shine to their locks, but they found it also helped tame frizz, and left hair feeling “stronger and renewed.” The easy-to-apply treatment can be used in every wash to achieve a fresh-from-the salon look and feel.

Score: 80/100

Hydrated, healthy hair with a glossy mirror shine is something we all want, and luckily for us R+Co has bottled it. Its gemstone gloss can be used in place of conditioner once a week, and the rich formula will work to hydrate and seal cuticles, leaving your hair with a beautiful reflective shine that’s UV protected.

One tester loved how “full and bouncy” the treatment left their locks, while another noted how it “brought out the highlights.” A few testers did note that the serum left their strands feeling slightly heavy, which may not be ideal for those with finer hair. However, most of the panel agreed that their hair looked glossier and shinier after use.

Score: 78/100

Promising to smooth flyaways, seal split ends and prevent colour fading, this Colour WOW Pop & Lock serum is a friend to frizzy hair. The brand set out to create a product that combines the conditioning benefits of an oil and the shine-enhancing power of a serum, and it seems to have succeeded, based on the positive feedback received from our testers.

They said it helped control frizz and smoothed any escaping strands – with one panel member noting how it passed the weather test, as their hair stayed sleek even on a rainy, windy day.

Not only is this product suitable for vegans, but it’s also free from any harmful parabens and sulphates. However, if your hair is on the finer side, you may want to consider an alternative product (such as the Aveda Colour Renewal treatment below), as our testers with thinner hair did notice a slight sticky residue after use.

Score: 77/100

This clever gloss uses science to put the shine back into your strands. The formula contains citric acid, which works to restore the hair’s optimum pH levels (between 4.5-5.5 according to the brand). Cuticles are also wrapped in a blend of enriching amino acids and conditioners, with one tester saying it left their hair “soft, manageable and with less flyaways."

Apply the treatment to wet hair, working from mid-lengths to ends and leave on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing out. Some testers found this extra step in their haircare routine a little inconvenient, but it’s standard procedure for hair glosses. And hopefully the extra shine is worth it.

Score: 76/100

All colour treated hair could do with some extra TLC from time to time, and this is exactly what Kerastase had in mind when it created the Chroma Absolu gloss. This high-shine treatment is enriched with three acids (amino, tartaric, and lactic) that wrap around hair fibres to seal cuticles and lock in colour vibrancy.

The nozzled tip makes it easy for an all-over application, but due to the liquid consistency you’ll need to take care not to spill it. Testers found it made their hair instantly smoother, easy to comb and noticeably shinier – especially for one tester who said it transformed their “lacklustre” bleached hair.

Score: 75/100

This is another tinted gloss, but this one can be applied to dry or damp hair, which adds a layer of convenience. Acting as a conditioning mask, it promises to deliver a layer of shine – or a glazed effect – as well as a colour refresh. This was the case for one of our testers who applauded how it left hair looking “glossier and vibrant.” Another praised its “pleasant scent”, which was an added bonus.

However, although our testers agreed this gloss was easy to incorporate into their routines, many said the packaging made it tricky to dispense. That said, it’s what’s inside that counts, right?

Score: 74/100

From peach blush to chestnut brunette, these pigmented glosses by Josh Wood promise to not only to add a layer of shine and deep conditioning to your hair, but also refresh colour with a semi-permanent, tinted finish. Weaker than a hair dye, but as one tester noted, still enough to add a “subtle glow and lift,” they are a great option between salon trips. Due to the pigment, however, we’d advise wearing a pair of gloves to apply.

“Glossy” was a word used to describe the product by multiple testers, which is thanks to the shea butter and pequi oil included to keep hair healthy. Another tester commented that their hair felt “smoother, softer and shinier” after use – the holy trinity when it comes to hair. What more could you want from an at-home treatment?

This five-minute hair mask will leave your locks with a shinier and healthier look. The not-so-secret ingredient is the brand’s ArganID technology, which is used across its bestselling range. The clever tech infuses the hair fibre with nourishing argan oil, known for its intense hydrating and shine-enhancing properties. It also seals the hair cuticle, resulting in less breakage and stronger strands.

Simply apply to towel dried hair, leave on for five minutes and rinse out for a gleaming finish. You can also apply it overnight for a longer treatment time. If you’re feeling brave, you can even swap out your hair gel and use it in a slicked back bun to let the goodness soak in all day.

Celebrity hair colourist Josh Wood knows the importance of keeping dyed hair looking, well, the right colour. And that's all about at-home maintenance. The brand’s new glossing water spray is the handy, liquid solution. Simply spritz over freshly washed hair and comb through. It gives your hair a protective UV shield, helping to preserve colour for longer. You won’t have to work as hard with your brush either, as it also works to detangle knotty ends.

Some hair products have added silicone to make hair look extra shiny, which sounds good in practice but leads to build-up and flaking. You’ll be pleased to know that this one is silicone-free and uses moisture-locking murumuru butter and high protein Chenopodium, which is said to reduce hair fallout.

A leave-in gloss that both treats hair and protects it long after application? Take it away, Ouai. Used in place of conditioner, the brand claims that this hair gloss provides shiny results that last up to three washes.

The magic ingredients? Hydrating hyaluronic acid and rejuvenating rice water. Though rice water has only gained popularity in the UK in recent years, it’s been used in Asia for decades for its healthy hair-inducing properties. It’s full of natural antioxidants that strengthen the hair and is said to even stimulate growth, too. Who knew?