Shiny hair is the pinnacle of a good hair day. It screams youthful, healthy, smooth and styled. But it’s not always that easy to achieve, especially in winter when your hair is being assaulted by weather, central heating, humidity and woolly hats. That is why we’ve gone to battle for you to find the best shine sprays and hair glossing products.
Because shine sprays are usually the last piece of the hair styling puzzle, we want it to be easy to apply, light and lovely. Nothing that dampens down volume or causes slippage on an updo will work for us. And more than with most products, scent is important, too. We either want something that smells so lovely it’s a statement in itself, or is subtle and understated enough that it doesn’t overpower our favourite fragrance.
We sent some of the best shine sprays and other gloss promoting products out to our reader testers to trial for us and give their honest feedback on the results. They obliged, and these are the sparkliest of the lot.
Best shine enhancing hair products
Best scent
Percy & Reed Time to Shine Eau My! Shine & Fragrance Spray. Find it in the OK! Christmas Beauty Box, £45 here (worth over £280)
This glossing mist also doubles as a hair scent with a floral blend of rhubarb, rose and peony for a bit of a summery hit on a chilly day. As well as adding shine to a finished look it protects hair from damaging UV rays, to promote long term health. It’s also one of the amazing products in the OK! Christmas Beauty Box, which is worth a whopping £280.
Beauty editor Laura says: “It takes a lot to make my regularly bleached hair shine, but this does just that. My roots have a tendency to get greasy quickly so I focus it on the ends (which are naturally drier and reflect the light less well anyway). The main draw for me, though, is the scent, which has me delightedly sniffing my hair all day long.”
Best for mirror shine
Davines Oi Liquid Luster, £34 here
Taking the glass skin trend to your hair, this lightweight rinse-out product claims to make hair six times shinier and more than three times softer from the first use (who measures this stuff? They have our grateful thanks, anyway). It contains Trinidadian roucou oil and thistle oil but doesn’t feel oily on the hair at all.
Tester Claire says: “Made my hair sooo smooth! I liked that this is a clear liquid and not a heavy cream conditioner. It made my hair less frizzy, more manageable and smoothed the wiry greys, and it didn't feel heavy on the hair. It’s easy to use and rinse out, and made my coarse hair feel silky and easier to style.”
Best for bargain styling
Phil Smith Be Gorgeous Total Treat Gloss Finishing Shine Spray, £2.50 here
Phil’s Phil-osophy (sorry) has always been about bringing professional-approved products to customers at high street prices – which it appears he’s certainly managed here. Not only is it affordable, it's a pretty green choice too (proving you don’t have to spend a fortune to save the planet) because it’s contained in recycled packaging, made in the UK for low freight mileage, cruelty-free and vegan.
Tester Maria says: “This really makes my hair shine. I apply it in the morning before leaving the house and it is shiny and beautiful throughout the day, even if I go to the gym. I have never been a fan of aerosol, but the results are really good. The scent is a bit too strong for my taste when applying it, but it fades away quite quickly.”
Best for a daily pep
Umberto Giannini Smooth Juice Conditioning Water, £9.75 here
If you’re fighting frizz this winter, this little bottle claims instant results. We all know superfruits are good for you, which is why this contains a “Power Berry” hair health complex – blackberries and raspberries – to banish bad hair days.
Tester Gillian says: “I've never used a conditioning 'water' before. It didn't leave a residue on my hair, but conditioned it beautifully. After using this my hair felt soft, appeared shinier and was more manageable. It’s very easy to use and gives perfect results. A pleasant, if different product, which made my hair smooth and manageable.”
Best shine hair oil
Hairstory Hair Oil, currently £39 here (normally £45)
This oil contains eight different oils, including argan, evening primrose and jojoba, to fight frizz and promote glossiness. The first purchase gets you a refillable glass bottle and one refill, then you can buy a later refill separately (normally £41 but currently also £39).
Tester Tracy says: “My hair looked and felt better and my curls were beautifully defined, soft and shiny, with no residue or greasiness. I even blow dried and straightened my hair and again it left it looking soft and super shiny. I didn't have to wash my hair daily, and it seemed to hold my style. My hair looked in great condition. Easier to dry and hair was 100% frizz free.”
Best shine-boosting shampoo and conditioner
Andrew Fitzsimons Prism Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, £9 each here
If you want shiny hair from root to tip it’s worth starting with your shampoo and conditioner. Unlike a shine spray or a finishing product, they won’t add that final mirror gloss, but they certainly will help to keep your hair in the best condition, smoothing cuticles down and making it easier to achieve that final shine. These products contain coconut oil and hyaluronic acid to do just that.
Tester Jackie says: “I love this! It's a great product and makes a big difference to the look and feel of my hair: softer and less frizzy. I have very dry hair so to find a product that makes it look soft and shiny is great. The bottles look great on my bathroom shelf too, and the sweet fragrance makes my hair – and the bathroom – smell lovely.”
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