John frieda hair gloss before and after

I have a hate-hate relationship with my hair. Ask anyone in the Allure office — it is very rare to see me with my hair down because my hair and I have just never gotten along. It is way easier for me to just throw it in a bun or a ponytail and forget that it exists. I’ve toyed with straight up shaving it off, but I think my mother would have a heart attack.

Table of Contents Show

How long does John Frieda gloss last?
What does John Frieda gloss do?
Is a clear gloss damaging to hair?
Is a hair gloss treatment worth it?
How do you use John Frieda gloss?

First of all, my natural hair color is a lifeless, mousy brown. I have dyed it everything from fire-engine red to black to chocolate brown to (now) blonde. So between the harsh color treatments and consistently strapping it up with a hair tie, it's pretty damaged. Secondly, my scalp could probably be expressed to make salad dressing. If I wash my hair in the morning, by 2 p.m., it’s stringy and oily and no amount of dry shampoo can tame that kind of sebum. Trust me. And, of course, there’s the (non) texture. I have pin-straight hair that wont hold a curl, braid, kink, crimp...nothing. Hit it with a curling iron and watch it magically fall straight right before your very eyes. All of this to say I never have any reason to wear my hair down. Why, when it has been so cruel to me?

I don’t use a lot of treatments or really much of anything beyond shampoo because I’m afraid extra products will weigh down my already fine, limp hair. But the John Frieda Luminous Glaze Clear Shine Gloss has won too many Best of Beauty Awards to be ignored, and if it was going to inject my hair with even a drop of extra glamour I would leave my hair ties at home. (Oh, my God, just saying that gives me an ulcer.)

The gel-cream formula glides on like a conditioner, which initially worried me because conditioner is one of those things that my hair can’t really tolerate — especially heavier ones. The instructions say to leave it on for three minutes before rinsing, and I don’t have a ton of patience for products like this. You have to apply it and then wait there counting the seconds.

After I rinsed it off, I proceeded with my after-shower hair prep which consists of brushing — and exactly nothing else. The brush flew through my hair, which was a new feeling. No matter what conditioner or detangler I use, my hair seizes up into a nest and brushing my wet hair is usually a half-hour process that includes — but is not limited to — at least four different curse words and variations thereof. Last step: air-dry.

Sure enough, I now see why this stuff wins awards. Once my hair dried, it was light and shiny and stupidly soft. I had to stop myself from touching it too much (because grease). When I left my hair ties at my bathroom sink that morning, it was like leaving my children behind. But who needs ‘em? Tying my hair back would only stop everyone from seeing all the awesome light-catching shine I had for maybe the first time ever. In the afternoon, when my hair weirdly starts to get frizzy, I still had salon-quality smoothness. And for added value: It seriously lasted all week, even after several washes. Worth standing for a few minutes in the shower? Absolutely.

I first used this product a million years ago. I’d had an expensive glossing treatment at well-known hairdressers in the West End (Daniel or Joshua Galvin I think), it cost about £30.00 and my hair afterwards was mirror shiny.

The next time I went back, the junior who had previously washed my hair recognised me and as she washed it again told me about this clear shine glaze. She said it would do the same thing for a lot less, she wasn’t kidding!

She was the same girl who also told me about Look Fantastic or Feel Unique (I always get them mixed up) and said they sold toiletries and skincare much cheaper than in the shops. This was when Amazon was the only online retailer I’d heard of and internet shopping was new. Yup, that long ago.

I bought it from Boots, but now thinking about it, it’s virtually the same product as Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Sealant (now called ‘spray’) and reviewed and disliked by me here.

This colour (wrong wording, there’s no colour in it) glaze combines mild dyes (no dyes) and shine boosters to increase depth and vitality. Leaves hair full of shine. Not permanent hair colour.
Will not lift or lighten hair colour. Ammonia and peroxide free.

HOW TO USE

Start with shampoo and conditioner.
Squeeze excess water out of hair. While still in the shower, smooth Clear Shine Luminous Glaze through wet hair, distributing evenly from root to tip.
Leave on for at least three minutes and rinse.
Style as usual.
Use each time you wash your hair or a minimum of three times a week. (Nope!)
Or, as a shine surge treatment, use once a week. (Yes!)
Quick Tip: For a once per week shine, leave Clear Shine Luminous Glaze on dry, unwashed hair for 20 minutes, then rinse. (Yes!)

Liquid Shine Clear Glaze uses a two-fold approach. First, this clear hair glaze is formulated with Shine Enhancers, which include low levels of silicone for immediately visible shine. Second, our patented delivery system helps the glaze carry pore menders into the hair, filling in damaged areas, making the hair feel smooth and look shiny. Over time, this improved texture and pore-mending result is magnified shine that isn’t washed away the next day.

Are you getting Olaplex vibes here?

The glaze also came in shades of blonde, brunette and black to enhance your natural (or otherwise) hair colour. I loved the blonde one, but it was never in stock so I always had to buy clear glaze instead.

Eventually, my supplies ran out and it was never seen in shops or online in the UK again. I thought it had been discontinued, much like my all-time favourite suntan oil Bergasol, which disappeared overnight for sinister reasons I chose to ignore. To this day, I’m still a sucker for bergamot scented products.

But, late last year when I was stocking up on eye masks at iHerb, I spotted the John Frieda Luminous Glaze on sale. I duly bought it and full disclosure, it’s in the old, original packaging, but the product and box looks brand new.

When I opened it, the slightly chemical, but not really offensive, fragrance was exactly as I had remembered and reader, I used it. I know iHerb is a legitimate site as I’ve bought a lot of products from there so I was confident it wasn’t a fake.

REVIEW

It wasn’t and it works as beautifully as it ever did.

Admittedly, you can feel a slight change in texture on your hair when you rinse it out (same with the original one), a bit like a coating, but nothing as intense as Color Wow. Happily, the smell does eventually die down to a salon-like fragrance.

The result is a full-on mirror shine that lasts a couple of washes.

I have never applied it more than once a fortnight. I would consider three times a week as overkill – although I used to wash and blow dry my hair three times a week pre lockdown, where did I find the time?

My only regret is that I bought just one bottle to test the waters. I don’t need to buy anything from iHerb for quite a while so I’m hoarding what’s left for a special occasion like collecting a parcel from the Post Office.

I think it’s available in the US, as are a lot of products I’ve always wanted to try including cult favourite Quench and Shine Restorative Hair Mask by Colleen Rothschild. But guess what? I’ve got it and it lives up to the hype in every way! Review coming soon.

John Frieda Luminous Glaze Clear Shine Gloss £8.00 iHerb (plus extra charges apply for delivery and tax depending on what you buy).

How long does John Frieda gloss last?

I use color safe shampoo and conditioner and I only reapply the gloss every 3 washes. If you wait longer before reapplying all the gray will start to reappear and then you need to apply every shower for a few times to build up the color before switching back to every 3 washes.

What does John Frieda gloss do?

From the John Frieda® experts, this gloss hair treatment refreshes tones of color-treated hair between salon or at-home coloring, regardless of brand used. Patented technology replenishes lost tones so color looks fresh and vibrant like the first day. A refreshing boost for your blonde hair care regimen.

Is a clear gloss damaging to hair?

Clear glosses reinvigorate strands with shine, while tinted glosses take it one step further and tone the hair. Because it's demi-permanent, it deposits tone into the strand but doesn't lift or lighten hair color. The formulas are also free of bleach and ammonia, so they won't damage hair.

Is a hair gloss treatment worth it?

The bottom line A hair gloss can be a worthwhile treatment for anyone looking to boost hair shine and color while avoiding damage from harsh chemicals often found in hair dyes.

How do you use John Frieda gloss?

USE & TIPS Squeeze excess water out of hair. While still in the shower, smooth Clear Shine Luminous Glaze through wet hair, distributing evenly from root to tip. Leave on for at least three minutes and rinse. Style as usual.

john frieda hair gloss