Since dying my hair a much darker shade of brown, I’ve been on a valiant quest to achieve all the shine. When I uploaded the above picture to Instagram, I had a few questions regarding which products I was using to achieve the sumptuous, glossy shine that shows up particularly on the mid-lengths of my hair.
Now, I know that having dark hair makes this quest somewhat easier as the light reflects more easily off dark tones, however, I honestly believe the principles of this shine-enhancing routine are transferable to any hair colour (And trust me I’ve had them all! See here)
Through lots of trial and error, trying various different hair products and having regular hair trims, I’ve now found a routine that really works for my hair. And so the following medley of drugstore products that I’m going to talk about help me to maintain the level of shine that I’m looking for, all whilst keeping my hair nice and healthy. So, if like me, you don’t have the money to spend on regular in-salon glossing treatments, this blog post is for you.
How to achieve glossy, shiny hair
Shine Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner
I usually wash my hair around 3 times a week and I am currently enjoying using the L’Oreal Elvive ‘Nutri Gloss’ Luminiser range. The shampoo is clear in colour and gel-like in its consistency, meanwhile, the conditioner isn’t at all heavy and creamy which works well on poker-straight hair like mine that is easily weighed down and can become greasy quickly.
I rate the products above but for extra shiny hair, look for any shampoo and conditioner that are tailored towards ‘dull hair’ or hair that is ‘lacking radiance’ – The Elvive Nutri-Gloss range is nice to use and one bottle lasts for ages. I think I bought my duo from Sainbury’s for around £2 each – that was around 2 months ago and they are still going strong.
A Weekly Hair Treatment For Soft, Glossy Hair
I received the H’Suan Wen Hua hair treatment from Lush as a gift for Christmas and having never tried it before, I was very intrigued. It’s no secret that I absolutely love hair treatments from Lush so I was excited to use this one and see how it fared.
I have to say, it smells pretty funky as it is created from (amongst other things) avocado, bay leaf, watercress and balsamic vinegar, however, once you get passed your shower smelling like the kitchen mid salad preparation, you’re all good. Here’s what Lush say:
When you’re searching for the god of hair, moisturising fresh avocado and shine-enhancing balsamic vinegar offer divine intervention. Fresh bay leaf and watercress infusion stimulates the roots and soothes the scalp while organic extra virgin olive oil strengthens. Protein-rich, aquafaba and fresh organic Fair Trade bananas protect and deeply condition to give your hair higher power and lasting lustre. Warm, comforting and spicy, cinnamon leaf oil invigorates the scalp and encourages healthy hair growth while anti-microbial rosemary oil leaves your scalp feeling fresh. ”
-Lush
I use this natural deep conditioning treatment once a week, usually while I’m in the bath. The creamy consistency is lovely and cooling to apply to the scalp and hair and I leave it on for 20 minutes or so before shampooing and conditioning as normal. After using it, I definitely notice my hair has more bounce and shine.
Once I’m done washing and treating my hair, I allow my hair to towel dry a bit before sparing using the L’Oreal Stylisa Sleek Serum. This heat protecting serum is intended for use with straighteners, but using it before blow-drying your hair straight also has a decent effect. I like the way it eliminates fly-away hairs and frizz – all contributing to that mirror-like shiny, glass-effect hair.
All of the above steps will give you shine that looks like this…
The pictures above were taken right after I’d followed the hair washing routine above, my hair is soft and shiny and my colour is vibrant. But of course, hair maintenance doesn’t stop there…
My daily haircare heroes
Dry shampoo makes your hair shiny and not mattified?! What?! Honestly… Hear me out! Whenever I use the Batiste Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair (at the roots) my hair colour is richer and deeper and not at all dull. Weird right? Well, that’s because I use it with the Garnier Ultimate Blends Coconut Hair Oil which, when applied sparingly to the lengths of my hair, it offers up a gorgeous shine. I can cheat my way to ‘freshly washed hair’ when using this duo.
And there we have it, my budget-friendly way to achieve glass-like, glossy and super shiny hair without a shine spray in sight!
