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I tried a professional hair gloss treatment to speed up my morning hair routine

WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT

Like lipgloss for your locks.

I am, and likely forever will be a low-maintenance hair person. After an unfortunate attempt at going blonde (I’m naturally brunette) a few years back, I’ve realised I usually don’t have the patience or knowledge to try anything outside of the realm of ‘highlights and layers’. Don’t get me wrong, the initial blonde experience was great. Where I went wrong was waiting six months to go back to the hairdresser every time, leaving me with harsh multicoloured roots.

Needless to say, I’m always looking for ways to extend the freshness of my hair between appointments or cut down my maintenance time in the mornings. Recently, hair gloss treatments have been piquing interest on the internet, with experts claiming they help with shine, tone and manageability.


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“A gloss is a type of semi-permanent hair colour,” explained Becc Snow, the founder of Collingwood’s Alchemy Hair salon, to Fashion Journal earlier this month. “It’s kind of like lipgloss for your hair but lasts three to six weeks.” A lover of both lipgloss and set-and-forget beauty treatments, I booked an appointment with Becc to try a gloss out for myself.

A few Wednesday nights later, I was sipping a rose tea at Alchemy Hair as Becc and I flipped through swatches of hair gloss shades. Essentially, Becc explained, a gloss is an add-on treatment that coats the outside of the hair shaft, creating a shiny seal on the hair cuticle. You can opt for a subtle semi-permanent colour or a clear gloss, which simply adds a hydrating boost to your hair.

For the purposes of this road test, I went for a clear gloss (this is investigative journalism, after all). “We use Kevin Murphy Color.Me at Alchemy and our glosses also have a bond builder inside which means they repair the hair from the inside as well as providing pigment and shine, they are awesome and feel amazing on the hair,” Becc explained. “… Their main purpose is to add tone, depth or balance to your hair colour.”

The hair gloss process

After chopping off some of my scraggly split ends, I headed over to the sink with Becc for a wash and scalp massage (the best bit). It surprised me how simple the hair gloss process actually is. Like a hydrating mask, it was just massaged through my wet hair and left to sit for around 20 to 30 minutes. A quick blowout later, I was left with smooth, lustrous locks – a significant improvement on the frizzy ’do I came in with.

If you’re curious about the price, Becc suggests enquiring at your preferred salon before booking. “A gloss is usually priced somewhere between a toner and a tint! And it will differ depending on your hair length and thickness,” she said. “They are a great option for in between your regular hair appointments to balance out any fading, boost any colour loss or refresh any brassy tones as well as provide shine.”

The results

For scientific reasons, the real test happened a week after I left the salon. My hair was at peak performance levels immediately post-appointment, so I wanted to see how it looked after an at-home wash. After drying, it looked as soft and glossed as day one, which made me very hopeful. Since then, I’ve continued my regular routine but noticed it’s significantly less difficult to wrangle my hair using heat styling and my other products.

As far as low-maintenance hair treatments go, this has to be one of my favourites. Without breaking the bank or being at the salon for hours, it gave my hair more longevity, hydration and shine than any deep conditioner I’ve tried. I’ll forever be a root smudge, leave-in treatment, dry shampoo, hair gloss kind of girl, and right now I’m so happy with that.

You can book your own gloss with Alchemy Hair here.

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