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.
JOHN FRIEDA LUMINOUS GLAZE CLEAR GLOSS SHINE
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).
