17 Best Hair Glosses for Silky-Smooth Strands Without a Salon Trip

The best hair glosses can offer a salon-fresh feeling—à la a smooth blowout, vibrant color, and eye-popping shine. And if you don't have the luxury of popping into a salon every time your hair looks dull, these formulas offer a similar result. On top of that, these hair care products can extend your hair color in between appointments, as well as repair damage, serve as heat protectants, and double as deep conditioners.

Our Top Picks

• Best Hair Gloss Overall: DpHue Gloss+, $38
• Best Clear Hair Gloss: Ouai Hair Gloss, $34
• Best for Color-Treated Hair: Kérastase Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss, $60
• Best for Dull Color: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss, $36
• Best for Dry Hair: Moroccanoil High Shine Gloss Color Depositing Mask Clear, $30
• Best for Damaged Hair: R+Co Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment, $38
• Best for Fine Hair: IGK Expensive Clear Gloss Top Coat, $32

If you're looking to ward off dullness or refresh your natural or color-treated hair, you have come to the right place. Below, we've rounded up the best hair gloss options—including a variety of drugstore and high-end picks—that'll give your in-salon treatments a run for their money (and time), as recommended by hairstylists, colorists, and Allure editors.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a hair gloss?
• Which hair types are hair glosses best for?
• Meet the experts
• How we test and review products
• Our staff and testers

Best Hair Gloss Overall: DpHue Gloss+

Why it's worth it: DpHue's Gloss+ is a "demi-permanent color and deep-conditioning treatment that provides killer nourishment and color," says New York City- and Ohio-based hairstylist Mia Santiago. Choose from 12 shades to enhance your color—or mix any with Sheer, an unpigmented gloss, for a more precise shade—and leave it on for anywhere between 3 and 20 minutes, depending on your desired intensity. Thanks to ingredients like moisturizing ethylhexylglycerin, a synthetic form of glycerin, and gloss-imparting dimethicone, this deep-conditioning treatment leaves your hair shiny and refreshed for days.

Tester feedback: "I've kept my hair dyed pitch-black for the past year, and DpHue's Gloss+ is the reason I almost never need to tread back to the salon for refreshes or root touch-ups," says Allure senior news editor Nicola Dall'Asen. "The shade Black has green undertones, so it eliminates any underlying redness from my natural brunette hair but doesn't have the blueness that most black glosses and dyes do, something I've found hard to avoid. And thanks to its intense pigment, I only need to use it every once every couple of months."

Key ingredients: ethylhexylglycerin, dimethicone | Shades: 12 | Who it's for: all hair types

Best Clear Hair Gloss: Ouai Hair Gloss

Why it's worth it: This in-shower gloss fits seamlessly into your wash routine; just apply it after shampooing and conditioning, wait five minutes, and rinse. It leaves hair noticeably smoother and shinier, treats damage, and minimizes color fading. What sets the Ouai Hair Gloss apart, though, is that heat-styling hair afterward can amplify its results—and you don't need a separate heat protectant, since it defends hair up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tester feedback: "For the most part, I'm currently rocking my natural hair color (minus a few lingering highlights I'm growing out), but even natural color can look a little dull at times, which is when I swap my conditioner for Ouai's Hair Gloss," says Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "It has a similar creamy feel to a conditioner but rinses out much quicker than most, and my strands look more reflective than glass after heat styling. It's my little secret to vamping up my natural dark brown, nearly-black hair color."

Key ingredients: sugar beets, rice water, hyaluronic acid | Shades: 1 | Who it's for: People who regularly blow-dry or otherwise heat-style their hair

Best for Color-Treated Hair: Kérastase Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss

Why it's worth it: According to Devin Toth, a hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City, the Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss is a high-shine hair gloss that strengthens and seals the surface of the hair fiber to protect color and leave a high-shine finish. To do this, amino acids, lactic acid, and tartaric acid work together to penetrate the hair cuticle and guard against color fading. "This gloss will extend the life of your post-salon hair color," says Toth. "When the formula mixes with water, it transforms into a luxurious, creamy texture that fully coats and protects the hair."

Tester feedback: "My hair gets the short end of the stick when it comes to my otherwise extensive beauty routines but I’m determined to give it more love—that’s where Kérastase’s gloss comes in," says Allure commerce editor Sarah Han. "The exfoliating acids help heal my hair, preserve my brown 'money pieces,' and boost shine. Best of all, it only takes two minutes to work its magic. (I’m impatient, what can I say?)"

Key ingredients: amino acids, lactic acid, tartaric acid | Shades: 1 | Who it's for: everyone, including damaged hair types

More hair glosses we love:

Best for Dull Color: Living Proof Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss

Why it's worth it: Lackluster color bringing your current hairstyles down? Boost the shine of your strands with Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss. Regardless if your current color is natural, salon-made, or DIY, Living Proof's intensive formulation of conditioning ingredients like jojoba esters, glycerin, triglycerides, and sodium hyaluronate plump and smooth each strand, leaving a shinier finish behind in the process. The true star of this formulation, though, is the brand's proprietary Light Enhancing Technology, which is essentially an optical brightener that's guaranteed to leave your hair with diamond-level reflection.

Key ingredients: jojoba esters, glycerin, triglycerides, and sodium hyaluronate | Shades: 1 | Who it's for: all hair types

Best for Dry Hair: Moroccanoil High Shine Gloss Color Depositing Mask Clear

Why it's worth it: No matter how dry and brittle your hair feels, Moroccanoil's clear version of its High Shine Gloss Color Depositing Mask will leave your hair feeling silky-smooth to the touch. Like all of the brand's products, the key moisturizing ingredient in this deep-conditioning gloss is argan oil, a popular emollient known for its moisture-boosting properties and barely-there, grease-free feel on hair. To boost overall hair health, your strands will also be treated with a strand-fortifying amino acid blend and moisture-sealing apricot kernel oil.

This formulation from Moroccanoil is also available in seven tints, including a cocoa brown for warm-toned brunettes and a vibrant hibiscus shade for those who like to experiment with technicolors.

Key ingredients: argan oil, amino acids, apricot kernel oil | Shades: 8 | Who it's for: dry hair, thick hair

Best for Damaged Hair: R+Co Gemstone Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment

Why it's worth it: So, you've had one too many dates with a bottle of bleach and your hair feels like hay. Thankfully, that's nothing R+Co.'s Gemstone Ultra Shine Glossing Treatment can't handle. This conditioning cocktail contains a hefty dose of moisture-retaining guava butter, but the true heroes in this formulation are vitamins C and E. You're probably familiar with these antioxidants from your skin-care routine, but their benefits extend beyond your complexion. Both work overtime to boost the shine of your strands, prevent environmental damage, and improve malleability.

Editor's tip: This rich formula is quite thick, so be light-handed when applying, especially if you have fine hair.

Key ingredients: guava butter, vitamin C, vitamin E, shea butter, castor oil, olive oil | Shades: 1 | Who it's for: all hair types

Best for Fine Hair: IGK Expensive Clear Gloss Top Coat

Why it's worth it: As its name suggests, IGK's Expensive Clear Gloss Top Coat is the hair-care equivalent to a max-shine nail polish topper. The key ingredient in this in-shower treatment is amla oil, a deep-conditioning additive that also happens to be rich in strength-supporting antioxidants. Though its luster-enhancing abilities are intense, this hair gloss has a weightless feel and easily rinses out, making it a great choice for thinner hair types. To really amp up the glossiness, treat your hair to IGK's Good Behavior Spirulina Smoothing Spray, a pre-styling spray and heat protectant.

Key ingredients: amla oil, sea kelp extract, sunflower seed oil | Shades: 1 | Who it's for: all hair types, especially thin and fine hair

Best for Frizzy Hair: Amika Flash Instant Shine Hair Gloss Mask

Why it's worth it: For the impatient among us, Amika's Flash Instant Shine Hair Gloss Mask is for you. According to Santiago, this fast-acting gloss adds immediate shine, smooths the look of frizz, and revives your color in just one minute. How so? An effective team of hydrolyzed flax seed, red wine extract, and amino acids boosts shine, targets dryness, and ensures the vibrancy of your hair color stays intact for longer.

Key ingredients: amino acids, sea buckthorn oil, flaxseed | # of shades: 1 | Who it's for: people seeking a convenient yet effective option

Best for Wavy or Curly Hair: Oribe Curl Gloss

Why it's worth it: Give your curls a boost with Oribe's Curl Gloss, which smells like a summer spent in southern France as it's accented with notes of bergamot, white butterfly jasmine, and sandalwood. Apply a few dollops of this lightweight gel—which is more of a styling product than in-shower gloss, FYI—to damp hair before diffusing or air-drying and let the deeply hydrating blend of passionflower extract, cupuacu, Brazilian jicama and nut, and aloe vera do its thing. Hello, bounce and sheen.

Key ingredients: passionflower extract, aloe vera, Brazilian jicama | # of shades: 1 | Who it's for: people with curls or frizz-prone hair

Longest-Lasting Results: Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss

Why it's worth it: Santiago says that Pureology's Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss is one of the best at-home hair glosses—and it lasts for up to eight washes, so color us impressed. As far as the formula goes, oat milk and camellia oil work quickly to soften and conditioner hair from the root down to the ends. Each bottle smells like a rose garden and comes in one of six tone-neutralizing shades. Pro tip: Follow it with the brand's leave-in spray to detangle and protect the results.

Key ingredients: coconut oil, camellia oil, sunflower extract | Shades: 6 | Who it's for: people with color-treated hair

Best for Beginners: Drybar Liquid Glass Instant Glossing Rinse

Why it's worth it: Santiago also approves of this neroli oil-spiked formula, which acts as a top coat for your hair, leaving behind a glossy sheen. Did we mention it only takes 10 seconds to work its magic? (This step happens post-shampoo, by the way, so be sure to squeeze out any excess water before applying.) It uses advanced Reverse-Micellar Technology to smooth hair and leave behind a silky, high-shine finish almost instantly. An amino acid complex helps fill in porous gaps in the hair's lipid layer to instantly smooth and provide a shiny finish, while neroli oil creates a high-shine glossy top coat. Bonus: The rinse features Drybar's Noir scent with notes of ginger, mint, and sandalwood.

Key ingredients: amino acids, glycerin, camellia extract | Shades: 1 | Who It's For: people who prefer a quick, straightforward option

The TikTok-Viral Pick: Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss

Why it's worth it: With eight gorgeous tints to choose from—including a clear gloss called Crystal Quartz—there's an option for just about everyone wanting to try these TikTok-viral Signature Hair Glosses. This in-shower, water-based treatment, which comes with an activator and toner you mix, helps your color stay fresh and healthy-looking between salon appointments. On top of its rich color payoff, this formula is designed to protect hair against hard water and environmental damage.

Key ingredients: antioxidants | Shades: 12 | Who it's for: people who need more pigment

Best Elasticity Booster: Madison Reed Color Reviving Gloss

Why it's worth it: Spiked with elasticity-restoring keratin as well as hydration-boosting ginseng and argan oil, Madison Reed's Color Reviving Gloss is another color-depositing formula that Toth loves. "This nourishing gloss refreshes faded color, corrects tone, and adds brilliant shine with sheer, semi-permanent hair color," he says. If you don't have color-treated hair, the shade Glassa is a clear option that adds instant shine to all hair types.

Key ingredients: keratin, argan oil, ginseng root extract | Shades: 5 | Who it's for: people with dry or dull hair

Best for Humidity Control: Kenra Platinum Silkening Gloss

Why it's worth it: Frizz and flyaways are no match for this humidity-defying treatment. Apply two to three pumps all over damp or dry hair and add heat to activate the formula, which includes tons of moisture-retaining agents such as hydrolyzed silk and dimethiconol. An ingredient you might not expect is Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (commonly known as octinoxate), a chemical UV filter that prevents light exposure from damaging your hair or allowing the product to deteriorate and destabilize. P.S. Since it's heat-activated, it's not a great option for people who air-dry their hair.

Key ingredients: dimethicone, hydrolyzed silk, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate | # of shades: 1 | Who it's for: people prone to frizziness or those who live in humid climates

Best Shade Range: L'Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss

Why it's worth it: We awarded the L'Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss a 2022 Best of Beauty Award because of its deeply nourishing coconut oil-infused base, which brings hair back to life by removing brassy tones and replenishing shine. The range includes an impressive 14 shades (including six silver shades), that give off a fresh-from-the-salon sheen to hair without breaking the bank. To intensify the color payoff, repeat the gloss after seven days.

Key Ingredients: coconut oil | Shades: 14 | Who it's for: those seeking a temporary fix

Best Foaming Hair Gloss: Hally Fluffy G Foamy Glazey Hair Gloss

Why it's worth it: Leave this foaming Hally hair glaze—which easily coats every strand—in for 10 minutes before shampooing and conditioning per usual and prepare yourself to be wowed by the results. This sulfate, paraben-, and ammonia-free formula features chamomile, lavender, aloe vera, and ginseng root extract for much-needed nourishment and hydration. Premiere Clear is a colorless treatment that is ideal for all hair types; Brass-off Blonde is a cool neutralizer for blonde hair; and Bouncy Brown adds dimension to brown hair.

Key ingredients: aloe vera, lavender extract, ginseng root extract | # of shades: 3 | Who it's for: people new to glosses

Best for Brassiness: Rita Hazan Ultimate True Shine Gloss

Why it's worth it: One of Toth's picks, the Rita Hazan Ultimate True Shine Gloss is formulated with vitamin B5, panthenol, and silk protein to maintain color, moisture, and shine for weeks on end. Choose between three shades—Clear, Breaking Brass, and Sunkissed—for a no-mess treatment in the shower. (For the best results, match the shade to the lightest tone in your hair.) Rinse right away or keep it in for up to 20 minutes, depending on how intensive you want your results to be.

Key ingredients: vitamin B5, silk protein, panthenol | # of shades: 3 | Who it's for: people prone to brassiness

Frequently Asked Questions

Hair gloss treatments are not the same as boxed hair dyes; these hair products won't permanently change the color of your hair. In fact, according to Devin Toth, a hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City, hair glosses deposit a lasting amount of concentrated shine and pigment. To add to that, cosmetic chemist Erica Douglas previously told Allure glosses seal and smooth the surface of the cuticle layer by filling abrasions so that the hair surface is smoother and can reflect light better—giving off that super-shiny look of healthy hair.

Most hair types can use a shine-boosting hair gloss, but Rachel Bodt, a New York City colorist, previously told Allure she suggests scanning the ingredients list before applying. "One of the most important things to look for is something that is ammonia-free and free of any peroxide, as these will shift your natural color and can damage [hair]," she explained.

Another thing to note about hair glosses is that, like their more permanent dye counterparts, these formulas can be drying, another reason why Bodt recommends scanning the ingredient lists for the potential strand aggressors she listed above. Many at-home formulas, especially clear glosses, are enriched with conditioning ingredients like squalane and jojoba oil to neutralize any dryness, but considering that hair glosses are more similar in formulation to dyes than an actual hair-care product, dry and damaged hair types should consult with a colorist before using one.

It's also worth noting that Colissa Nole, a Missouri-based colorist and hairstylist, previously told Allure that, when instructions are not followed properly, issues like "color banding, uneven application, uneven finished product, chemical reactions, hot roots, undesired tone, overprocessing, under-processing, and chemical dryness" are all risks with at-home dyes.

• Mia Santiago, a New York City- and Ohio-based hairstylist
• Devin Toth, a hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City
• Erica Douglas, a cosmetic chemist based in Chicago
• Colissa Nole, a Missouri-based colorist and hairstylist

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn't want to pick up a purple shampoo that's only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that's never been tested by anyone with curls—right?

For our review of the best hair glosses, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hairstylists. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

More on hair, right this way:

• The Best Boar-Bristle Brushes for Photo-Ready Shine and Smoothness
• 22 Best Leave-In Conditioners, According to Hairstylists
• 14 Best Hair Masks for Your Softest Strands Ever
• The Best Dandruff Shampoos to Minimize Flakes and Itching

Now, watch how hair color has evolved within the past 100 years:

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