Expensive hair: how to get that autumn shine

Expensive hair: glanzend haar in het licht, hair by Kuro

There's one thing every trend list this autumn shares, from the catwalks to your feed: shine. Not the wet-gel look of a few years ago, but deep, healthy, expensive-looking shine. They call it expensive hair, and the beauty of it is: it's not about expensive genes, but about the right layers. Even the season's trend color, that rich espresso brown, is all about one exact effect: light reflection.

Why shine is the trend now

After years of matte textures and deliberately nonchalant hair, the pendulum is swinging back: well-groomed is the new statement. In the salon, we see it in the demand for gloss and glaze treatments, which have grown from an extra to an integral part of the color routine. And shine is honest: it shows how healthy your hair truly is. That makes it not a quick fix but a routine, and here's how to build it.

Expensive hair in five layers

  1. Start in the shower. Shine begins with hydration: wash with the Supershine Moisturizing Cream, or the light version if you have fine hair that tends to fall flat.
  2. The glass layer. Once a week for thirty seconds: the Mirror Rinse Glass Hair Treatment seals the hair's surface for that mirror effect that gives the glass hair trend its name.
  3. Blow-dry the reflection in. Shine is physics: a smooth cuticle layer reflects light. Blow-dry with the Royal Blowout or the richer Imperial Blowout and work from top to bottom, which lays the cuticles flat.
  4. The finishing touch. Two drops of Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil through the lengths and ends. No more; it should shine, not be greasy.
  5. The salon step. A gloss or glaze after your color treatment keeps the color deep and the shine at its best for weeks. Ask for it at your next appointment; it's the best-kept secret for expensive-looking hair.

Shop the shine

Shine for every hair type

If you have fine hair, choose the light versions (Supershine Light, and oil only on the ends), otherwise the shine will flatten your volume. For curly hair, shine works differently: curls reflect light in fragments, so shine comes from definition, using the Curl Gloss or the Eternal Curls Oil. And dull hair is usually not a matter of too little product but of buildup: start with a reset using The Cleanse and then build up the layers.

The test is simple: your hand should glide through it without snagging, and the light should move with it. Everything for this routine can be found in our Glass Hair collection, and if you prefer your shine styled sleek and pulled back, also read our guide to the sleek bun. For the glaze, we'll see you at the salon.