I love everything about my long, wavy hair except for one thing—it's dull, and it always has been. Blame it on my naturally dry strands or the fact that I get it chemically processed, but it lacks luster. That explains why I've fawned over pictures of celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian for years. They always have the glossiest, healthiest-looking hair.
It's no coincidence that both J.Lo and Kardashian are my shiny-hair icons. That's because they share a hairstylist—Chris Appleton. He's known for creating silky styles for his celeb clients, and he counts on one $28 product to do so. Yep, it's only $28, and it's A-list approved. Obviously, I had to try it out for myself and see if it could really transform my dull strands into something shinier, silkier, and more expensive looking. Spoiler alert: It did. Keep scrolling to see which product it is and learn how to use it from Appleton himself. Plus, see pretty epic before-and-after pictures.
This is the product in question. It's a spray that keeps hair—whether it's straight, wavy, or curly—looking super shiny for days on end. When I say days on end, I mean it. It even lasts in between washes, which means you can shampoo your hair three to four times before the shininess wears off.
Think of it like a sealant for the hair, protecting it from humidity and giving it a glossy sheen. It's all thanks to a proprietary anti-humidity complex, plus chamomilla extract and glycerin. Together, these ingredients give hair a luxurious luster, or, as I like to call it, "the J.Lo effect."
Appleton used this exact Color Wow product to achieve this silky blowout for J.Lo. "I use Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray for all hair types," he says. "It's ideal for transforming dry, frizz-prone hair or color-treated hair to silky-smooth glass-like hair." Even though you can use it for all hair types, Color Wow does make one for curly hair, which Appleton uses on wavy hair and 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, and 3b curls. There's also an extra-strength version, which Appleton uses on extremely dry or dehydrated hair, porous hair, or hair that's curly/coily. "Nothing works better for completely humidity-resistant hair," he says.
This one is specially formulated to create super-shiny, bouncy curls. To use it, spray it on damp hair and let it air-dry, or use a diffuser attachment on your hair dryer.
This one is specially formulated for extremely dry or dehydrated hair and can be used in the same way you'd use the original.
You might think a super-glowy blowout, like this one Appleton created for Kardashian, would be incredibly difficult to replicate at home, but it's not. All you need is the product, a hair dryer, and a round brush. Here's how he recommends using it: "First, I use my wash-day favorites, including Color Wow Color Security Shampoo ($24) and Color Wow Color Security Conditioner ($24)," he says. "You always have to start with a clean canvas, and Color Wow shampoo is 100% residue-free, which is key. Then, I towel-dry to make sure the hair is damp, not wet. Next, I divide the hair into sections and drench the hair in the product liberally and evenly to hit every strand from roots to ends. Lastly, I blow-dry the hair with tension to activate the product and reveal that glass-hair look we all love."
This was the round brush I used.
I like using this hair dryer. (It's our best overall editor's pick!) It makes my hair look smoother and shinier than other hair dryers do.
Per Appleton's advice, I started by shampooing and conditioning my hair. After wringing out some of the excess water, I liberally sprayed the product through my hair. Next, I reached for my hair dryer and a round brush and got to work giving myself an at-home blowout.
First and foremost, my at-home-blowout skills are weak, so don't judge the overall style of the hair, just the shine factor. These pictures were taken about an hour and a half apart, which was just long enough for me to hop in the shower, shampoo my hair, apply the product, and blow-dry using a round brush. As you can see, my hair had a lustrous shine that it didn't have before. Thanks to the newfound shine, my hair color looked brighter and more vibrant, like I was fresh from a salon visit. It wasn't just me who noticed a difference either. I had three people compliment my hair that day, so I know it made a big difference. The only thing I wish I would have done differently is use more tension on the brush. Since I'm not an expert at using a round brush, I fumbled a bit and had a looser pull on each section of hair. With more tension, my blowout would have looked better, and the shine would have been even brighter. Despite my faulty technique, the shininess stayed intact throughout my next wash, which was true to the brand's word. I didn't even have to blow-dry my hair or anything. Once it was air-dried, I noticed the sheen was still there. Since I saw such a big difference from the original formula, I can't wait to get my hands on the extra-strength version.
This cream smoothes flyaways while boosting the shine of each strand.
This lightweight serum is one of my all-time favorite shine-boosting products.
Created in collaboration with Appleton, this mask gives hair the glossiest shine. Trust me—I know.
This spray was specially formulated to keep curls soft and shiny.
This hydrating hair serum instantly boosts moisture. And as we all know, moisturized hair is shiny hair.
This hair perfume-oil hybrid smells incredible while also boosting moisture. I love a two-in-one product.
