John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Shock Glosser

I was actually sent this product along with some others from John Frieda after contacting them regarding a problem I’d had with a different product I’d bought. Although it was a lovely gesture, I was a bit unsure about this product. I have been purchasing the Brilliant Brunette hairspray for years, so am familiar with the Brilliant Brunette range and had seen this product many times, but always disregarded it. The main reason I didn’t really want to try this before, is that I’m always a little bit wary of products promising to add shine as I find that there is a fine line between shine and grease.

The Shine Shock perfecting glosser comes packaged in a silver box. Having looked at both the tube and the box, I cannot see any information on the box that is not on the tube, therefore I’d say the box is a complete waste. The tube inside is silver (it used to be brown but they’ve updated it) and has an easy to use flip-top lid.

The glosser itself is a clear gel and I have only recently noticed that it contains a very fine shimmer. The gel is quite thick in consistency and has a pleasant fruity aroma, which is light and not overpowering.

The product can be used on either soaking wet hair or dry hair. I have most often used this on wet hair. The instructions advise to rub a small amount of the glosser between the hands and rub over the hair. It says to adjust the amount depending on the length and thickness of the hair. You do not need to rinse the product out

When I first used this, I was quite cautious and only used a smallish amount – probably grape sized – despite my hair being very long (bra strap length) and thick. I rubbed it through my hair, concentrating on the ends. I found that I needed to use a comb to evenly distribute it, as it seemed to go on more thickly in some places and using my fingers didn’t seem to be helping it go on evenly.

The results I got were fairly disappointing. I found that there was absolutely no change in terms of shine to my hair whatsoever, although I did notice that it felt softer. Thankfully I did not notice it looked greasy as feared and in fact, I could not feel the product in my hair at all – it wasn’t weighed down or sticky.

The next time I used it, I applied a bit more of the product, but there was no difference in results. I carried on like this, applying more and more of the product each time I used it, but it does not seem to matter how much I apply, my hair does not appear any shinier.

I have only tried this product on dry hair twice. For dry hair the product must be smoothed over the hair in the same way and should give a high gloss finish. I actually find the product easier to distribute through dry hair than wet, which is unusual as I would have expected it to have been the other way around. I have also found that the scent of the product lasts longer in dry hair than it does in wet. Unfortunately, again, I have not found this to make my hair any glossier. It simply melts into the hair and disappears as far as I can tell.

A 75ml tube of this product retails at £5 and is available from Boots and ASDA as well as a few other places on the high street.

Overall, whilst I was pleased to have the opportunity to use this product without parting with any cash, I have not been thrilled with the results – of which there weren’t any really! If you are looking for something to make your hair shiny I’d recommend the TIGI headrush shine spray, it can be picked up online for a similar price and it actually works!