What is Glass Hair? 3 Steps to Get the Look
At last, the benefits of hair care are getting the same level of attention as our skincare rituals, as ingredients like squalane and practices like multi-masking find their way into our hair regimens. So, it's no surprise that glass skin has inspired a hair care trend: glass hair. In fact, with its focus on glossy, expensive-looking hair, this is one look that was destined to go viral.
But, how do you get the look? With the right combination of shine-enhancing products – as well as a glossy coat of color – you can say goodbye to frizz and indulge in a luxuriously luminous finish. Shinier hair doesn't have to be tricky, you just need the perfect hair care partners to help you achieve the look. So, let's explore the steps that make your dream hair a reality, plus six color services to enhance your glow...
First, What is the Glass Hair Trend?
Remember when glass skin first started trending? The look was born in Korea, and it involved layering dewy serums, essences and oils to make your skin appear impossibly glowy. It was only a matter of time before the hair world craved that same level of luminosity. Cue the glass hair trend – a look that takes glossy hair to new, mirror-like levels.
Light-reflective shine is the essence of glass hair. You want an impeccably smooth and glossy finish, and for that, both your hair color and care regimens play an important role. Your shade should radiate warmth and luminosity, honed by carefully chosen color products that bestow strands with a glow, while your hair care regimen should be all about ditching frizz for a high-shine mane.
Give Hair a Glass-Like Finish at Home
Hair care is at the core of glass hair, so give your at-home regimen a glow-up. Follow these steps to bestow your mane with dewy, lit-from-within radiance that enhances your natural texture...
1. Wash with a Gloss-Boosting Shampoo
Glossy shine begins with the right shampoo. You need one that thoroughly cleanses to remove dulling residue, while also maintaining moisture levels for a healthy glow. Try ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo, a delicate cleanser that's suitable for all hair types, with a luxurious lather that harnesses Metal Purifier technology. This technology was built on the knowledge that our hair is packed with invisible metals, whether they come from the water we wash with or the air that surrounds us. By neutralizing them, ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo makes way for cleaner, healthier hair, while preparing lengths to absorb your conditioner or hair mask.
2. Smooth and Nourish with a Conditioner or Hair Mask
After rinsing out your shampoo, gently squeeze excess water out of your hair or, if it's frizz-prone, blot moisture away with a microfiber towel. Otherwise, when hair is too wet, your conditioning products will be diluted. Then, ask yourself, 'Does my hair need lightweight or intense nourishment today?' If the answer is 'lightweight', apply ULTIMATE SMOOTH Conditioner to the mid - lengths and ends. Injecting hair with natural shine, this creamy conditioner paves the way for silky strands. Or, if you need intense moisture, reach for a scoopful of ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask. Packed with Omega-9 and Squalane, it rehydrates parched hair cuticles for a glossy transformation.
3. Level Up Luster with This Treatment-Oil Blend
After rinsing out your conditioner or hair mask, blot hair dry with a microfiber towel, taking care to be ultra-gentle. Too much rubbing and friction leads to damaged and rough-textured hair. Then, treat your lengths to the ultimate power pair for dazzling shine; a miracle formula regimen to create a glass surface that lasts from wash to wash.
- First, mist ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue through roots, lengths and ends of damp hair. It's a weightless spray that repairs stressed hair from the inside out. With its potent blend of AHA and Omega-9, it repairs hair damage in 90 seconds¹ while reducing breakage by 99%² for stronger, healthier hair.
- After letting Miracle Hair Rescue absorb for 90 seconds, smooth ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum through lengths and ends. This shine-enhancing secret weapon is an oil-based hair serum that teams major hydration with 96-hour frizz control³. So, not only do you get nourishment in 30 seconds and smoothness that lasts for up to 3 days³ but you also achieve a mirror-like finish that enhances all hair types.
Bonus: ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum shields your hair when using heat styling tools, so whether you're keeping your look sleek or glossing up curly hair, every strand will be protected.
More Ways to Get Glass Hair
The ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum is a glow-boosting multitasker that elevates your hair game fast. Here are three more ways it helps to eliminate frizzy hair and maintain a glass-like shine...
1. Shield Hair Before Shampooing
If the ends of your hair are ultra-dry but your scalp is oily and in need of a wash, use ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum as a pre-shampoo treatment. Simply smooth it through wet hair lengths and ends, and the luxe formula will keep delicate strands protected while you lather up.
2. Elevate Your Gloss-Boosting Hair Mask
Give your hair mask a glow-up by mixing it with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum. Get a scoopful of ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask in the palm of your hand first, and then add 2-3 pumps of your hair oil. Smooth it through the mid - lengths and ends of towel-dried hair – not wet, as this dilutes the mask – and let it absorb for up to 10 minutes. Finish by rinsing with warm water, followed by a cool water blast.
3. Top Up Hair Oil in Between Wash Days
ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum isn't just a wash day essential. Because it's so weightless, you can also get extra shine by working a drop or two through dry hair as a finishing product. Plus, because it doubles as a heat protectant, you can apply it before styling with a flat iron or curling wand. The addition of UV protectant powers makes it a healthy hair must-have that keeps future damage at bay.
Elevate Glass Hair with Your Golden Glass Color
New for 2025, Wella Professionals reveals Golden Glass Hair, a menu of six signature color services that are all about layering and luminosity. Find your nearest Wella salon, and your colorist will hand-pick glassy, glossy shades to enhance your skin tone, with hints of rose gold, coral, apricot, copper, butter and honey paving the way for an irresistible silky mane.
Here's a quick look at the six signature services available. Want to find out more? Discover Golden Glass Hair in detail with our complete guide to the look.
Apricot Glass Hair
Strawberry blonde meets pastel apricot in this look by hair extraordinaire James Earnshaw, Wella Professionals Global Ambassador. So, if soft, subtle hints of red are high on your lust-have list right now, this drenched-in-warmth hue gets hair shiny and coppery-fresh with layers of Illumina Color and SHINEFINITY Color Glaze.
Rose Gold Glass Hair
The most-wanted bronde (brown-blonde) of the season features radiant rosy hints, as seen in this shimmering mane by Wella Professionals Australian Ambassador Monique McMahon. Combining an Illumina Color root shadow with a SHINEFINITY Color Glaze balayage, it takes the rose gold hair trend to glossier heights than ever before.
Buttery Glass Hair
For ultra-glossy hair with cooler tones, try this smooth-as-butter blonde; a Panna Cotta-inspired shade by Briana Cisneros, Wella Professionals USA Brand Ambassador. Your hair will be lightened with BlondorPlex first, our bond-strengthening lightener that gives you up to 97% less breakage⁴, before a zero damage, zero lift SHINEFINITY Color Glaze unlocks the secret to hair color that glows.
Honey Glass Hair
Give honey blonde hair gloss that goes beyond with this sweet, sunshiny shade; another luminous creation by Monique McMahon. Your colorist will lighten your hair with BlondorPlex to begin, before painting lengths in a golden shade of SHINEFINITY for a veil of translucent color.
Coral Glass Hair
Brunettes will love these coral highlights for an epic glass hair look; a service that combines natural depth with a touch of bold to deliver head-turning shine. Crafted by Briana Cisneros, Coral Glass Hair layers the true-to-tone vibrancy of Color Touch with the translucent luminosity of a SHINEFINITY Color Glaze, so your dark brown hair mimics the surface of glass from root to tip.
Copper Glass Hair
Copper is the red shade of the year, and this glass look by James Earnshaw gives it an even more enviable finish, thanks to layers of Color Touch and SHINEFINITY. It's the antidote to dull hair; a multi-dimensional shade that makes lackluster locks history with tinges of amber, mahogany and gold. We are obsessed.
Looking for more ways to care for your hair? Discover Wella Professionals' complete collection of hair care guides for every concern, from dryness to dullness to damage. Not sure what your hair needs? Then check out Navicare, our new virtual consultation tool that picks your perfect regimen for you.
¹ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
² When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
³ When using ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, if unwashed for 3 days, vs. untreated.
⁴ When using Wellaplex N°2 with Blondorplex, versus Blondorplex alone.