What’s the Difference Between a Gloss and a Glaze?

by Antonio Gonzales on Monday, December 13th, 2010

I was born in Trinidad in the height of a hurricane. I spent my childhood surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of Carnival and the other Indian, African and Spanish festivals of the Islands. Loving the amazing costumes, I got my start dressing my sisters and doing their hair and makeup. An opportunity came up to work with Trinidad’s leading costume designers, makeup artists and hair stylists. After I left the Island, my career evolved with work in Munich, Los Angeles and now New York City. Here in New York, I am a stylist at the Orlo Salon in the Meat Packing district. Vogue magazine recently named me as one of the rising hairstylist stars in N.Y., I was awarded the best haircut of 2008 by shecky’s.com, Gotham Magazine called me a Shear Genius and Allure Magazine featured me as one of the best cuts 2009.

What’s the difference between a gloss and a glaze? Over the years I’ve heard these terms used interchangeably (often from my own clients), and I’m here to set the record straight. After some extensive online research and reading many articles from fellow New York stylists (including NYC Colorist Marie Leppard and my coworkers at the Orlo salon), I feel confident to speak intelligently on the matter. I want to bring you a point of view that, although personal, makes sense in my eyes. I hope this helps you to answer your own clients’ concerns on the matter.

Hair Glaze

What comes to mind when I hear the word “glaze” is a shiny, delicate surface, like that of a glazed cake—a temporary coating.

After my research, I was happy to know that we stylists all can agree that a glaze is a temporary, clear substance that adds great shine to either virgin or color-treated hair. We also agree that glazes have pigment added to boost any matching hair color: blond or brunette. Whether it’s a clear glaze (with no color pigment) or a colored glaze, all certainly add a safe, translucent coating to the hair shaft that washes off in eight to 12 shampoos. Glazes contain no ammonia or peroxide, which means they do not have the ability to lift your natural color or to aggressively open the cuticle to deposit color. This kind of product gently lays on the surface of the hair rather, adding a complementary tone. Also, glazes will not fully cover gray hair (not even a few strands). However, on a client who’s just slightly gray, it can add overall shine and a hint of tone while possibly staining those few strands.

One of my favorite glazes is Sebastian Colourshines by Cellophanes. I have been using this product for more than 16 years, from my time in Trinidad, to Los Angeles and now in New York, and I still love the results. This temporary gel-like substance comes in clear and also a variety of colors that can complement any brunette or blond. Keep in mind that there are other glazes on the market for you to sample, but this is again by far my favorite; I’ve yet to be disappointed by this glaze. The easiest way for me to describe the coverage of this product is by recommending that you experiment: Get a piece of colored cellophane paper. Place it over several surfaces of varying colors. If the paper you choose is red (for example), then all the surfaces you have covered with the cellophane look the same in depth or lightness, though now just have a red translucent tone. The idea is that the glaze cannot actually change the depth and existing color pigment, but does add a translucent tone.

The best way to choose the right color for your client is by taking a white paper towel and smearing your desired color on it. This way, you get a good idea of the color and underlying pigment. It is important to keep in mind the desired effect, so keep the “color tone” relative to the client’s existing hair color. In other words, if it’s a copper red, do not use a blue-base red. It’s great on brunettes who are losing their sparkle, if you think there’s too much pigment and you are fearful of it going too dark, then what you should do is add clear. This will help dilute the pigment, giving less coverage. This product is also amazing for blonds: For a head of fair hair that’s too gold, add a mixture of pearl blonde and clear. Or for the blond who’s too ashy, the honey blond mixed with clear works wonders!

To use on virgin hair, I first shampoo the hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove all product residue. I then towel-dry thoroughly and apply from roots to ends. Apply a plastic cap and sit under heat for 20 minutes. Afterward, allow to cool for five minutes and rinse well. Use an old-school hooded dryer (the heat and strong flow of air from these works better), rather than a Rollerball or a Climazone. But careful: do not shampoo. Rinse well (seven to 10 minutes) and condition only. If applying a colored glaze, apply protective cream to the hairline and wear gloves. Comb the glaze on the hairline, avoiding the client’s scalp. This way you get an even application without staining her scalp, and trust me when I say this baby stains!

For virgin hair in need of shine that’s sensitive to chemicals (or for the client who’s sensitive to the slightest tonal change in their hair), I highly recommend using a glaze. As we know it fades naturally from the hair without a line of demarcation. Do not take any chances with the lowest-volume peroxide in a gloss. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

If your client’s hair is damaged and you have a choice between either a gloss or a glaze, I highly recommend a glaze. Even the lowest-volume peroxide can make a bad situation worse.

Hair Gloss

When I think of a gloss, I think of car paint or nail polish: something stronger and longer-lasting.

A hair gloss is the stronger of the two. It contains peroxide and has the ability to budge the cuticle, depositing longer-lasting color. If used with heat on virgin hair, some glosses will give lift to the hair, changing the tone by perhaps a shade (I’ve seen this happen several times with my own eyes). When used on color-treated blond or brunette hair, it will add shine and enhance the existing tones in the hair, which can be a lifesaver a month or so after coloring the client’s hair. As you already know, glosses can be clear or come in a variety of shades (more so than do glazes), and can last up to four weeks. They can be applied to dry or towel-dried hair, and as previously mentioned, can be used with or without heat (Color Touch by Wella is a good example of this capability).

One of my very favorite glosses is Diacolor by L’Oréal, which can make a blond sparkle a month after getting the color done, while controlling warmth in the base. Unlike many glosses on the market that leave warm tones on the hair, this product will keep a brunette on tone, be it warm or cool. It comes in many shades, allowing you to create any desired hue. Keep in mind that I do use a lot of glosses in my everyday work, but I try to keep it as healthy as possible. So instead of the fast five minutes at the sink with a gloss, take 20 minutes with a glaze to achieve a shine that’s “to dye for”!

Remember that glosses can be a girl’s best friend (especially for blending gray hair), but should be used only when necessary, on hair that really needs it. Glazes, on the other hand, can make a world of difference on virgin hair, and are a great way to introduce your more inexperienced clients to hair color.

I wish you shine, shine, shine this holiday season!