hair glaze

DIY

Want Easy, Sun-Kissed Streaks? Here's a Quick Trick

This is the time of year lots of people go in for expensive highlights designed to make them look like they've been spending all their time on a beach somewhere in the Carribbean.

This is the time of year lots of people go in for expensive highlights designed to make them look like they've been spending all their time on a beach somewhere in the Carribbean. For those of us who can't cough up the money for that kind of thing, though, there's a pretty sweet at-home trick to help us get pricey-looking highlights at home: Just braid before you color.

First, section your hair off into three or four tight braids starting from the scalp. Then paint your lightener on the top side of the braid, leaving the underside untouched. The result is shimmery, natural-looking highlights. You can also use a colored hair glaze or demipermanent hair color to get more prismatic hair without committing to the bleach.

Bella Interview

What Is Hair Glaze?

Shiny hair is kind of an enigma.

Shiny hair is kind of an enigma. Everyone wants it, yet no one really thinks they have it. At-home glazes sometimes have color specifications, but most companies make a clear version as well. Confused about what glazes are and how they should be used, I turned to Paul Cucinello, who is the Creative Director of Chris Chase Salon in New York City.

How do at-home hair glazes work?
Paul Cucinello: If you do a glaze at home, it has more peroxide than the kind we do at the salon. Anything you buy at home has to be stronger. They make it so no matter which color you choose you'll see a result, whatever your hair type. Even a clear gloss can lift your natural color a little bit. If you are blond, it might be ok if you want to lighten it, but it would be more of a brightener. At the salon, we can do something more gentle.

What can too much peroxide do to your hair?
Paul Cucinello: Too much peroxide can dry out your hair. After the glossy part wears off, it will be drier [than before]. The salon kind will leave your hair in the same position as before you did it. We use Goldwell, which is an acid color, so it closes the cuticle and makes the hair really shiny.

To learn more glaze tips from Chris, read more