I've worked in Beauty for 5 years and felt like I had absolutely mastered my combatting frizz & boosting shine routine. Until I swapped out 1 product and received a ridiculous amount of compliments.

I attended a birthday dinner recently and before I even had a chance to sit down (or offer a simple hello), my gorgeous friend aka our Senior Beauty Editor Sadaf, blurted out an immediate "Your hair looks INSANE! SO glossy". The group (clearly all girls-girls) chimed in, in agreement.

I was taken aback. I (in my running late rush) hadn't noticed anything that different. It was the same shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, hairdryer and round brush I had been using for years. With exception of the Redken Acidic Color Gloss Naked Gloss - a newbie I was road testing.

Clearly a very good and very real sign to keep going with it. The lightweight oil offers shine, softness and vibrancy, without any of the weight or greasiness.

I've been using this on repeat for weeks now and have no intention of stopping. Read on below for what makes the formula, so beloved.

Redken’s Naked Gloss is part of the Acidic Color Gloss range, which is designed to make colour-treated hair look as fresh as the day you stepped out of the salon. This oil, in particular, is the final step that seals it all in.

It smooths, hydrates and shields, making your hair visibly glossier and healthier. The fomula boasts a blend of omega-9-rich oils and fatty acids that mimic your hair’s natural lipids. They work to fill in the gaps of damaged, colour-treated strands which tend to become porous and dry over time. These fatty acids smooth down the hair cuticle, creating that mirror-like finish.

It helps reduce frizz by up to 80% for three full days. And when I say my hair feels stronger—like less breakage, fewer tangles I mean it. It also gives 130% more shine and 9x more hydration compared to untreated hair.

Bonus points for heat protection (up to 230°C), which makes it great pre-blow dry. And since it’s a vegan formula with zero greasy residue, it layers well with your other products. No buildup. No stickiness.

I've been using it two ways: On damp hair; straight out of the shower, before any heat styling. Two to three drops, rubbed between my palms, then raked through mid-lengths to ends. I've noted increased manageability while blowdrying and smoothness.

And on dry hair; post-styling or when I need a touch of polish. It smooths fly aways instantly and adds that glassy, editorial-level shine without deflating volume.

The texture is featherlight and silky. To me it reads somewhere between a dry oil and serum. It's fast absorbing, with no residue or heavy coating.

And the shine? Like I just had a gloss treatment. Effortless, glassy and sleek. I noticed my ends look healthier and a little less frazzled too. There wasn't a huge difference to my colour (I dye my dark brown / near-black hair black over already near-black brown), but my mane was overall very vibrant and bright.

And to really hammer it home again..... the shine was indeed next-level.