You've done the blow-dry. You've done the ghd. The style looks right, but something's missing. It's a bit flat, a bit fuzzy around the hairline, and it definitely doesn't look like it did when you walked out of the salon.
That last step is a finishing spray, and it's the one most people skip because they don't know what it's for. Here's what ghd Shiny Ever After does, why it's not the same as an oil or a hairspray, and how to use it without ending up with greasy hair.
What ghd Shiny Ever After is
Shiny Ever After is a light finishing mist you use on dry, styled hair. Its job is shine, plus taming the flyaways and static that make a good style look unfinished. It's made to sit on top of whatever you've just done with a ghd, whether that's straight, waves or curls, without changing the shape or making it feel like there's product in there.
In ghd's own consumer test, nine out of ten women said it added healthy-looking shine and left a no-product feel. In our experience that's about right. It's the "how is your hair so glossy" spray.
Shine spray vs hair oil vs hairspray
This is where people get confused, so here's the short version.
- Hair oil – goes on before or after styling and works into the hair to nourish and smooth. Oils like Kérastase Elixir Ultime are richer and add weight, and on fine hair a little too much looks oily fast. Oil is treatment as much as finish.
- Hairspray – holds. It locks a style in place. Some add a bit of shine, but that's not the point, and most leave hair feeling stiff or crunchy if you touch it.
- Shine spray – finish only. No hold, no nourishment, no weight. Just light, glossy, flyaway-free hair that still moves. It's the last thing you use and it doesn't change anything you did before.
So if your hair is dry and needs looking after, go oil. If your style needs to survive a night out, go hairspray. If your hair is healthy and styled and just needs to look expensive, go shine spray. Plenty of people use two of the three. Almost nobody needs all of them on the same day.
How to use ghd Shiny Ever After
Mist, don't spray. Hold it 20 to 30 centimetres from your head and do a light pass over the top layer of your hair. That's it.
A few things we tell people at the counter:
- Dry hair only – it's a finishing product. Use it after you've styled, not before.
- Less than you think – one or two passes. If you can feel it, you've used too much.
- Keep it off the roots – mid-lengths and ends are where shine shows. Roots just go flat.
- Spray your hands, not your head, for flyaways – mist your palms, then smooth them over the hairline and parting. It's much easier to control than spraying near your face.
- Fine hair: hold it further away – the lighter the mist lands, the less it weighs hair down.
Who shine spray is for
Anyone with a ghd, frankly. If you straighten your hair regularly, this is the difference between "straight" and "glossy". If you wave or curl with something like the ghd curling wand, it stops the fuzz that shows up on the outside of a curl once it's cooled.
It works on every hair type because it's not doing anything heavy. Where it really earns its keep is on fine or medium hair that can't handle an oil, on blondes and greys where static and frizz show more, and on anyone in a dry Canterbury winter with the heat pump going and hair that crackles every time you pull a jumper off.
It's also the one we reach for on formals and race day. Hair that's been set with hairspray always looks a bit matte in photos, and a pass of shine spray over the top fixes that.
Does ghd shine spray work with other brands' tools?
Yes. ghd makes it to pair with ghd stylers, and the two do work well together, but it's a finishing spray, not a heat protectant. Use it after any tool, and keep using a proper heat protectant before it.
Where to buy ghd Shiny Ever After in NZ
Shiny Ever After is on the shelf at Tanglez in Ashburton and on our online store with NZ-wide shipping. We're an authorised ghd stockist, so it's the genuine product. If you're not sure whether shine spray or oil is right for your hair, ask us. We'll give you a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
Frequently asked questions
What does ghd Shiny Ever After do?
It's a lightweight finishing spray that adds shine to dry, styled hair and helps smooth flyaways and static. It doesn't hold or nourish. It's finish only.
Do you use shine spray on wet or dry hair?
Use shine spray on dry hair, after you've finished styling. It's the last step.
Is ghd Shiny Ever After a heat protectant?
No. Use a heat protectant on damp hair before your ghd, then Shiny Ever After on dry hair after.
Will shine spray make my hair greasy?
Not if you use it lightly. Hold it 20 to 30 centimetres away, do one or two passes over the top layer, and keep it off the roots. If your hair feels oily, you've used too much.
Shine spray or hair oil: which is better?
They do different jobs. Oil nourishes and smooths, and suits dry or thick hair. Shine spray adds gloss without weight, and suits fine, healthy or already-styled hair. Some people use both, oil first and shine spray last.
Can I use ghd shine spray on curly hair?
Yes. Mist lightly over finished curls to take the fuzz off the outside without dropping the curl.
Where can I buy ghd Shiny Ever After in NZ?
You can buy ghd Shiny Ever After at Tanglez, in salon in Ashburton or online with NZ-wide shipping. We're an authorised ghd stockist, so it's the genuine product.
