Type 4: Can you define "shine" or "sheen"

Miosy

New Member
Type 4: Can you define \"shine\" or \"sheen\"

I'm looking at a picture of my air dried half texturized hair and it's not shiny and I'm trying to figure out what Andrea means by "sheen"

When I flat iron I get shine even though I don't add anthing extra accept my leave-ins but leaving it alone looks a bit dull
 

ChocoKitty

Well-Known Member
Re: Type 4: Can you define \"shine\" or \"sheen\"

I'm not a '4' but IMO "sheen" is like looking at velvet.
"Shine" is like looking at silk.
Hope this helps.
 

Victorian

old head
Re: Type 4: Can you define \"shine\" or \"sheen\"

I would say sheen is what regular leather has (when it's taken care of, that is) and shine is what patent leather has. It's the difference between flat gold (you know, has a matte finish) and regular shiny gold. Shiny has a "wet" look.

Ok, I just looked at your picture and let me try to explain. Something with a lot of texture won't be as shiny as a totally flat surface. Look at a sheet of tinfoil. One side is shinier than the other. Feel the shiny side. It's really smooth right? Now feel the other, "sheeny" side. It's not as shiny, and the surface isn't as slick.
If you were to break up the smooth surface of the shiny side, say by crumpling the tinfoil, when you stretched it back out, that shiny side wouldn't be as shiny as it was before, right? That's because the little facets are not all catching the light at the same angle now. They're pointing every which way so that any light that shines on the foil bounces off in random directions, and the amount that comes back immediately to your eye isn't as much as it was before.
I hope I didn't make it more confusing
 

Victorian

old head
Re: Type 4: Can you define \"shine\" or \"sheen\"

oh, and I should add, the more facets you add to the tinfoil (giving it more texture) the less shiny it will be compared to when it was totally flat.
That's why when your hair has airdried and has lots of texture, it isn't as shiny as when you FLATTEN it to a mostly smooth surface with the iron.
 

Miosy

New Member
Re: Type 4: Can you define \"shine\" or \"sheen\"

That was a great explaination! Thanks Ladies!
 
Top