Quick Hair Mask Comparison: Fekkai Advanced Essential Shea V. Kerastase Masquintense

A quick background on my hair type. I have very long, thick hair which can become quite dry and unmanageable when using the wrong products.

Fekkai Advanced Essential Shea Ultra Rich Mask

The Essential Shea Collection is new to Fekkai, and it's specially made for those with dry, coarse hair. I bought the Ultra Rich Mask to try, and see how it compared to my much loved Kerastase Masquintense.

£25 for a ~ 200ml Tube

According to Fekkai:

An intense conditioning treatment that leaves ultra-dry, coarse or unruly hair manageable, soft and strong against damage.

My Thoughts:

The mask itself is a pale yellow thick cream. It does not feel too greasy to the touch and is easily applied throughout the hair. Initially the product has quite a nice shea butter scent, but after a minute it turns fairly unpleasant. The smell is hard to describe, I can only say it's quite unpleasant and is quite sharp smelling (making me want to quickly wash it off).

The mask rinses out easily, and doesn't leave any residue. This mask did not work well on me. It did not leave my hair feeling smooth and moisturised. Instead my hair felt sort of dry and brittle. Once dry, my hair look is worse condition than normal, which was disappointing.

Kerastase Masquintense Cheveux Epais

I've been using this mask for about 4 months now, and am very impressed with it.

£25/200ml Tub

According to Kerastase:

High concentration conditioning treatment for very dry sensitised hair:

-glucose: provides an energy boost for nutrition of the hair fibre

-proteins: nourish the hair fibre and leave it soft

-lipids: protect the fibre from drying out and improve its natural protection

My Thoughts:

I was a bit dubious when reading about the glucose giving the hair an energy boost. Glucose is sugar and when ingested into the body it is used by cells as a primary source of energy. How hair can break down glucose into energy, I don't know. Nevertheless, I really like this mask. It's a thick white cream which is quite greasy to the touch. So special care is needed to make sure there's no residue left in the shower/bath as I've found myself slipping on it on quite a few occasions.

Despite being a touch greasy, it rinses out of the hair easily. It doesn't leave my hair greasy at all, instead my hair feels really smooth, silky and soft. I've notice the condition of my hair improving with regular use of this mask.

Conclusion:

I definitely prefer the Kerastase Masquintense. It remains my favourite hair mask, and I've now learnt to stick to products I already know and love.

New Kerastase Elixir Ultime: Versatile Beautifying Oil Review

I recently purchased Kerastase's Elixir Ultime, and here is a quick review on how I've found it so far.

I've finished my Shu Uemura Essence Absolue and Aveda Brilliant Gloss, and was looking for a new oil that smoothened my hair whilst giving it nourishment. Said to give nourishment, condition, shine and softness to the hair, I decided I had to give this oil a try.

In real life, the packaging is very nice, but not quite al luxurious looking as in the promotional pictures. The oil is housed in a 125ml plastic bottle with a gold coloured pump.

According to Kerastase:

" Our first versatile beautifying treatment enriched with a complex of four precious oils. Maize, Argan, Camellia and Pracaxi oils combine to create a luxurious Elixir for all hair types.
-with a few drops of elixir Ultime, hair is transformed into silky, weightless matter
- applied before cleansing, hair is instantly nourished and visibly regenerated
- applied before styling, hair is incredibly supple and protected."

1. Pracaxi Oil: Celebrated for its rich conditioning properties
2. Argan Oil: One of the rarest oils in the world, famed for its nourishing benefits
3. Maize Oil: A Kerastase heritage oil used in their first ever masque
4. Camellia Oil: A luxurious a fragrant oil extracted from camellia flowers

My thoughts:

Texture
The oil is pretty light as compared to thick and greasy. It also had quite a runny consistency. A little goes a very long way and spreads easily onto the hair, so only a tiny amount is needed.

Scent
To me this oil smells like an exotic beach holiday, with a hint of coconut. I like this scent alot, and so does my husband!

What did it do for my hair?
As a precleansing treatment on dry hair, you have to be careful not to apply too much as it is difficult to wash off and my hair felt a little oily afterwards. I tend not to use this as a precleanse much, and instead use it as a leave in conditioner/serum and finishing gloss.

As a leave in conditioner on towel dried hair, it made my hair feel more nourished, softer, smoother, and less dry looking. It works well as a serum to control fly-away or frizzy hair and to smooth the ends. Unlike alot of serums, this feels nice and really weightless in my hair. Used as a serum, it doesn't affect the volume of my hair.

It works beautifully applied sparingly as a finishing gloss on towel dried hair, leaving it extra super soft and sleek. I like using it this way the most because of the glossy look it gives my hair.

How does it compare to Shu Uemura's Essence Absolue?
Shu Uemura's famous Essence Absolue is a very very good oil, and has been identified as the secret behind Jeniffer Aniston's gorgeous hair. Like other Shu Uemura Art of Hair products I've tried, I absolutely loved it and used up every last bit of it. Both Essence Absolue and Elixir Ultime smoothed my coarse hair whilst providing it with treatment, leaving my hair soft and sleek. The Shu Uemura packaging appeals to me more than Kerastase's. The Essence Absolue is packaged in a sleek bottle which looks ever so slightly of higher quality.

However, the Shu Uemura oil has a thicker consistancy than the Kerastase Elixir and thus was much easier for me to apply too much and be left with slightly too greasy hair. The Kerastase Elixir is a lot lighter, and easier to apply & spread throughout the hair. I felt that when comparing the two, the Elixir made my hair softer and shinier than the Essence Absolue did. I also preferred the scent of the Elixir. Shu Uemura's oil is also slightly more expensive at £39 for 150ml.

I much preferred both these oils to the Morrocanoil which contained a lot of silicon and weighed my hair down.

Would I recommend it?
If you don't mind spending a little extra for shiny, sleek hair, then I would recommend it. However, there may be cheaper products out there that do the job just as well. What I especially like about this oil is that it is silicone free and does feel weightless on the hair.


Pros:
- silicone free
- multi-functional: can be used before shampoo as a precleanse treatment, on towel dried hair as a leave-in conditioner/serum, as well as on fully dried hair as a finishing gloss
- left my hair feeling nourished, shiny, soft and sleek whilst not weighing my hair in the slightest
- a little goes a long way, so the 125ml bottle would last quite some time

Cons:
-pricey at ~ £32, though I have seen it sold for ~£26 online