Prepare for a long and picture heavy post. It's been more than a month since I got these goodies and after some thorough testing, I'm finally feeling comfortable writing a review. Originally, I was going to do a separate post for each, however, I feel the need to put them all in one for a good reason. The thing is that individually these are all great products, some of the best I ever had, however, when all three are used together the magic happens. I swear my hair hasn't never felt this silky, light and soft then when I use all three/four products together. I just can't stop touching my hair and the effect lasts for three days - normally, the top layer of my hair and the ends get dry fast. You know how on L'Oreal or Pantene commercials when they lift the hair, it falls down like a waterfall, well that's how my hair feels after using these (it doesn't look as retouched obviously, it's still normal people hair that feels amazing to the touch). They must have some very high quality silicones too make it this way. The whole Nutritive line is targeted for dry to very dry hair (the description of my hair type is under about).
I tested each individually (with a combination of other products from different brands) and all together. These are all very expensive products and even though I coveted them for a year, I wasn't really prepared to part from my money until a truly fantastic offer came my way. I got the three products 15% off and was given a full size Elixir Ultime, which retails about 35€. A word of advice, salons really overcharge these, so go online on sites like HqHair, Lookfantastic, Feelunique and other similar ones to find the best prices.
Kérastase Nutritive Bain Oléo-Relax Smoothing Shampoo
It's meant for dry, frizzy hair that refuses to be tamed. Other reviewers describe it as the best shampoo for taming frizz - admittedly that was what sold me. Texture-wise it's a regular, gel type shampoo that has an orange hue, it's more on a liquidy side, rather than a thick gel. It foams lovely and lathers to a rich foam. My hair feels quite silky, when I'm rinsing it off and I can easily comb though the knots with fingers. The comb basically just glides though the damp hair. It's a similar effect to using a light conditioner, which is a consequence of the added silicones. It's absolutely not one of those shampoos that leave your hair squeaky clean (a feeling I genuinely dislike) and is one of the best shampoos for dry hair I tried. It doesn't irritate my scalp which is also a plus, however, I do feel the silicones might build up on my hair, so an occasional use of clarifying shampoo or baking soda is needed. As far as the anti-frizz properties go, I must confess I didn't see much of an effect, my hair was equally frizzy than when using other shampoos, however, what I call frizz on my hair are actually individual shorter hairs that get curly because my hair is naturally curly (the longer the hair the less curly it is in my case).
The scent is similar to that of shampoos you get at the chemist's, something like regular soap (aldehydes), but slightly more sharp. I have a slight gripe with the bottle, because the top twists off, rather than having the one that flips. It's more time consuming and frankly a bit annoying, considering I'm paying a lot for it.
If your hair is either normal or oily, you'll probably find it too heavy because of the silicones. It's expensive for a shampoo and I get though shampoos so fast, so it's really more of a luxury to be buying it regularly. It was 18€ on Lookfantastic and the prices on most online shops are about the same.
Kérastase Nutritive Masquitense Épais - Thick
There are three different hair masks in Nutritive line and this one is targeted for thick hair, which mine are. The texture is like a medium thickness silicone-heavy cream that just glides on the hair with such ease. Due to that you actually don't have to use much, which is a relief because the pot contains a quite stingy amount of 200 ml. Curiously, there are no instructions as to how long you should leave it on, I do at least 45 minutes. When I'm rinsing it off my hair feels truly silky and it has a lot of slip, it's a very similar feeling to when I use Tigi's Serious Conditioner, but here it's less intense. Once my hair is dry it feels very soft, manageable and moisturised, but the biggest difference is that amazingly my ends stay moisturised for four days. Usually they get dry either on the second day if I use a cheap drugstore conditioner, or on third day if I use a more expensive one and I have to use an oil to condition it. It smells exactly like sunscreen, a scent that I love.
The packaging is a nice simple pot, nothing special but functional. The price is a shocking 26€ for a 200ml - honestly it could a least be 300ml.
A little advice: Be careful not to get any water in it, this applies to all products actually, it can affect the effectiveness of the product. So no sticking your fingers into pots under the shower or with wet hands.
Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique
This product excited me the most with the results. It's a heat protection and leave-in conditioner in one meant for dry hair. It's a light cream, truly nothing too heavy, in fact I find it hard to overdo on my hair, but others whose hair aren't so dry might find it heavy if used too much. It glides on the hair with ease and even before blow drying you can feel how your hair feels more silky. During and after blow-drying my hair feels incredibly silky and very soft, the only product that I can compare the feeling to is Tigi's Serious Conditioner, but this goes to an even higher level. My hair looks shiny, but not much less frizzy, I tame frizz with a bit of silicone oil like Elixir Ultime (or Macadamia, Orofluido,...) and Tigi's Spoil Me. The feeling lasts for three-four days and my hair remained soft and silky, but my ends did get a bit knotty as usual.
I really appreciate it for it's moisturising properties. If I had to choose my favourite heat protection, this one and the Tigi S Factor one are neck to neck, but I use them in two different ways, Tigi on dry hair because it's more oily and Kérastase on damp because it's a cream (I use a lot of heat protection, I apply it every time I use a heat tool, so before blow drying and then again if I'll use a curling iron).
It's 19 € for 150 ml which is actually a very nice size, since it just glides on the hair and you don't need to use much. For example TIGI Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out Balm contains only 90ml for 15€ (well, I got it for 9€ on offer) and I have to use quite a lot pumps. If you really want something from Kérastase, I would definitely go with this first.
Kérastase Elixir Ultime gives the final touches to the hair and makes it look more polished. In my original review I stated it's too light for my hair and it leaves my ends dry, however, in this case because the other three products leave my hair in such great condition this works perfectly. Because it's so light, it doesn't weight my hair down, it just tames the frizz and gives lots of shine. I actually keep a travel size in my bag all the time for frizz taming emergencies. I already raved about the scent, which is just divine, a mix of floral notes and coconut, almost like a high-end beach scent. And the pump is a giant plus. I'm not sure I'd pay a full price (I got it for free), it depends on how long the bottle will last or if I have an unexpected windfall, but it's certainly addictive.
In general my hair does look healthy and amazingly shiny, my mother even commented on how super shiny my hair looks and that it's even noticeable in a dimly lit room. How my hair looks depends more on how I style it using heat tools and the serum I use, but this gives one hell of a base. I am absolutely loving how my hair feels. It truly hasn't felt as silky and soft in like ever. It just stays awesome for days and I've already talked about how my hair is practically never soft in my Macadamia Deep Repair mask review, so this is a huge deal for me. It doesn't get super tangly, nor do I need to use Alverde hair oil to condition the ends and the shine is outstanding. I do, however, use Elixir Ultime daily to make it look more polished and to tame the frizz (the latter is still a nuisance, but I can live with it. There is no need for everything looking perfect).
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I'm a hair care junkie and I've tried my fair share of products, so considering how expensive Kérastase products are, my expectation were very high and I wasn't disappointed. What I can say is that if you have such problematic, dry hair like me and you really want it too feel more like normal hair, I can't recommend this enough, but to get the maximum effect they work best when you use all together, which does mean it's very, very expensive. This does make your hair very silky, which means that some people will need some sort of a texturing product to style their hair. This is heavy-duty stuff, so if your hair is in a relatively nice condition, you don't desperately need it and there are some cheaper options that won't make your hair feel as great, but close enough. Some links to my posts about hair: My Tips for Dealing with Dry Hair, My Current Hair Care - Part 1, My Current Hair Care - Part 2 and Hair Oils Series. So far my experience with Kérastase has been nothing but positive and I'll probably try more of their products.
Congratulations to everyone who managed to get through this long-winded post. Have a great day!
Congratulations to everyone who managed to get through this long-winded post. Have a great day!