...Quomodo cogis comas tuas sic videri?...
These
two giants of the hair oil industry have dominated the salons for some time; the
most hyped (and rivalled) hair oil currently dominating the scene has to be no
other than Moroccanoil and Kérastase Elixir Ultime. With hair oils vastly
claiming to do more by deeply nourishing and revitalising hair, rather than
just a quick fix of coating your hair with product residue (gone are the hair
serum days), it is an area now where salon results can be easily
achieved at home. With their bold claims and alleged results, can hair oil
really transform a bird’s nest to a glorious mane of shiny brilliance?
I
have used both of these oils for some time on my hair, switching between both and
mainly using it after I have washed my hair and then letting it dry naturally
(or blow drying for those special occasions and quick last minute dashes). Although both can be used on dry hair, I find this usually starts to make my hair roots look greasy which
gradually spreads through the lengths of my long hair making it look limp
and flat, a look that I would rather leave to the supermodels on the catwalk (whereas I end up looking like something from a horror film). I
decided to compare the two and leave my verdict…
Kérastase
Elixir Ultime
I
have used this product on my hair on and off for a few years, and was using
this way before Moroccanoil. Firstly, the look and feel of Kérastase oils are
one of extravagance and elegance, I love the gold metallic outer packaging of Elixir
Ultime. The Kérastase Elixir Ultime oil range has recently extended its range,
offering three other targeted hair oils (which can be used for specific hair
types, although they all serve the same multi-purpose usage).
I
have also picked up Elixir Ultime with Immortal Moringa which comes in a beautiful
metallic green/silvery box, aimed for damaged hair containing the usual
Oleo-Complexe (an ingredient in all of Kérastase Elixir range hair oils) and
Immortal Moringa extract (commonly known as the ‘Tree of Life’, sounds like a
life line to my mane).
These
products claimed multi-usage is one of the selling factors that originally drew
me into purchasing Kérastase Elixir Ultime. As it has a runny and thin feel to
it (therefore not weighing your hair down either *hooray*), it can be adapted
and used for more than just a leave in hair oil. I sometimes apply it before
shampooing as a pre-cleanser or nourishment mask, touching up hair, using it as
an active conditioner before blow drying, or just part of your daily routine to
keep those fly always tamed. I find it particularly useful for applying to a
finished up-do/beehive style hair-do; it will not only nourish your hair but
will leave a glamorous Hollywood sleek look as a finishing touch to your
hairstyle (plus it smells sooo heavenly).
Kérastase
contains primary ‘four precious oils’ which consist of Maize, Argan, Camellia
and Pracaxi to form the basis of its magical Elixir, all designed to keep your
hair at its best form long term wise. Another BIG pulling factor for me has to
be the fact it does not contain any silicones which is a bonus for someone who
tries to avoid silicone based products. These entire oils together act to
protect and deeply nourish the hair to leave it feeling light and shiny, all
this with only a few drops, I normally only use one pump on my towel dried long
hair, applying it mid length and concentrating on my ends (a little again goes
a very long way, my current bottle has lasted me for a just over a year)!
As
I try to keep heat styling to a minimum I usually let my hair dry naturally
after towel drying it. Once I have applied the oil to my hair and left it to
dry I am left with hair that feels weightless, glossy, frizz-free and smells of
exotic mystic lands far gone (let’s just say I am left with a mane that feels
worthy of a L’Oreal hair *swoosh* here and there).
A
125ml bottle of Kérastase Elixir Ultime (or any of the other three Elixir
Ultime oils) can be grabbed from luxuryhairandbeauty.co.uk for £27.55 with free
delivery.
Moroccanoil
I
have used Moroccanoil a lot less than Kérastase Elixir Ultime but have always
wanted to test its bold claims. Moroccanoil is based on Aragon oil (from the
Moroccan Aragon tree) which is known for its nutritious capabilities. It contains various other ingredients such as
fatty acids and rich in omega 3 oils, although I was slightly disappointed to
find that it contained silicones.
I
tend to use it on special occasions if I am blow drying my hair, as I feel it’s
more thicker and somewhat gloopier (if that is even a word…); it tends to be
more suited to hairstyles that scream volume and height (for me at least). Unlike
Kérastase Elixir Ultime, it is packaged in a glass bottle, so when travelling
keep that in mind (or if you are one of the clumsier inclined that walk amongst
us *ahem*).
Again
I apply this to damp hair through midway to the ends; it has a more prominent
and stronger smell than Kérastase Elixir Ultime, although this goes away mostly
once my hair is dried. I feel that one pump is more than a generous amount to
be applied on my hair as it is a lot thicker than Kérastase Elixir Ultime.
One
of the advantages of Moroccanoil that it speeds up the time it takes to dry my
hair, one of the claims Moroccanoil advocates (which is actually does for my
hair)…for someone with long hair this can be a life saver. Overall, personally
for me I was not entirely blown away by Moroccanoil. Although I can see why
people tend to use it for the above reasons, it still left my hair shiny and
full of volume…but I would recommend the Moroccanoil Light version for
finer/thinner hair as it may weigh such delicate hair down.
A
125ml bottle of Moroccanoil retails at £30.45 with free delivery from
lookfantastic.com.
Verdict...
The
versatility of Kérastase Elixir Ultime oils and ingredients and light texture
make it very attractive for someone who is quite afraid of any oil product
application, yet still desires to reap the benefits; I feel it is better value
for money. For this reason it wins the brand rivalry for me. It is also retails slightly cheaper than
Moroccanoil, and seems to last longer than Moroccanoil. Moroccanoil has a thicker and
stickier consistency which at times after a few hours of wear left me feeling that I needed to wash my hair again.
Have you jumped on the bandwagon of hair beauty oils?
