As promised in my post last week, here is my review of Kérastase Chroma Captive. I was very ecstatic when I received this masque in my July Birchbox since I had been dying to try Chroma Captive for months (it’s and I was hesitant to buy it without sampling first). Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I always loathe writing negative reviews, but as bloggers it’s our responsibility to inform our readers what products work effectively and which fall short.
First, a little bit about the current state and health of my tresses. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I have brown, naturally curly hair (3a curls, to be exact) that I almost always straighten (interestingly, today is a rare exception). It is also color-treated; I got bleached blonde highlights a few months ago. And since it’s summer, my dry hair tends to be dryer and frizzier than usual. As a result, my poor hair needs a plethora of moisture and protein! That’s where deep conditioning masks come in.
I use a deep conditioner once or twice a week. I alternate between Macadamia, which provides significant nourishment to my hair, and the less expensive L’OREAL EverCreme mask from the sulfate-free line. I’ve also used Ojon for a few weeks when I received it in my April Birchbox (you can read that review here). This week, I tried Chroma Captive – twice. Upon lathering the mask, I noticed it had a lighter texture than the thick deep conditioning masks I have previously used. I kept the mask on for 7 minutes and rinsed as usual. When rinsing, I noticed my hair was shedding more than usual, but didn’t think much of it (this happened the second time as well). Afterward, I air-dried my hair and prepared to comb it before heat styling.
The result: in contrast to what Chroma Captive proclaims to do, my hair did not feel soft nor shiny. Though it preserved my color, it didn’t make my shade more vibrant as it promises. Oddly enough, my hair looked more dry and damaged after using Chroma Captive. It did the opposite of what a deep conditioner is supposed to do: provide nourishment, luster, and shine. You can imagine how confused I was with the results. After reading other reviews online, I found that many reviewers shared my sentiment. Apparently, the formula for Chroma Captive has changed recently – for the worst – and now the mask isn’t as effective as it used to be. For shame, I would’ve liked to try the older formula judging by all the positive reviews.
tl;dr: I do not recommend this product. If you’re looking for a nourishing deep conditioning mask, I would suggest Macadamia, which is the best mask I have used in the past year. However, I’m always searching for new deep conditioning masks to try. Feel free to recommend what you use in the comments or tweet me @stylecontext.
