The Best Hair Masks and (Inexpensive) Dupes

Happy Saturday! My uncle has always made fun of me because when I get a free Saturday, there’s a good chance I’m taking care of the things I may have neglected during the work week. “Ash?” he’ll say when he calls me, “having a maintenance day?” Ha. ha. YEP. You better believe I am. As I type this blog post, I sit with my hair mask applied so my locks can take on another brutal week of blow drying, straightening, and curling. I find it’s easiest to apply a hair mask on a weekend morning while I’m going about my other business (laundry, unloading the dishwasher, blogging, etc.). Long hair can be difficult. Hair, of all lengths, can be difficult. It gets knotty, dry, breaks, curly when we don’t want it to, straight when we want it curled, and the list goes on and on. We typically battle these issues with [the dreaded] heat. It’s fine to use hot tools on your hair, if you’re using them correctly, but we have to counterbalance the bad with the good. That means, maintenance days (or even 5-10 minutes in the shower) may be necessary to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy. I rarely use regular conditioner, but opt to use a deep conditioner/hair mask and leave it on for a few minutes in the shower throughout the week.

Over the past year, I’ve strayed away from the pricey professional products to give some “OTC” dupes a try! The results: amazing. My friend, Kelly, is my go-to when I’m feeling like trying new products. The girl knows her stuff. So, last year Kelly introduced me to dupes of two of my favorite hair masks (both for which I was paying a pretty penny). Here are my findings:

Professional vs. Dupe Hair Masks

1. Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask 8.5oz (Retail: $35) vs. Naturelle Luxe Majestic Oil Hydrating Repair Mask 8.5oz (Retail: $12.99)
   I’ve been using Moroccanoil brand masks and oils since I was in college. It’s a well-known, highly sought after, established, quality brand. The Moroccanoil hair mask really deep conditions the hair, leaving it soft and hydrated, even if you can only apply it for a few minutes. Kelly introduced me to the dupe for this mask at Sally’s. It also is made with 100% Moroccan oil and is made my a brand called Naturelle. One of the first things I noticed was the consistency is not as thick as the Moroccanoil mask; therefore, you do not have to apply as much. I also found that the dupe seems to have a bit more “oil” in it, as my hair appeared to be “greasy” the following morning, but not throughout the previous day. My hair is usually pretty dry, so this was clearly a result of the oils in the product. I wash my hair every day, so this wasn’t a huge deal. I also tried not applying the mask directly to the scalp and this helped resolve the issue. Overall, I would say the Naturelle brand is an excellent dupe for the original. At $22 less (usually more when you use one of the many Sally’s coupons), it’s worth trying. It’s worth mentioning that the Moroccanoil mask in the photo is the 16.9oz jar (Amazon $45.99), so that’s why it appears to be so much larger. And finally, the dupe now comes in dark blue packaging at some Sally’s locations if you’re looking for it on the shelf!
2. It’s-a-10 Miracle Silk Hair Mask 8oz. (Retail: $36) vs. Generic Value Product Deep Conditioning Hair Mask 8oz. (Retail: $10.99)
   It’s-a-10 is another established, quality brand. In fact, I use the leave-in spray every single day. I love it and it keeps my hair hydrated and protected prior the heat and styling process. I’m sure you know how absolutely fabulous It’s-a-10 is when it comes to haircare and all of the great things it does. So… you’re going to be a bit shocked when I tell you that the It’s-a-10 hair mask doesn’t hold a candle to the GVP hair mask. I have probably gone through about 8 of these jars in the last year. I use it every day as my conditioner, sometimes leaving it in all day, sometimes for just a few minutes while I shave my legs! Regardless of how long I use it, it works and it works well. The best part is GVP will often have buy 2 get 1 sales, so you can get 3 of these for around $20 (and that’s not even with the application of a discount coupon, which we all get in our e-mails if you’re signed up). This is a steal, so stock up! But don’t take all of the jars from my Sally’s store; save some for me! lol

 

The Holy Grail of Haircare Products (Sorry… no dupe).

 

OLAPLEX Hair Perfector #3 3.3oz (Retail: $28)
So, this is what’s on my hair RIGHT NOW. It is only to be used once a week and it’s solid gold. I actually got this for my sister for Christmas and she is going crazy over it. It does just what is says… perfects your hair. For the next week, after using it, my hair feels so healthy! Since I started using Olaplex, my hair is stronger and growing more quickly. I know there’s not much in the bottle, but even with long hair, I get about 5-6 uses out of it. You don’t have to use that much. A little goes a long way and you only can use it once per week. You apply it to unwashed, wet, towel-dried hair. It says to leave it on for a minimum of 10 minutes, but I leave it on for hours, especially on “maintenance days.” 😉 It’s called #3 because steps #1 and #2 are used by most professional stylists. Step #1 contains proteins and goes into the color or lightener your stylist is applying to your hair. Step #2 helps seal the proteins and is used after shampooing. Steps 1 and 2 are only used every 4 weeks by a professional stylist. These two steps are, however, separate from #3, which can be used independently, but obviously works best with the entire professional regimen. I purchase mine directly from Olaplex on Amazon here. This is the deal on Amazon I usually opt for (2-pack for #32.99), but it’s currently showing as “out of stock.”

 

Remember, take time to invest in you this year! Your hair will love you for it!

xo,
Ash

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