Masque Off - Umberto Repair Treatment vs Pureology HydraCure Intense Moisture Hair Masque

Vee

My hair is pretty processed. It's also straight and long, so damage is obvious. I'm always on the lookout for a good deep conditioner to combat the dyeing, blow drying, and flat ironing I inflict on my tresses. A couple of years ago, while staying at my best friend's house, I did that thing where you try out your host's bath products even though you brought perfectly good ones yourself. You do that too, right?

My friend, being the baller that she is, had the Pureology Antifade Complex Hydrate line, the best shampoo and conditioners that I'd ever had the pleasure of lathering up with. Once home I was on a mission to get these awesome products myself and I finally found them at a specialty hair store. Problem was, each 10.1 ounce bottle was $28. Thinking I could get the benefits from a treatment without using the shampoo and conditioner, I bit the bullet and bought the Pureology HydraCure Intense Moisture Hair Masque for around $45 at the time.

For the price, I expected miracles from this hair masque. Boy did it deliver! The 5.2 ounce jar contained a product that was a cross between a cream and a balm, and a little went a long way. My hair was soft, silky and in the best condition it'd been in years. However, I couldn't justify dropping $45 on conditioner even if it lasted 4 months, so I set out in search of a duplicate product.

While at Target I found the Umberto Repair Treatment Masque for $10. It had a similar consistency as my Pureology fav, so I took it home, got in the shower and slapped it on my head. What a disappointment. The scent of perfume was overpowering and the smell lingered in my hair for hours. Worse than that, it just didn't work. My locks felt coated and looked dull. I tried using it before I shampooed and that helped with the coated feeling, but it didn't moisturize or repair my hair any better. The only thing these two products had in common was they both came in jars and had annoyingly long names. In the end I used the rest of the Umberto Masque to shave my legs just so as not to have wasted my money.

To sum up:
Pureology HydraCure Intense Moisture Hair Masque is gold in a jar, but costs up to $45 for 5.2 ounces. 7 out of 8 tentacles, based on the ridiculous price.

Umberto Repair Treatment Masque is $10 for 6 ounces. 1 out of 8 tentacles, because it is crap for your hair but works decently to prevent nicks when shaving your legs.

My recommendation is to win the lottery and buy nothing but Pureology. Short of that, read this and pick up some L'Oreal Feria Color Moisturizing Treatment for $10.

Rating: 7/8 tentacles: Pureology HydraCure Intense Moisture Hair Masque

Rating: 1/8 tentacles: Umberto Repair Treatment Masque