[HMC] Hair Mask Challenge ~ Entry #1: EVA~NYC - Therapy Session Hair Mask

As previously mentioned I will be adding my personal reviews on Hair Masks starting with this entry. As an Ulta employee, I see many, many different types of hair masks. They range from branded hair care (Neutrogena, John Frieda, Nexxus, and other "drugstore" brands) all the way to Professional Hair Care (Redken, Moroccan Oil, Matrix, and other Salon exclusive brands.) The main difference in these two types of hair care products is the price: Neutrogena, Aussie, John Frieda and other similar brands are called "drugstore" brands simply because they can almost always be found at major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, King Soopers, and Safeway, and they only cost between $3.99 and $14.99. Professional Hair Care brands are only sold in retailers that have a salon, or directly to the salon itself and can go anywhere from $25.00 to $45.00. Although you can certainly find expensive brands such as Frederick Fekkai, Bed Head, Sebastian, and Redken in retailers such as Wal-Mart, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, or Ross.... they are not fully guaranteed by the company unless it is sold in an approved salon. Meaning that you could possibly be buying an older formula of that product, or a complete knockoff. Not saying this is always the case, but just know that there is a reason it's not being sold in the salon. Some people don't care, but for those that do, now you know!

As far as reviews go, I will examine a few key features that I think are important in a hair mask such as feel, softness, smell, etc. The rest is all up to you! Please also keep in mind, all products reviewed can be found at your local Ulta Store unless otherwise noted. They may be found somewhere else as well- but I am only buying from my own store so that is where I suggest you buy it as well!

EVA-NYC: Therapy Session Hair Mask

Price: $14.99
What size? 16.9 oz
Animal Tested? No.
Paraben Free? Yes.
Where can I buy? Ulta.com (Clicking the link will bring you directly to the product)

Click read more on the bottom right hand of this post to read the full review!







Disclaimer: The following review is solely the opinion of Matthew Valdez, and while he is an employee at Ulta Beauty, his views in no way reflect the views of Ulta Beauty. He is not being compensated for the review, nor was the product provided free of charge in exchange for a review. All products were bought with his hard earned money in an attempt to try a variety of different hair masks. Thank you. 

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This is one that I didn't buy directly from my store, but I received this as a sample in my Ipsy Glam Bag (A website that sends you a cute bag [often handmade] filled with samples from the beauty industry for only $10 a month). I see this brand at work all the time and so I was actually really excited to try it. When using a mask, I usually shampoo my hair first and then put just enough of the mask on to cover every strand really well, and I leave it in for about 15-20 minutes. Most of the time the directions on the bottles will say 3-5 minutes, however, I find that the longer you leave it in, the better it feels after rinsing.

The two main ingredients listed on the container are Keravis Protein and Argan Oil. Argan oil is huge right now in the beauty industry. Argan oil is an oil produced from the kernels of the Moroccan argan tree and is mainly used as a hydrating or conditioning agent. Keravis is a protein invented by Croda Inc. and is used to help prevent breakage in the hair. According to their website:

"Keravis™ is designed to deliver optimal anti-breakage benefits. It is a multifaceted protein based complex which acts on all of the three fundamental parameters of hair strength: tensile properties, bending modulus and cuticle abrasion. The unique chemical composition of Keravis™ allows it to penetrate into the hair cortex, building strength from within, while providing film forming effects to reinforce, lubricate and protect the surface of the hair. These properties combine to strengthen the hair, thus, helping to reduce the degree of damage hair sustains from chemical treatments, environmental stresses or styling practices." 

The scent was a little different from what I am used to with hair masks in that it was more of a warm vanilla-like scent as apposed to a more fruity one which is what a lot of mine tend to smell like. It's not a bad scent by any means, just a little different! Once you let it sit on your hair for a while, wash it out completely and dry your hair with a hair dryer (You can use a towel, I just find it looks a little better when you use a little heat). Almost always you can immediately tell a major difference in the softness of your hair when using a mask, this one is no different. My hair was extremely soft and shiny, exactly how I like it. This mask claims that you can use it as a daily conditioner or as a weekly treatment, I would recommend not using this every day, it may weigh your hair down and give you too much moisture. For a weekly treatment, I really did enjoy this one. Not my favorite, but for the price it is definitely a must buy.

In Conclusion:
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Smell: 4/5
Shine: 4/5
Softness: 5/5
Total Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Thanks for reading!

Matthew