This At-Home Toner Is Also the Best Hair Mask I’ve Ever Used
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
The past year and a half has been quite the journey for me and mycolorist Emaly Baum. I bleached my hair platinum, six months later became a redhead, and six weeks afterthatdyed it back to a light mushroom brown. I learned three major lessons along the way. First, at-home toners, while absolutely necessary for keeping new color vibrant, can be unpredictable. A bad toner can be nothing short of dangerous; when I wasblonde, I used the cult favorite Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo and stepped out of the shower with lavender hair. The second lesson is that, when you have dyed or damaged hair, hair masking is not just a luxury — it’s a requirement. If you don’t mask, your hair will likely split, break, or, at the very minimum, start to feel gross and elastic.
The third lesson I learned — aftermuchtrial and error (see: lavender hair) — is that if you’re going todye your hair, or even if you’re just a person withhair, you need to buyChristophe Robin’s Shade Variation Care Nutritive Mask. This mask is far and away the best at-home toner I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many: fromDavine’s Copper ConditionertoOribe’s Bright Blonde). When I was platinum, the Baby Blonde shade kicked out any yellow or brassy tones that cropped up and returned my color to a bright and true blonde with a single use. When I was a redhead, the Copper shade quickly restored the auburn, Isabelle Huppert–esque color I left thesalonwith. And now that I’m a brunette, I’ve been using the Ash Brown shade to knock out any reddish undertones and keep my hair a cool brown. It does its job, and it does it well.
But the really important thing to know about this product is that it is simply the best moisturizing hair mask I’ve tried in my life. My hair, after the initial dye, was sobrittle and damagedthat I tested dozens and dozens of them:Gisou’s Honey-Infused Hair Mask(which worked really well, but the results lasted only a few days),Oribe’s Moisture Mask(which I found weighed my hair down), andDavine’s Renaissance Circle Mask(which I absolutely adore for travel but found wasn’t quite intensive enough for serious hair situations like breakage). The Christophe Robin mask is effective both immediately, and long-term — after using it, I noticed a change in thesoftness, shine, and textureof my hair for weeks.
The only problem I can find with this product is that it’s expensive: $53. But it’s the rare expensive item I have never once regretted purchasing. It is just good enough to justify the price. Plus, it lasts: During the six months I was a redhead, I went through only one tub.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you want the hydrating benefits but don’t have dyed hair, get this Prickly Pear version.
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestacne treatments,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,natural anxiety remedies, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
