I Tried Kérastase’s New Chroma Absolu Range & My Colour-Damaged Hair’s Never Looked Better
Chloe is the Content Specialist at Adore Beauty. She spends most of her time crafting scroll-stopping content, but outside of work, you'll find her building on her Glasshouse collection, hanging out with her fur babies and probably cleaning. Her all-time favourite products include the Alpha-H Liquid Gold and Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil.
Hi, my name's Chloe and I’m what you'd call a serial hair colourer.
As someone who's been bleaching their hair for over five years now, believe me when I say taking care of this artificial flaming red mane requires a whole lot of effort.
I only use high-quality, hair repair treatments and products for coloured hair, but sometimes I wonder if they're really that much better than supermarket haircare options...
A recent overseas trip without said products gave me my answer.
I went to Vietnam last month and didn’t pack any hair care because you can get your hair washed there for just $4!
This was my plan for the trip, but by the second wash, my once fiery red hair had faded to a crispy copper that felt like hay.
Thankfully, the new Kérastase Chroma Absolu range for colour-treated hair was waiting for me to trial when I got home.
These new Kérastase products promise to repair damage, reduce frizz, and prevent colour fading for stronger, shinier and healthier hair.
Plus, they're for all types of coloured hair (not just blondes!), and contain a bunch of skincare ingredients that are actually great for your hair, too.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Kérastase Chroma Absolu, including my Kérastase reviews.
What Is Kérastase Chroma Absolu?
Kérastase Chroma Absolu is specifically formulated for those with dry, dehydrated, sensitised, colour-damaged hair.
Whether you get foils every six weeks or balayage done twice a year, these products are for you.
The Kérastase Chroma Absolu secret sauce is the skincare-like active ingredients in the formulas.
Tartaric acid, amino acids and lactic acid defrizz, smooth, calm and nourish hair, while centella asiatica (also known as cica) soothes inflammation, strengthens hair and promotes growth.
All Kérastase hair products are colour-safe, but this new range focuses on addressing colour-induced damage.
This means working on fibre porosity, rebuilding the strands, helping the hair better retain moisture, and protecting it against environmental aggressors - all while enhancing shine, reducing frizz and helping your salon colour last longer.
Sounds good, right?
The Kérastase Chroma Absolu Range.
Now, let's walk through the range, and which products might be right for you and your hair type/concerns.
The full Kérastase Chroma Absolu range includes:
Two shampoos (one for fine hair and one for thicker hair), a conditioner, a hair masque, a gloss treatment and a pre-styling treatment.
Here's what you need to know about each product.
1. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Shampoo.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Respect Shampoo For Fine Coloured Hair 250ml is a shampoo for fine to medium hair.
- Infused with amino acids and centella asiatica, the incredibly lightweight formula cleanses the hair and scalp, and enhances shine.
- Deeply hydrates and reduces strand porosity, which in turn helps your colour last for longer.
2. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Shampoo - Rich.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Riche Respect Shampoo for Thick Coloured Hair 250ml is a shampoo for medium to thick hair.
- Rich, nourishing formula contains lactic acid and centella asiatica to support the needs of thicker hair.
- Immediately softens the hair, reduces frizz and helps to preserve colour vibrancy while cleansing.
3. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Conditioner.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Cica Conditioner for Coloured Hair 200ml is a strengthening conditioner for fine to medium hair.
- Penetrates the core of the strands to fill porous areas. This helps to deeply hydrate and preserve your colour.
- Amino acid and cica formula has a lightweight yet nourishing texture that won't weigh hair down.
4. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Masque.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Filler Hair Mask for Coloured Hair 200ml is a rich, creamy mask for medium to thick hair.
- Similar to the conditioner, the mask penetrates into the hair core to strengthen, nourish, add shine and enhance colour.
- You can expect stronger, more resilient hair from this formula rich in amino acids.
5. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Gloss Treatment.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Soin Acid High Shine Treatment for Coloured Hair 210ml is a shine-boosting treatment that mimics an in-salon gloss, but from home!
- The transparent fluid emulsifies into a milky cream when you add water.
- Nourishes the hair fibres and seals the surface of the hair for super smooth, shiny strands.
- Made to be used on towel-dried hair in between shampoo and conditioner, or in place of conditioner if you have fine hair.
6. Kérastase Chroma Absolu Thermique Treatment.
- Kerastase Chroma Absolu Heat Protectant For Coloured Hair 150ml is your pre-styling leave-in treatment with heat and UV protection.
- A heat protector for up to 230°C, a de-frizzer, and a protectant against humidity, there is nothing this serum can’t do.
- Enriched with antioxidants like lactic acid, cica and vitamin E.
- Apply a few pumps to towel-dried hair, depending on your length and thickness. Follow with a blow-dry or leave to dry naturally.
- Can also be used on dry hair after styling to tame any frizz and enhance shine.
My Kérastase Chroma Absolu Reviews.
OK, so do these luxe hair products for coloured hair live up to the hype?
I've been trialling the full range for a few weeks, and I can say that after just one wash, my hair was the softest it's ever felt.
It even feels thicker, which I didn’t know was possible but is probably thanks to how the conditioner and mask plump up the strands.
Honestly, I imagine this is what JLo’s hair feels like.
Here's a before and after photo showing my results using the range... would you LOOK AT THAT SHINE?!
My favourite products from the Kérastase Chroma Absolu range are the shampoo for thick hair, conditioner for fine hair, and the gloss and leave-in treatments.
Yes, it's a bit weird I'm not spotlighting the mask, because usually, my hair needs a super thick mask to feel hydrated.
But the thick gel-like texture of the shampoo paired with the conditioner worked a treat. A little goes a long way with these products, too.
Again, I often need rich leave-in creams to ensure my hair is manageable after washing, but I found the Kerastase Chroma Absolu Heat Protectant For Coloured Hair 150ml followed by my holy grail Kerastase Elixir Ultime hair oil 75ml gave me that smooth, soft blow dry feel.
It just goes to show how concentrated this range is.
Kerastase Chroma Absolu Soin Acid High Shine Treatment for Coloured Hair 210ml was the product that stood out the most for me.
I’ve never tried anything like this before at home.
Think of it like liquid gold in a beautifully-packed iridescent bottle.
It can be a little bit of a confusing product, but essentially you apply from root to tip after shampooing. You can condition afterwards, or use in place of conditioner.
The squeezy nozzle bottle has handy markings on the side to show you how much to use in a dose.
I felt confident applying this to my roots (and giving them some much-needed TLC) because of the super lightweight consistency.
As I massaged it into my hair, the texture emulsified with water into a milk.
If I had to nit-pick, my only criticism of the Kérastase Chroma Absolu range is the scent.
I enjoy strong fragrance in my hair care (I LOVE the Kérastase Résistance Extentioniste range scent), but this one wasn’t my favourite.
It’s like Chanel No.5, but stronger and more earthy.
That said, I'll allow it given how good the products make my hair look and feel.
Final Verdict...
If you think of bleaching or colouring your hair as like having a big night out, the Kérastase Chroma Absolu range is a top tier hangover cure.
For those not into strong scents, this range won’t be for you.
But to all the serial colourers out there, or anyone with damaged hair chasing that Hollywood hair-flicking feeling?
Highly, highly recommend you add these Kérastase products to cart.
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