We all know and love the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Serum, we have been using it for years and it has never failed us, the scent, the results, and the versatility of the product are among the many reasons so many of us love this product!
Fast forward to July 2019, and we have a new night player in town from Kérastase:
The Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum
The Kérastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum is the latest addition that we put to the test to find out exactly which one is best for your hair type and why you might reach for one over the other.
I know tough job right, testing out beautiful products while I sleep, but somebody has to do it!
- The packaging:
Kérastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum is seriously stunning, and it is glass which I love because we can easily recycle it! The pump provides easy product application and it never gets clogged up. The Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Night Serum is a slimmer more compact package, although it is plastic it makes it easier to travel with and takes up way less space. - The Consistency and Scent:
The Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Serum is heavenly in terms of scent; it’s calming and fresh smelling without overwhelming the hair while you sleep. Key scent: Camelia oil extract. The consistency of the product is the thickness of Greek yogurt, making it easy to apply and not overly heavy for the hair. The Kérastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum it slightly milkier than Shu but the application is very smooth. The scent of the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Night Serum is a progressing fragrance to help with a calming, soothing sleep and the key scent is Iris root extract, a really lovely clean scent! – My personal preference I prefer the Shu scent, I am obsessed with all of the Camelia extract product Shu Uemura has. - Application and Results:
I have VERY fine hair, so I feel like my hair is a good tester as I can tell almost instantly if a product is going to be heavy for fine-medium hair. On the flip side, I have very dry hair so I still need deep nourishment! The application for both is very similar, but the main difference I feel, is that I can instantly feel the nourishment upon application with the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Serum; whereas the Kérastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum provides more progressive nourishment I don’t feel as much instant nourishment. At first, I felt like it wasn’t working and wasn’t so sure about the product, but after sticking with it and using it I noticed my hair was SO soft when I woke up. Both products are deeply nourishing, and I would say the Shu Uemura is slightly more hydrating because of the Camellia extract. Both products keep your hair from getting bedhead. I found with both products I woke up with more manageable hair but with the Shu serum, because my hair is so fine, it was slightly more weighed down than the Kérastase serum. I find them both great for anti-humidity, nourishment and keeping my hair healthier looking. They both prolong my shampoo by at least a day which I love. - Hacks and alternative ways to use:
To be honest, I’ve never tried using the Shu Uemura Overnight Serum any other way than at night. The consistency of it seems to be the best fit for the evening and working deep into the cuticle nourishes it. I’ve played with the Kérastase 8h Magic Night Serum more, and have LOVED using it as an air dry cream! I struggle with fuzzy hair (because of my beautiful FINE hair!) and I find that when I use this in conjunction with my Blonde Absolu Cicaplasme leave-in cream my hair air dries perfectly with a slight wave. I also think it would be great to refresh your waves or curls on day two or three since it is meant to work throughout 8 hours and provide deep nourishment! The Kérastase 8h Magic Night Serum will give you more versatility if you are looking for more ways than just at night to use the product. - Price and size:
The price points and sizes are VERY similar. The BEST thing about both of them is they are TRAVEL friendly and PERFECT to bring on a flight to keep your hair protected from that awful plane air (ewwww)! The Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Serum is 150ml and sells for $93.00. The Kerastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum is 90ml and sells for $84.00. These prices are reflected throughout ALL professional sites. If you find them on discount sites, BEWARE, the product is often swapped out or expired! These products should last an average of 2-4 months depending on how often you use them, and even on thick hair, you need a maximum of 3 pumps per application! - Application:
It is pretty simple: pump 1-3 pumps of the product (from either one) into your hands and ensure it is distributed evenly throughout your hands. Start at the ends and work your way up. Comb through with fingers or wide tooth-comb! - Final Recommendations:
To be totally honest I really do love BOTH products but I would recommend the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Serum if you struggle with extra fuzzy or frizzy hair, and if you have medium to thick or coarse hair. It provides slightly more deep nourishment so I would probably reach for it for curly hair over the Kérastase Nutritive 8h Magic Night Serum. I would recommend the 8hr Magic Night Serum if you have fine-thick hair, I prefer it for fine hair over Shu strictly because of the thickness and consistency of the product. I also air dry often and love that I can utilize it for more than one purpose!
Overall a night serum is a GREAT tool to have, think about it like cream for your skin, going to bed without cream on your face can make your skin feel dry, and the same goes for our hair. We need the nourishment and protection even while we sleep. It will help make your other products perform better, and give you longer lasting results with your hair-style!
Some of my other favourite hacks to sleeping your way to good hair:
- Sleep with a satin pillow case, great for LASHES, ANTI-FRIZZ, WRINKLES, and preventing breakage!
NEVER sleep with wet hair. If you have to ensure you braid it or loosely wrap it up with a scrunchie! – our hair is the most weak when wet, it will most definitely cause breakage!
- Try not to sleep with a ponytail, it will cause breakage being tied up like that all night. If you have to wear your hair up, ALWAYS use a scrunchie! They won’t cause any breakage!
Happy Sleeping Pommeshells!
xx
Nicole
Nicole Pidherny
Master Stylist & Founder
Nicole Pidherny, the owner of Pomme Salon, wanted to create not only a hair salon, but also a beauty hub for clients and residents in the city.