Have you ever heard about Kao Essential Nuance Airy Ultra Honey and Shea Butter Hair Mask before? If you have not, I believe you would have at least saw one or two product from Kao Essential damage hair care line retailing in most of the Watsons or SaSa stores in Singapore. In fact, this product has not only created a big rave in Japan and Singapore but also all across Asia. The Kao Essential Damage hair care line has gotten so popular till it became one of the highly discussed product among the famous bloggers online.

So, a year ago,  I started using the Kao Essential Nuance Airy Honey and Shea Butter Hair Mask and since has become a fan of this product. Despite the popularity of Kao Essential Damage haircare line, this is the only product in the series which I have actually purhased and tried.

Before I start my review on the Kao Essential Nuance Airy Hair Mask, let me tell you more abou the condition of my hair first.

My Hair

I have naturally curly and very soft and fine hair that can be very unmanageable most of the time. On top of that, I am born with oily scalp which makes me prone to dandruffs or would cause me lots of itchiness if I don't wash my hair everyday. As such, I have to visit the hair salon frequently every 3 months for hair bonding and treatment in order to tame my unmanageable hair.

Thanks to my hair stylist, I started using professional shampoo two years ago which helped my oily scalp problem a lot. However, due to the excessive hair rebonding processes and serum control shampoo, my hair ends began to get drier and more frizzy than before. I started using hair conditioner daily after washing my hair every day. It has helped to improve my hair condition slightly. My hair feels more hydrated and less tangled than usual. However, it is not sufficient to repair the damages caused to my hair and regain its usual shine. So, I decided I needed something stronger. Yes, a hair mask.

Unlike most of the other reviewers who have long hair, my hair is short. In fact, all of the users who did reviews on any haircare products have long hair. However, let me assure you that it is just equally important for people with short hair to care for their hair as well. It is a pity that I only got to understand this two years ago.

What Does Kao Essential Says

The Kao Essential line is specially designed for damaged hair. With its new improved Essential Damage Care's formulation which now contains Shea Butter and high purity honey, it promises to repair and hydrates the last 15cm of your hair which is most prone to spilt ends, frizziness and tangles caused by regular chemical treatments and styling.

The Kao Essential damage care hair masks come in two formulations - The Nuance Airy in the pink container and Rich Premier in the orange container.

So what's the difference between the two formulations?

Nuance Airy

More suitable for people with oily hair that can be easily weighted down which often resulted in flat and limp hair. The Nuance Airy range helps to give the hair a light and bouncy feel with a three domensional finish. The wild rosy essence leaves a protective layer over hair to keep it soft and moisturized at all time.

Rich Premium

More suitable for people with dry and untameable hair which requires that extra bit of moisture. The Rich Premium range is richly moisturizing which helps to achieve smoother and manageable hair. The Sunflower Essential Oil leaves the hair looking shiny and keep it in shape.

Benefits Of Shea Butter

Shea butter has the natural ability to protect your hair from UV damages. It also helps to repair hair dryness, brittleness and split ends caused by the weather and provides intense hydration to it.

Benefits Of Purity Honey

Purity Honey has the ability to deeply repair and strengthen damaged hair. It also helps to hydrate and improve the hair's manageability.

What I Like About This Product

Since I have oily scalp that resulted in oily hair, I picked up the Nuance Airy Ultra Honey and Shea Butter hair mask instead of the Rich Premium range.

1. Smell
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I bet every girl will love the Kao Essential hair mask at the very moment they opened the cap of the container. I couldn't describe the scent in exact words but it is just lovely and amazing! It has a very sweet fruity smell that seems to make you feel very happy. The best thing of it is the scent does not easily disappear after you washed off the mask from your hair. The sweet scent just seems to linger on your hair even till the very next day. I love it so much that I could go on smelling my own hair the whole day! People who have saw me must have thought that I am crazy!

2. Packaging and Price

The packaging is another thing that will make most of the girls crazy. The Nuance Airy hair mask is packed in a lovely pink plastic container. It is just so adorable!

The price is rather afforable too. I purchased mine for SGD 9.90 from one of the SaSa store in Singapore. As I have really short hair, a container of this could last me for almost a year. However, I have been unable to restock this in KL since I finished my last container a month ago. Luckily I have found another hair mask that works awesome for me as well. I will share with you guys soon here.

3. Deeply Moisturizing

As what Kao Essential has claimed, the Nuance Airy hair mask has done miracles to my damaged hair. My hair feels very soft and smooth after application, leaving it less frizzy and tangled. I feel very pleased that my hair actually appeared to be much more voluminous and shiny than before. Not only does it provide intense hydration to my dry and straw-like hair, it also makes my hair much more manageable now.

Unlike many other professional hair masks available in the market, the Kao Essential hair masks' formulations are very light, non-oily or sticky. The consistency of the hair mask is actually quite thick but does not weight down your hair. This is another reason why I love Kao Essential Nuance Airy hair mask!

What I Dislike About This Product

There is nothing in particular I really disliked about the Kao Essential Nuance Airy hair mask. Definitely I will purchase it again if I am able to find this in the Malaysia SaSa store. Of course I am clearly aware that I could get this from SaSa store online too. But I just find it rather too expensive and not so worth to get it shipped to Malaysia.

How to use this product

I apply this hair mask while bathing every once or twice a week. I have tried applying this daily too during bad hair days where I seriously just need that extra moisture. However, some people might find the formulation too rich to be used daily. It will all depends on individual's hair condition.

Basically, I will shampoo my hair clean first and towel dry them. I will then run my fingers through my hair to detangle them to ensure smooth and consistent aplication. After that, I will gently apply and massage the hair mask onto the ends of my hair.  As I am naturally born with oily scalp, I will avoid applying the hair mask  directly onto my scalp.

Wait for 10 minutes. I will go ahead to shower myself and wash my face before I rinse the hair mask off.

Avoid from getting your hair wet while waiting for the mask to penetrate into your hair. Remember to rinse the mask off well too as it will be very difficult and painful to get it off once it dried up on your hair. I have personally experienced this myself before.

Final Thoughts

If you have been searching for a good and affordable hair mask that could help to improve your hair condition, why not give Kao Essential a try. This product would not be another over-rated or over-priced hair mask you would find in the market. It might not be the best for you, but still it will not disappoint you.