The Kérastase Purple Hair Mask Brightens My Blonde Highlights

As someone who’s had highlights for more than a decade, I have unintentionally become the authority on color-treated blonde hair in my social circle. A natural brunette who was never able to let go of being blonde for a few fleeting toddler years, I’ve been getting my hair colored regularly since I was sixteen. Since then, I’ve been through countless shades and many different colorists in maintenance of my perfect blonde.

All of this is to say, I’m intimately familiar with the damage that can come from regularly bleaching your hair. To curtail unwanted (but often inevitable) effects like dryness, breakage, and split ends, I’ve been more conscientious about spacing out my trips to the salon. Luckily, I’m able to keep my hair looking bright and brass-free between appointments, thanks to an at-home treatment I’ve sworn by for years—the Kérastase Blond Absolu Ultra-Violet Purple Hair Mask.

Kérastase Blond Absolu Ultra-Violet Purple Hair Mask

Formulated with nourishing hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower, the Blond Absolu Ultra-Violet Purple Hair Mask is a treatment that neutralizes unwanted brassy tones in lightened, blonde, or gray hair. Though I favor a cool-toned blonde when I get my hair colored, yellow undertones always begin to appear within a couple of months. That’s when I reach for this Kérastase product. In addition to helping me maintain my desired color, it hydrates and repairs damage to my hair. 

Though you can use this mask up to once a week, I take more of an as-needed approach, using it once every few weeks when my hair color looks lackluster. It’s been more than three months since my last appointment, and while a toning mask won’t magically transform my natural brown roots, I knew it would brighten up and cool down the areas where I am blonde until I get to the salon. 

I always apply the Blond Absolu mask after shampooing and towel-drying my hair. It’s a thick, creamy formula in a highly pigmented purple shade, so you may want to wear gloves; however, I use my bare hands and find that it rinses off easily. The brand recommends leaving it on for three to five minutes, but since I’ve been using it for around four years now and know how my hair responds, I leave it on a bit longer. (Note: some customer reviews, particularly from shoppers with gray or very light hair, said the mask gave their hair a violet hue, so be sure to stick to the recommended leave-on time at first to be safe.)

After leaving it on for about 10 minutes, I’ll rinse my hair in the shower, using a brush and waiting until the water runs clear to ensure that I washed away every trace of pigment. As usual, I immediately noticed a difference in my hair texture as I was rinsing it—it was so soft that my brush glided effortlessly through the tangles, as if I had used a deep conditioning treatment. The increased softness was noticeable after drying my hair, too, as well as a lightweight, voluminous look and feel. 

Most importantly though, the color was visibly cooler in tone and much less yellow. The tendrils of hair framing my face looked freshly bleached, so much so that a friend who saw me that day asked if I had gotten fresh highlights. It was the perfect reminder of why the Kérastase Blond Absolu Ultra-Violet Purple Hair Mask holds a permanent spot in my hair care routine. 

Shop More Purple Toning Hair Masks

Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Violet Toning Mask

Redken Color Extend Blondage Express Anti-Brass Mask

Vitamins Keratin Purple Hair Mask