Today I bring you a comparison of sorts, involving the belle de jour of the hair world at the moment, the Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque and it’s dupe…erm….also called Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque.
Now I know what you’re thinking, an obvious rip off right? I mean, the LEAST they could have done was to switch up the name a bit?! Anyhoo, I decided to pick up this version to see how it would compare against the original brand. I will be comparing both products using the major categories, price, usage etc.
Packaging and Texture
Packaging: Both of the brands come in a similarly shaped ‘bowl’ tub with the same green and brown colour combo. The Macadamia Natural Oil brands’ packaging wins the point however as the colours are a lot more eye-popping and decorative than Hair Chemists’ version.
Product: Macadamia Natural Oil – The masque is a thick, ivory coloured butter with a slight iridescent pearl sheen that I think really adds the luxury factor. The texture is a smooth and buttery and thus have found that you don’t really need to use a lot to coat your hair as it can easily spread throughout the hair.
Hair Chemist Ltd: This masque in comparison is very light and almost feels like a light hair/body lotion. It’s also very easy to dispense through the hair and is non-sticky.
Scent: Macadamia’s scent has the strong, almost clinical scent, with a slight hint of Macadamia nuts whereas I find that the Hair Chemist’s version is extremely subtle and almost sweet. I definitely think it’s the better scented of the two as it smells a lot more natural.
Ingredients:
As you can see from above, the Hair Chemist brand contains more natural ingredients than the Macadamia brand. A huge plus for me. It also contains shea butter, argan oil and jojoba oil which is amazing for those with dry hair. What really excites me however, is that unlike the Macadamia brand, the Hair Chemist brand contains behentrimonium methosulfate. Scary word I know, but this ingredient is excellent for detangling hair and if it’s anything my hair knows, it’s how to tangle up real bad. Grr. 🙁
Usage and Results:
I’ve been using both products once a week for about 4 weeks now and here are my findings:
Macadamia Natural Oil: My favourite thing about this masque is how thickly it coats my hair. Upon application, my curls gain more definition and appears smoother and shinier. I normally leave in the masque for up to an hour; it’s easy to wash out and strong smell aside, my hair appears healthy and strong.
Hair Chemist Ltd Macadamia Oil: Although not as thick as the former, it does just as good as a job in hydrating my hair. The smell is fantastic, it separates and defines my curls but it also de-tangles my hair which is an added bonus. After washing out, my hair is EXTREMELY hydrated, almost to the point where I don’t need to add any extra oil or moisturiser to it.
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| Hair Chemist Deep Repair Masque: Before and After |
Price:
The Macadamia Oil brand starts from £20 wheras the Hair Chemist Ltd brand is…wait for it. £4.89.
That’s right. Under a fiver for essentially the same product.
I think both masques are brilliant; especially the cheaper version. They both contain the same ingredients, with the Hair Chemist’s version containing extra natural ingredients. I will definitely be restocking the Hair Chemist masque as it’s ability to de-tangle my hair is unlike any product I’ve ever used before and it makes my hair impossibly soft and manageable. Also since it’s so affordable, I can afford (HA!) to use this every week.
– Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque – Available at LookFantastic
– Hair Chemist Ltd Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque – £4.50. *Note: I bought this product from an Afro-Caribbean hair shop where I think they are mostly available. I have been trying to find a link where it can be purchased online but to no avail. You can however, buy it from eBay here and here.*
Would you consider using this product?
What do you think about dupes?
This looks like a really interesting dupe. I adore the original macadamia hair masque, so might have to try and find one of the others! x
Oooh fab post Hun, thanks for this! I used a sample of the macadamia oil deep repair & absolutely loved it! Then when I found out the price I nearly had a seizure :-/ I have a few Afro Caribbean hair shops near me so will def keep an eye out! 🙂
Aysh xox
Very interesting, I adore my macadamia mask and don't know if I could give it up. I love its thickness but thank you for this great review! I'll conisder the other mask in future
mixed-hair.blogspot.co.uk
Yes! I bought this at TK Maxx for £6.99. I loved it so much I went back and got another! talk about smooth and detangling GLORY! All 5 stars across the board! hehe
Oh wow it's less than a fiver? It sounds pretty good for the money so I'll have to hunt around for this. Great post 🙂
Great dupe! I've always wanted to try the Macadamia Masque but always hesitated because of the price. Nice review! xo
Thanks for this review! I've used both of these products in the past and although I love the Macadamia brand product, the price of the Hair Chemist one is so good that I've been using that most often. I included a link to your blog in my latest video so that my subscribers can enjoy as well! If you're interested, here's the link to my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllCoiledUp83
Thanks for the review. I've used both of these products in the past and although I think I like the way the Macadamia brand product feels while I'm applying it better, the after affects are so similar and you can't beat the Hair Chemist product price! I've included a link to your review in my latest video so my subscribers can enjoy as well. If you're interested, here's a link to my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllCoiledUp83
I accidentally bought this dupe naively thinking it was just (poor) rebranding from the Macadamia Oil! lol
So glad google brought me to your blog, I now have renewed hope for my evening of pampering 😉
I accidentally bought this dupe today thinking it was (poor) rebranding on Macadamia Oil's part! Lol
So glad google bought me to your blog! I know have renewed hope for my evening of pampering