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Side by side

Kerastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler vs Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth Mask

10 of 10 functions match Formula overlap 21%. Kerastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler and Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth Mask share 1 ingredient among each other's most prominent.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler — protein-sensitive hair
  • Ultimate Smooth Mask — protein-sensitive hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
Kerastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler — 6.76 oz container Kerastase

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler

  • Mask / treatment
  • Prestige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth Mask — 5 oz container Wella Professionals

Ultimate Smooth Mask

  • Mask / treatment
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$59.99 6.76 oz · $8.87/oz
$26–34 5.07 oz · $6.64/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Prestige tier · costs more than 90% of the 347 masks and treatments we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 81% of the 347 masks and treatments we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Same
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Time on the hair
—
Short A few minutes on the hair before rinsing. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers
  • A wide range of haira middle-of-the-range weight
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Short shower windowsit works in ten minutes or less
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Mask / treatment
Mask / treatment
Where to buy
Salons · Brand website
Brand website · Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
Cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
FloralStrong
Scented, not described
Time on hair
—
5–10 min
How often
—
weekly
Treatment focus
color care
smoothing

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientChroma Absolu Masque Chroma FillerUltimate Smooth Mask
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Behentrimonium Chloride
Detangles
#4Supporting
#3Leading
Isopropyl Alcohol
Drying
#6Supporting
#9Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#14Below the 1% line
#19Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#15Below the 1% line
#18Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#21Below the 1% line
#7Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#9Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler

Ultimate Smooth Mask

Full ingredient list — Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler (21)
Full ingredient list — Ultimate Smooth Mask (26)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsChroma Absolu Masque Chroma FillerUltimate Smooth Mask
Supported
1
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
4
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler

  • 92% stronger hair with reduced breakageStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • preserves up to 92% of color intensity for over a monthStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 62% increase in brilliant shineStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 93% more nourishmentStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • reduces color-induced frizzSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.

Ultimate Smooth Mask

  • Apply to clean, damp hair lengths and ends. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.Stated by brandHow to use it, not a claim.
  • Up to 85% smoother hair (with Miracle Oil Serum vs untreated)Stated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • 96 hours frizz control (with Miracle Oil Serum)SupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Silky shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for frizz control. Kerastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler draws complaints about the scent.

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler

Helps smooth porosity, split ends and preserve color between appointments

Official US exact 200 ml product review corpus (610 reviews)

Leaves color-treated hair softer, shinier and less frizzy

Official US exact 200 ml product review corpus (610 reviews)

A small amount provides immediate hydration, nourishment and manageability

Official US exact 200 ml product review corpus (610 reviews)

The gardenia fragrance is strong for some reviewers

Official US exact 200 ml product review corpus (610 reviews)

Ultimate Smooth Mask

Leaves hair smooth, soft, shiny, with no frizz or crunchy ends

Ulta verified reviewer

Hair feels noticeably softer and smoother from the first use, even while still wet

Ulta verified reviewer, age 49

Effectiveness is not immediately obvious despite liking the scent and price point

Ulta reviewer

Can feel heavy on fine or thin hair; needs to be used sparingly and mainly on ends

Ulta reviewer with fine/thin hair

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$6.64/oz vs $8.87/oz — Kerastase Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler costs about 1.3× more per ounce than Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth Mask.

$0.19/oz median $3.49/oz $24.50/oz $8.87/oz Chroma Absolu Masque Chrom $6.64/oz Ultimate Smooth Mask

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 347 masks and treatments with a computable unit price.

Value readChroma Absolu Masque Chroma FillerUltimate Smooth Mask
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler vs Chronologiste Masque Intense RégénérantKerastase · 100% function matchUltimate Smooth Mask vs Chronologiste Masque Intense RégénérantKerastase · 100% function matchChroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler vs Crme Chronologiste MasqueKerastase · 100% function matchUltimate Smooth Mask vs Crme Chronologiste MasqueKerastase · 100% function matchChroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler vs Acidic Bonding Concentrate 5-Min Liquid MaskRedken · 95% function matchUltimate Smooth Mask vs Ultimate Repair MaskWella Professionals · 95% function matchChroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler vs Instacure Build-A-Bond Instant Revival Liquid MaskMatrix · 95% function matchUltimate Smooth Mask vs Invigo Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask for Coarse HairWella Professionals · 95% function match

Chroma Absolu Masque Chroma Filler · Ultimate Smooth Mask · All masks and treatments in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 10 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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