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Magic Serum, Fragrance Free

Finisher / Serum, light-reflecting

  • Finisher
  • serum
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size1 fl oz
Price$36seen at one store · 1 oz
Price / oz$36.00/ozat 1 oz
Where to buy1 store

Scent:

No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.

Listing used for research: ulta.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see exactly how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 2,400+ products in our library we can match exactly the right products to you.

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  • Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

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Same job for less elsewhere

$36.00/oz at 1 oz — more than 99% of the 77 serums , which mostly run $3.25–14.50/oz.

View alternatives

Great for

no fragrance (parfum) on the label
free of strong smells
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove
Dull-looking haira recognised shine system is present

Maybe skip if

Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
If scent matters to younothing is added here

Whether a finisher this rich will read as shine or as grease depends on your strand thickness and oil rate — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Shine system Light esters

Light esters or a volatile carrier: shine with little residue.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fast-drying alcohol None

No fast-drying alcohol in the list.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Ethylhexyl Olivate light ester Light slip without much weight Shine
C13-15 AlkaneC13-15 Alkane (Plant Derived) emollient Softens and smooths the strand Shine
Squalane emollient Softens and smooths the strand Detangles
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening.
Full ingredient list (3)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

  • 1 Ethylhexyl Olivate
    General function

    A light olive-derived ester used as a plant alternative to silicone slip.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

    • light ester
    • emollient
  • 2 C13-15 Alkane · C13-15 Alkane (Plant Derived)
    General function

    A plant-derived light alkane used as a clean-feeling replacement for silicone or mineral oil.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emollient
    • solvent
  • 3 Squalane
    General function

    The fully hydrogenated form of squalene, now made from olive or sugarcane rather than shark liver. Hydrogenation is what makes it so slow to oxidise; it spreads very lightly and absorbs without a greasy film.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    PubChem
    • emollient
    • conditioning agent

What the whole list adds up to

  • 3 emollients
  • 1 light ester
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 conditioning agent

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 1 oz

Seen at $36 1 store · checked Aug 27
Good value under $8 Under $8.23/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $8 line; products that do this job typically go for about $13 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store
  • Ulta Beauty
    $36.00
    1 oz · $36.00/oz
    Aug 27Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 1 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $36 is the price we have observed for the 1 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $8 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $8.23/oz; at 1 oz that is $8. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $13 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 1 oz.

Formula

Formula score
9 of 10

The formula carries what a serum is built around, and 6 products we score as close matches cost at least a quarter less per ounce. The difference is buying the label, not a different formula.

How the score is counted
  • 6 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 99% of the 77 serums we’ve priced
  • Covers 5 of the 6 things a serum should do
  • Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
  • A shine systemThe silicone, oil, or ester that produces gloss.3 pts
  • A weightless carrierDelivers the shine without leaving grease.2 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • An antioxidantKeeps the oils in the bottle from going off.1 pt
  • No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

Sexy HairLowest cost per oz Healthy Sexy Hair Shine Show Blowout Spray - 5.1 oz $4.50/oz $31.50/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Rinses clean
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Sweet scent, not unscented
  • Masstige tier
  • 5.1 oz bottle
Compare
Kreyòl EssenceClose function Haitian Black Castor Oil Light $12.50/oz $23.50/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
  • Weight on the hair
Also
  • Masstige tier
Compare
Kreyòl EssenceClose function Soft Hair Dont Care Slip+Shine Multi-Vitamin Hair Serum $12.50/oz $23.50/oz less
  • Protein-free
  • Rich
  • Silicone-free
Function
  • Oils and butters
  • Weight on the hair
Also
  • Masstige tier
  • 2 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person, not the lowest cost
Best user

People sensitive to fragrance — for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to frizz on humid days, people shopping on a budget, or anyone who wants a product to smell of something

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
6
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
reduces frizz

Nothing in the list reads as a smoothing system.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

adds shine

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

  • Ethylhexyl Olivate
Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

nourishes and strengthens

Nothing in the list reads as a moisture system.

  • Ethylhexyl Olivate
  • C13-15 Alkane
  • Squalane
Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

protects hair from heat styling and breakage (heat protection up to 450F)

No protein or bond ingredient appears in the list.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

non-comedogenic

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

vegan, cruelty-free

We have not researched the vegan status of this product.

Stated by brand

Worth checking on the label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

No scent, softens hair

Reviewer 'Rae' wrote 'Amazing. No scent and makes my hair soft' — direct confirmation the fragrance-free claim holds in real use.

Works as heat protectant while keeping hair soft

Reviewer 'P' wrote 'The serum is great as a heat protectant and keeps my hair nice and soft' — used ahead of heat styling, not as a standalone heat-protectant product.

General satisfaction, repeat-purchase language

Reviewer 'Jennifer' called it 'One of my favorite product[s]!' without elaborating on specific hair type or result.

Breakout concern on very curly hair

A reviewer with '3C' curl pattern reported '4 large cystic acne spots' after use despite the noncomedogenic claim — an outlier complaint worth flagging, not the dominant theme.

More from SEEN

How this page was made

  • Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
  • 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.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • 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.
  • 3 sources consulted for this product (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 1 of 3 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
  • We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-27.