No longer confined to plastic twist-off tubes at drugstores, today's hair oils come with luxe packaging and are infused with essential oils like camellia (Shu Uemura's waitlist-generating Essence Absolue), amla (Neil George Indian Gooseberry Treatment Oil available on monolithic e-commerce site beauty.com), and argan ( Moroccanoil Oil Treatment, a red-carpet regular). In spite of hair oil's recent surge in popularity, however, I've kept it at arm's length. Because somehow the idea of adding oil to my clean scalp seems counterintuitive. Sure, my hair might look shinier—but it'd probably be greasier, right?
Not so, says Kérastase celebrity hairstylist Ashley Javier, who's smitten with the brand's new Elixir Ultimé hair oil—a maize, argan, camellia, and procaxi blend that launches in November. To prove his point, he invites me to try out the product at his exclusive Parlor salon in NYC, where he's been lavishing the oil on the strands of V.I.P. clients like Lauren Bush.
"She loves it," he tells me once we're seated inside his penthouse atelier. "She's growing her hair out so she needs to keep it healthy—she wants it down to her waist!" Next, he reveals one of his beloved sample bottles of Elixir Ultimé and hands it over. As I inspect it in the palms of my hands the persuasion tactics begin.
"It's genius because it gives both shine and volume—it doesn't weigh your hair down," Javier gushes as Tennessee, his Yorkshire terrier, excitedly circles our feet. "Instead of lying on top of the hair and making it limp, the oil is absorbed quickly and nourishes from the inside out. Even though it gives shine, it feels matte."
But Elixir Ultimé isn't just for sheen. "It also protects the hair from heat damage and makes it more pliable for styling," says Javier, who used the serum to craft intricate braided 'dos for Behnaz Sarafpour's catwalk this morning (he'll utilize the product again at the Threeasfour show).
I'm not completely sold, but nod encouragingly and scratch Tennessee behind the ears after he jumps onto my lap. "Oh, he likes you!" Javier exclaims, just as Tennessee lurches forward for a sloppy kiss and I quickly turn away. (According to Javier, Penélope Cruz is Tennessee's favorite salon visitor because she kisses him back.)
After getting my hair shampooed and conditioned I sink into Javier's styling chair, ready to be oiled up. As he smoothes the serum over my freshly-washed strands I flinch a little. Then the blow-drying begins. Once the first section is finished, I run my hand down the silky curtain, carefully feeling it for grease and residue. It's supersoft, but that's about it. I'm pleasantly surprised.
Moments later, I leave Parlor with a smile on my face. It's been over a day since I got my Elixir Ultimé treatment and the grin is still there. I haven't turned into a grease-ball as feared and my hair is still sleek with just the right amount of oomf. I'm not sure I'm a complete convert; I'm a low-maintenance shampoo-and-conditioner-only kind of girl. But if I have any unwanted flyaways, you'd better bet I'm going to reach for the oil—and now I won't think twice.
