Which Pigmented Product Should I Use First—My Conditioner or Masque?

Pigment in your Conditioner and Masque? Start here. 

If you’ve added a temporary Fantasy, Classic, or Neutralizing pigment to your Conditioner and Masque, start with your Masque for an instant color transformation. Our pigmented Masques have a higher pigment load than our pigmented Conditioners, so they set the stage for your look.

Step 1: Masque to transform your color.

If you’re looking for a super-rich color result, our specialist, Stephani, recommends applying your Masque to clean, dry hair. For a less intense color, apply your Masque on towel-dried hair. Either way, apply your Masque in sections (similar to the illustration shown here) and comb it through your hair for an even application. 

Allow the pigment to absorb into your hair for at least 10 minutes. Check your personalized Masque label for instructions, as they vary slightly based on which pigment you’ve selected. After your Masque is done setting, hop into the shower, add a touch of water, and start to work the product into a lather. This will help with the rinsing process. If you’d like, you can do a light Shampoo at your roots, but there’s no need to fully Shampoo your hair or use your pigmented Conditioner immediately after.

AURA Insight: You’ll achieve your maximum pigment result in 15 minutes. Leaving your Masque on longer won’t produce a more intense color result. In fact, some shades can darken past the desired result, so 15 minutes is all you need. 

Step 2: Condition to maintain your new color.

The next time you wash your hair, give it a Shampoo and use your pigmented Conditioner as you would any conditioner. The pigment in the Conditioner will help maintain your new shade by redepositing color onto your strands each time you wash your hair. Your Conditioner will help maintain that color transformation you saw with your pigmented Masque. If you’re worried about staining, you can wear gloves each time you use your pigmented Conditioner. 

Step 3: Masque again as needed.

As your pigment fades, you can decide when you’d like to reapply your Masque. This can be weekly, bi-weekly, or whenever you’d like. Each application will deepen your color again, and give your hair your personalized care benefits.

Pigment only in your Conditioner? Start here. 

You have a few different options:

If your pigmented Conditioner matches your current hair color, use your Shampoo and pigmented Conditioner as you would any shampoo and conditioner. 

If your pigmented Conditioner is drastically different from your starting hair color, we’d suggest getting a Pigmented Masque in the same shade. Our pigmented Masques are designed for color transformation, where our pigmented Conditioners are meant to maintain your temporary pigment over time.

If you’d rather stay with just a pigmented Conditioner, we recommend starting with your Conditioner on clean dry, or towel-dried hair. This will create a richer color result. And make sure to comb the pigmented Conditioner throughout your hair so you get an even application from roots to ends.

AURA Insight: Let this sit on your hair for about 10-15 minutes. You can then follow with a light Shampoo at your roots if you’d like, but there’s no need to fully Shampoo your hair or use your pigmented Conditioner again immediately after. If the pigment feels too soft, it’s possible your hair requires a larger pigment load. For this, you’ll want to try a pigmented Masque instead of just a pigmented Conditioner.