Amika is one of the most popular clean beauty haircare brands. They’re paraben, phthalate, SLS and SLES free, as well as vegan, cruelty free, and color-safe, and their eye-catching packaging always stands out. Amika’s signature vanilla, clove, and citrus scent is one of my favorites, and I’ve really enjoyed trying out their different product lines.

Even though I have fine hair, I prefer to use hair masks instead of conditioner as I have color-treated hair and shampoo my hair daily. Hair masks add extra hydration, minimize split ends, and shine, yet they don’t weigh my hair down (fortunately).

Amika’s hair masks are beloved - they seem very similar and all are are highly rated with thousands of 4+ star reviews on Sephora, so it was confusing to figure out which one would be best for me. I love The Kure shampoo, but soulfood nourishing mask (with orange packaging) is known to work really well with my hair type.

I really couldn’t figure out which one I would be better, so I decided to try both and do a side-by-side comparison. Keep reading for my notes, full review, and which one I’d recommend.

PS: if you’re curious about Amika’s hydro rush intense moisture mask with hyaluronic acid (blue packaging), I also compared to the soulfood nourishing mask (with orange packaging) - check out my full review and comparison here.

amika soulfood nourishing mask review

Amika’s soulfood nourishing mask is specifically designed for dryness and works for all hair types (1-4) and all porosity. You can apply it weekly in place of conditioner, and the directions say to leave it it on for 5-7 minutes. While this mask does not contain mineral oil, it is not silicone-free and I kept that in mind when seeing how my hair felt after. Silicones can add surface-level softness, but it’s almost a band-aid effect.

The texture of this mask is slightly thicker yet still similar to a conditioner, and it was very easy to work through my hair. The scent is Amika’s signature vanilla meets clove and citrus scent; it’s very light and didn’t trigger a migraine.

One downside to this mask is it does contain alcohol (which dries out your hair), so while I do like it as a weekly hydrating mask, I would not use this exclusively as it can affect the strength and hydration of your hair over time.

This mask retails for $34 and the jar lasted a good three months while using it weekly, so I do think it’s worth the price.

You can buy the soulfood nourishing mask here.

amika the kure intense repair mask review

The kure intense repair mask is specifically made for damaged hair (types 1-4c). Meant to be used weekly, this works best when you leave it on for 5-10 minutes. This mask strengthens and reduces breakage, and as someone who highlights her hair regularly, that’s one of my key pain points.

The texture of kure intense repair mask is very similar to the soulfood nourishing mask. It feels slightly denser but doesn’t weigh down hair, and as you go to brush through any tangles after the mask sits, it takes a few extra seconds than it does with the soulfood nourishing mask or other masks/ deep conditioners that I own.

Both masks have the same scent and contain alcohol, so I’d be wary of using them as my only deep-conditioning treatment for an extended amount of time since alcohol can compromise the integrity of your hair.

That being said, the kure intense repair mask made my hair so much softer and shinier than the soulfood mask. Whereas the soulfood mask almost feels like a deep conditioner, the kure intense repair mask feels like an actual hair treatment. The kure intense repair mask also brightened my hair, and I received complements on how shiny it was the next day.

This mask is more expensive than the soulfood mask (by $8). It’s $42, but if you use it once a week as directed, I think it would last at least a few months; it’s available to purchase here. You can also save by subscribing on Amazon.

which amika mask is better - soulfood nourishing mask or the kure intense repair mask?

Overall, I recommend the Amika kure intense repair mask over the Amika soulfood nourishing mask. While the soulfood mask is cheaper, you actually notice results from the kure intense repair mask - brighter, softer hair, less frizz, and my hair felt like I just stepped out of a salon. I also received a few compliments about my hair from strangers, so that makes it the clear winner for me.

comparing amika hair masks for shine, softness, dryness, frizziness, and low porosity hair

While the soulfood nourishing mask is a good mask, the kure intense repair mask is kind of better in every way.

If you have damaged hair, I found the kure intense repair mask to be more hydrating than the soulfood nourishing mask. (Both are hydrating though!)
Both masks are color-safe.
For shine, I recommend the kure intense repair mask. While the soulfood nourishing mask has silicones that add superficial shine and a gloss-like effect to hair, my hair actually looked much shinier after using the kure mask.
When it comes to price, Amika’s soulfood nourishing mask is cheaper. If you’re on a budget, you’re still going to get great results from soulfood, even though I prefer the kure. I’m critically comparing the two, but I’d happily repurchase the soulfood nourishing mask.
If you have dry hair, both masks work wonderfully at hydrating your hair in the moment. However, they do contain alcohol, so I would make sure your conditioner or daily use products do not to balance everything out.
If you have dry hair, frizzy hair, or grey hair, the kure intense repair mask will hydrate and noticeably tame your hair without weighing it down.
If your hair is extremely fine and thin, I’d recommend the soulfood nourishing mask as the kure might be too heavy on your hair (since it’s a denser product).
If your hair gets extra tangly in the shower and you tend to brush it out (either with a wet comb or your fingers), both masks work great, but the process is a little easier and quicker if you use the soulfood nourishing mask. I always make sure to really brush my hair out before I get in the shower when I’m going to be using the kure intense repair mask.