Hair is a pretty big part of my life (and this website) at this point, but I’m truly a low-maintenance girl at heart. I love self-care, but it’s hard to slow down and carve out time. Time at the hair salon is truly “me” time and I love that my salon carries lots of hydrating, great-smelling products. I love being able to ask “What is that?” anytime I smell something new or fresh, and that’s exactly how I came to learn about the new Davines Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-In Mask. While Davines products tend to have fresh scents, Beautiful Things is a lot earthier and slightly musky. I’ve seen some complaints that it’s too patchouli-hippie, but this seems much milder to me.

The scent won me over initially, but the price stopped me in my tracks - $73 for a 3oz bottle isn’t cheap! I pondered the purchase for months because it just seemed too extreme. But after a stressful couple of weeks, I decided to treat myself. Because I know that I’m not alone in wanting budget-friendly hair products (or at least wanting them to live up to their value!), I wanted to share my full, unsponsored review with you.

Below, I’m sharing before and after results of the Davines Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-In Mask, tips on how to use it, a full review, and a few dupes worth checking out, too.

davines beautiful things restoring leave-in mask review

davines beautiful things restoring leave-in mask before and after

how to use davines beautiful things restoring leave-in mask

Start with clean, damp hair.

Apply from mid-length to ends. How much you use depends on your hair type:
- Fine hair - 1-2 pumps
- Medium hair - 3-4 pumps
- Thick Hair - 5-7 pumps
My best advice is start small; you can always add more. It’s an expensive product and you don’t want to waste any. A little goes a long way!
Comb through for even distribution.
Do not rinse out.
Style your hair as desired. This has heat protectant up to 450°F (232°C), so you can heat style safely.

You can use the Beautiful Things after every wash.

key ingredients

The key ingredient that sets Beautiful Things apart from other leave-in hair masks is biomimetic botanical filler, which restores essential lipids and proteins and enhances overall hair strength.

That said, what isn’t in the ingredient list is oftentimes just as important and worth noting. Beautiful Things is formulated without parabens and silicones. It’s also vegan and cruelty free.

pros

Truly restorative and reparative; you feel the difference after one use, and see change in the quality of your hair with consistent use
Adds shine and softness
Restores hair lipids, addressing split ends and breakage
Provides heat protection up to 450°F (232°C)
Easy to use
Meant to be left-in (no rinsing required) and doesn’t weigh down fine hair
Can be used after every wash without causing build-up
Paraben, silicone, and cruelty-free
Vegan

cons

Expensive! $73 a bottle, and the bottle feels extra tiny when you factor that in
Again, the bottle is very small for what you’re paying for
Scent is hit or miss for people; I love it, but it’s earthier than most hair products are

is the davines beautiful things restoring leave-in mask worth it?

Yes and no. Davines Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-In Mask delivers on all of its promises, so you’re not getting short-changed as far as results go. It’s also unique in that it addresses so many pain points; it’s rare for a leave-in mask to offer heat protection and seal split-ends without being ultra-heavy or leaving your hair greasy and weighed down. So if you truly want one product that truly does it all, this is for you.

I’ve truly noticed a difference in the shine and overall health of my hair every time I use this. I have less split ends and breakage, which is key because I highlight my hair regularly and wash it almost every day. My hair feels softer, and the color looks brighter. The fact that it offers heat and UV protection is also helpful; it’s one less product I need to add to my regimen, and because I live in San Diego, having that environmental protection really does make a difference in my hair health.

I’ve tried tons of leave-in conditioners, bond repair products, and heat protectants, and Beautiful Things really does it all - and does it well.

That said, the price is crazy. It’s $73 for a tiny 3 ounce bottle. On one hand, that’s convenient because it’s small enough to meet TSA requirements, but it comes out to $24.38 per ounce, which is a lot to spend!

I personally love the scent; it’s an earthy santal/ patchouli scent without being too hippie-ish. This feels like a luxurious at-home treatment, so I will continue to use it as such, but as far as my everyday leave-in goes, I’m going to stick with my beloved UNITE Hair 7SECONDS Detangler Leave-In Conditioner, with a little bit of Amika’s The Closer Instant Split-End Seal Cream on my ends. The Closer a bond repair product, and I've noticed my hair feels stronger every time I use it (plus less breakage, especially around my face).

Yes, those two products are nearly the same price combined as Beautiful Things, but you get more product overall, so it works for me both economically and hair health-wise.

dupes

Truth be told, Davines Beautiful is a unique product that addresses multiple key issues - split ends, breakage, heat protection, and hair lipids. I don’t think there’s another product on the market that addresses that many issues, which somewhat justifies the price. You’re paying a lot up front, but the one bottle does what would take 3-4 separate products total. That said, here are some leave-in treatments that I’d consider to be dupes for the Davines Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-In Mask (retails for $73, or $24.33 per ounce).

Amika The Closer Instant Split-End Seal Cream - If your main concern is repairing damage and protecting your hair against split-ends, this is a great dupe. It’s also a lightweight leave-in, and has an amber-vanilla scent that is more universal than the earthy scent of Beautiful Things. This doesn’t have a heat protectant, but helps repair hair bonds. Retails for $30, or $17.65 per ounce.

Kérastase Genesis Heat Protecting Leave-In Treatment - This primarily addresses frizz, adds shine, and offers heat protection. Also hydrating, this is infused with edelweiss native cells that soften and strengthen, so you get a little damage-prevention, too. I don’t love the scent, but this feels really luxurious and is moisturizing without weighing down fine hair. There are other heat protectants I prefer, but if you deal with lots of frizz and want something cheaper than Beautiful Things, it’s worth checking out. Retails for $50, or $9.80 per ounce.

UNITE Hair 7SECONDS Detangler Leave-In Conditioner - One of my haircare staples that I’ve used and loved for years. This doesn’t have the reparative benefits of Beautiful Things, but it does an incredible job at preventing further damage by sealing the hair cuticle. It’s moisturizing and helps to detangle your hair, which reduces breakage. It also works as a heat/ UV protectant, makes your hair SO soft and shiny, and smells fruity without being too sweet. Retails for $42.50, or $5.31 per ounce and I think it’s worth every penny.

K18 HeatBounce Leave-In Conditioner Heat Protectant - I consider K18 to be one of the leading brands in the haircare industry as far as quality and innovation goes; their products are highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way, and they nearly always exceed my expectations. This has patented tech for heat protection, working from cuticle to cortex to without weighing your hair down. It prevents color from fading while also adding shine and hydration. I have this listed as a dupe instead of their ultra-popular Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask because this one has a heat protectant component (like Beautiful Things), whereas the K18 repair mask does not. Retails for $48, or $12 per ounce.

Davines Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-in Mask Review