Hair Masks

By ESPA

Price: £29

Best for: Dry or irritated scalps

In its luxe glass jar, this ‘pink mud’ mask is a great at-home pampering experience. I dampened my hair then applied the mask by massaging it into my scalp and through to the ends. You can leave the mask on for 20 minutes, but I left it on overnight for a more intense conditioning treatment which is also recommended. The next morning I washed and conditioned as usual and was left with super soft, shiny and incredibly manageable hair, thanks to the nourishing apricot kernel. I can’t say after just one treatment that it made a real difference to my scalp, but for anyone who has been out in the sun, suffers from dandruff, eczema or psoriasis, apparently the watercress extract has a calming effect, so it’s well worth a try.

By Wella

Price: £14.69

Stockist: Wella

Best for: A quick effective, conditioning treatment

A heady floral scent makes this mask is a joy to use, it’s also fairly fuss-free, working in just five minutes, so suits those who don’t have the time or the inclination for soaking in the bath. I dampened my hair, applied the protein rich mask (hair is made up of protein so it’s good to add some back in) from mid lengths to ends, then shampooed and conditioned my hair as normal just five minutes later. Once dry my hair was literally the softest and silkiest it has ever been – a miracle as I use hair straighteners every day. However it was so soft it was hard to style so this is best used on days when you don’t mind leaving hair au natural.

By Pureology

Price: £27

Best for: a natural hair treatment

This little known organic and 100% vegan brand is my new favourite find. A fantastic masque containing shea, jojoba, mango and avocado, it nourished my parched, highlighted hair fast. The cream based mask comes with a wide toothed comb to brush product through and aid absorption. I left the product on for the recommended five to six minutes and no further conditioning is needed. My hair was soft and smooth, still easy to style and the results lasted two days until my next shampoo. Naturally, friends all noticed how good my hair looked but it was my boyfriend who surprised me by commenting on how soft my hair felt - a mini miracle!

By John Frieda Collection

Price: £5.99

Stockist: John Frieda

Best for: A purse friendly hair treat

This mask claims to work miracles: it contains anti-breakage formulas and provides targeted conditioning to damaged areas. As a girl with fine hair, I shy away from deep conditioning masks as they can be too heavy and weigh down my hair or make it look oily, but I was pleasantly surprised with this product. After five minutes it left my hair feeling fresh and much more manageable than usual with fly-away hairs visibly reduced. Plus, my hair looked good and smelt gorgeous. Containing salon grade ingredients, this is a must-buy considering the purse friendly price tag.

By Matrix

Price: £7.90

Best for: thick, heavy hair

This cream mask contains conditioners that claim to target damaged areas and contains proteins to improve hair strength, leaving hair ‘tamed, soothed and manageable’.
I applied the mask to wet hair after shampooing, massaged it in for a good 30 seconds and left it to work for about 5 minutes (the pot recommends leaving on for 3-5 minutes). The smell is divine, distinctly fruity but not over-powering and the texture is thick but not too heavy. All in all the experience was extremely easy and pretty quick. 
Once rinsed my hair felt soft and silky to touch, and once dried - I loved it. All day long my hair felt lighter and looked shinier. For the reasonable price of £7.90 I will definitely buy this again.

By Malin + Goetz

Price: £18

Stockist: Liberty

Best for: hair repair on-the-go

Malin + Goetz’s handy, tube packaged hair mask blends fatty acids with natural plant extracts to restore dry, damaged and processed hair. It has a distinctive almond/marzipan scent and can be rinsed off after just five minutes. I was more than pleased with the results - my hair felt replenished and like it had had some well needed TLC. This is a fuss free beauty buy that I could easily fit into my regular hair care routine.

By TIGI Bedhead

Price: £14.20

Stockist: Tigi

Best for: Cooling the scalp and smoothing the hair

As thick as a body moisturiser and with a bright blue colour and strong mint smell, this mask is a little intimidating and I wasn’t sure my hair could handle it. I shampooed as usual then smothered the mask from scalp to ends, completely covering my hair in it as recommended. The peppermint aroma was a good pick-me-up and the tingling sensation reassured me something was working!  After five minutes I rinsed my hair and blow dried as usual. The great thing about this mask was not just how soft, sleek and manageable my hair was afterwards, but the cooling and soothing feeling it gave my scalp, even after I had blasted my hair with a hot dryer. If you’re heading off to sunny shores this summer – pack this!

By Label M

Price: £10.95

Stockist: Label M

Best for:  A lovely lingering scent

One of the best smelling hair products I have ever encountered, it is recommended you cover hair from roots to ends in this thick creamy mask. This is worrying, especially if you have fine hair – but the end result was very good. After just one use, this mask containing hair-friendly jojoba and shea butter left my tresses super soft and shiny. It’s now a staple in my bathroom cabinet.