At the beginning of December I ran out of the wonderful hair mask I had been using and needed to quickly buy another before my hair became uncontrollably frizzy and unmanagable. The use of a decent hair mask is extremely important to me and an essential item in my opinion. However, I couldn't really face the christmas crowds in town nor did I really have the money to spend on anything too expensive. I just needed something that would put me on for a few weeks, as I was sure I would be receiving my favorite hair care products as a Christmas gift anyways (I mean I'd dropped enough hints!). When on a budget Superdrug is one of my favorite places to shop and this is where I picked up a very large tub of Clairol Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Mask. It was on offer at £1.95 (usually priced £3.99)  I thought this was a bit of a bargain considering its size so decided to give it a go.

Clairol Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Mask is presented in a 200ml bright red tub, it is very bright and stands out upon the shelf. The brand logo and product name are clearly displayed on the front, it also states that this mask protects split ends and is for dry / damaged hair. General information and the ingredients are given on the back of the tub along with a usage guide which suggests applying the product to the hair (paying particular attention to the ends) then leaving on for around five minutes before washing out. It is recommended to use this treatment once a week. Clairol claim that the use of this product will protect and defend hair against damage leaving the hair strong and "voluptuously velvety". It has a shelf life of twelve months. The lid simply screws off to reveal the mask inside.

The mask itself is a raspberry pink colour and of a thick consistency. It smells of any generic hair conditioner, maybe with a slightly added fruity fragrance. It not an offensive smell but I did find it rather boring and not quite as "luxury" as I would have liked from this type of product.

I used this Intensive Mask for around three weeks, using it twice a week instead of the recommended once a week. I applied a small amount to my hair and massaged it in, paying particular attention to the ends as advised. I never timed how long I left the product on my hair but would say I usually exceeded the five minute mark. The product felt a bit slimy on my hair and whilst it wasn't completely unpleasant it wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience either. The mask did stay in the hair well. It washed out extremely easily and thankfully left no unwanted after residue or stickiness. I dried my hair as usual.

I put my hair through quite a lot, I dye it, I straighten it, I style it and as a result my hair has become pretty damaged. I have to pay particular attention to the ends of my hair which become dry, frizzy and prone to breakage and split ends. So, as I mentioned before, a high quality deep conditioning mask is essential for keeping my hair looking good. I must admit that I was not overly impressed by Clairols Herbal Essences Intensive Mask, after using the product for a few weeks I didn't notice much of an improvement. I felt it did little to strengthen my hair nor did it prevent breakages or split ends. It did tame some of the frizziness but left the ends looking rather fluffy instead. On the plus side it did leave my hair with a nice added shine and tangle free. I would like to add that the tub recommends using this mask along with the matching shampoo, which I did not, possibly I would have had better results had I done this. 

Had I paid full price for the mask I would have felt Pretty disappointed with it, but since it was only a few quid I can't complain too much. That being said its unlikely I will be buying it again regardless of price. Thankfully Santa brought me a selection of my favorite hair care products and since then I have been using Clairols Herbal essences Intensive Mask on my nine year old daughters hair instead. She has really thick hair which is neither dry or damaged but the conditioner seems to work pretty well at detangling her hair, so it seems she will use the rest up on her hair.