I'm a sucker for hair masks and intensive conditioning treatments. I love applying a product which feels indulgent and leaving it on my hair for a few minutes to do its work, especially if it smells particularly good. This is despite the fact that experience tells me they rarely make much of a difference to my hair. Just as well then, that I got a free full size sample of the Pantene 2 Minute Intensive Repair Masque.

The masque comes in a few different varieties for different types of hair; I had the one for fine hair, as my hair is very fine and rather fragile. Unlike many products of its type, the Pantene masque comes in a tube rather than a tub. Speaking practically, this is a lot easier to use than a tub when you're in the shower, but I did rather miss digging a dollop of the stuff out of a tub. The tube is pretty flexible, and it's easy to squeeze every last drop out of it.

The Pantene 2 Minute Intensive Repair Masque tells you a lot about itself in its name. You leave it on your hair for two minutes, which is quite short for an intensive hair mask. But very convenient - it meant I could use it on weekday mornings rather than only at weekends, without having to allow for extra time in the shower.

The masque is applied through your hair from root to tip, and then you leave it on. When using products like this I tend to wind my long hair over my head and then basically "stick" it there using the product, but that makes no difference to its effectiveness, it just means that I don't accidentally rinse it off the ends before time.

In terms of the effectiveness of the Pantene 2 Minute Intensive Repair Masque, I can't say I noticed any difference in my hairs condition. It was softer and sleeker when dry than if I use regular conditioner, but there were no long term benefits, as I would expect from a product with "intensive" and "repair" in its name. My hair was no stronger, thicker or with less split ends than before using the Pantene masque, even after I had used the whole tube.

When I use a hair mask or intensive treatment, I like to feel like I am indulging myself a bit, and I didn't get this feeling from the Pantene masque. It was a nice product to use, a bit thicker than average conditioner, but the fact that it came out of a tube and that it only needed two minutes on my hair, meaning it wasn't just a weekend treat, made it feel a bit more ordinary than most hair treatments. Of course it was good that I could use it anytime rather than just at weekends when I have more time, but it did diminish its "treat" factor.

All things considered, I probably won't buy the Pantene 2 Minute Intensive Repair Masque now that I have finished the free tube I had. It was nice to use, but it didn't feel special and it had no noticable effects on my hair, so I will probably continue my hunt for something which does have an effect on my hairs condition - and which feels more indulgent.