Hair mask heaven: Hask Macadamia Oil Hair Treatment

I haven't had my hair cut or coloured in what feels like forever *sad face* so I'm always on the lookout for a good, nourishing mask to tend to my stressed out tresses. Yes, I know, I know, nothing gets rid of dry, split ends like having a little trim but I can't even afford that at the moment and I'm not very good with scissors... So a mask it must be. 

Hask is an American hair care brand sold in drugstores such as Walmart, Walgreens and Duane Reade, and they currently sell a selection of their products in the UK through Primark. I first came across Hask after hearing a bit about them in the beauty blogging world, and as they're such bargain products I thought I'd give them a go. I was able to find two mask varieties: the Macadamia Oil Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment and the Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment. They retail at £2 each and come in handy, generously filled sachets, with enough in each to last three or four applications on my long hair.  

I decided to try the Macadamia Oil mask first because I haven't used any Macadamia products before. I've had a few Argan oil serums and oils so figured it might be nice to try something new. The product aims to 'rejuvenate dry, damaged, chemically treated or over processed hair' which sounds perfect for my frazzled strands. It contains Keratin to restore strength and Macadamia oil which apparently seals cuticles while making hair super soft and shiny. 

The full list of ingredients is as follows:

To be honest I don't really know what everything actually is, but I can spot Macadamia Nut and Keratin Protein! I really should learn more about the science behind beauty products.. But anyhoo, let's get on with the review. 

I cannot emphasise the following point enough: this mask smells AMAZING. It smells INCREDIBLE. It smells very strongly of nuts, sort of a nutty, sweet, creamy, nourishing smell. If that makes sense?! I pretty much wanted to scoop it out and eat it as soon as I opened the sachet, but obviously that's not advised. I settled for smoothing a large dollop onto my wet hair, concentrating on the tips and working my way up. I didn't put too much near my roots as my hair has been known to do the dreaded oily roots/dry ends combo at times, so I focused mainly on the ends to mid-lengths. The mask has a lovely thick consistency which I tried to capture in the following photo:

I appreciate that the photo may not do the product justice! But I'm hoping it gives a good impression of how thick and creamy it is. It smooths on really easily and the smell is just divine. I was reluctant to rinse it off after the required ten minutes but there's no need to worry as the smell lingers long after rinsing and drying. Phew! 

My first impressions when combing through my damp, towel dried hair with my beloved Tangle Teaser was that my hair felt incredibly soft and easy to comb. Usually I have one or two knots that need a bit of work but my hair was knot free. I let my hair air dry as I'm trying to avoid using heated appliances too often, and once dry my strands felt softer and smoother than before and looked very shiny. They also felt stronger and looked less frizzy. While it isn't a miracle worker in that the ends of my hair are still quite dry and tired looking, it does give a good boost and works as a quick fix if you're in need of a short term glossing effect. In this respect, it certainly fulfills its promises as stated on the packaging. My hair felt in much better condition than it did beforehand, and seeing as each mask only costs £2 I'd say it's definitely worth the money. 

I'll be trying the Argan Oil mask next week and will report back with how it compares. If it smells half as good as this then it's already a guaranteed winner! 

Find out more about Hask here.

Primark beauty haul: Hair, tan and storage!

'Primark' and 'beauty' isn't really a combination that instantly fills me with excitement to be honest. Bargain bikinis and ballet shoes, yes. But beauty products? Hmm...

However, having noticed Hask's range of Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil products on my last few shopping trips, and having heard good things about them from fellow bloggers, I thought I'd put my Primark prejudice aside and give them a go. Of course, as soon as I started browsing the beauty shelves I found lots of other goodies I wanted to try, hence one hair mask turning into a Primark beauty haul. Oops! Here are the bits and bobs I picked up. 

Hask hair treatment masks, £2 each 

Macadamia hot oil treatment £2, Argan oil £2.50

I went in looking for Hask products and found the Argan Oil and Macadamia Nut masks, plus a Macadamia Nut hot oil treatment and Argan Oil shine oil to use on wet and dry hair. I used the Macadamia Nut mask this morning and I was extremely impressed; expect a review over the next few days. 

Hair Essentials with Argan oil shampoo and conditioner, £2.50 each 

This Argan oil shampoo and conditioner duo is actually made especially for Primark, unlike Hask which is a division of an American hair care company. I'm intrigued to see what these are like. The bottles are reminiscent of the infamous Moroccan Oil range, although I'm sort of doubting the quality will be quite as good. I'll be testing these this week and will report back with my verdict.

Anti-Imperfection face mask 90p

Who didn't love these Montagne Jeunesse face masks during their teen years?! I'm still a fan, especially as they come in a range of wonderful colours with hilarious images on the front of each sachet. Where can I get me some leaves like that?! This one contains aloe vera and willow which I thought sounded very soothing, and since I've been making an effort to use a mask once or twice a week to encourage clearer pores I figured this 90p (!) classic might help. 

Sunkissed Gradual Tan £2.90

My nickname when I was younger and holidaying in Italy with my Stepmum's Italian family was 'mozzarella'. Which just about sums up how pale I am and how stubborn my skin is when it comes to tanning. OK, so I actually hate sunbathing and would rather stick pins in my eyes than lie out on a beach towel for hours at a time (I don't cope very well in extreme heat!) But still, my legs don't even pick up a 'walking around being a tourist' tan. I rely on gradual tan to see me through the summer months, because as much as I try go by the pale and interesting tag my legs are more translucent than white. I usually use Palmer's Cocoa Butter gradual tan but thought I'd give this a go as it makes a cheaper alternative. The packaging looks sleek and the initial smell is quite cocoa buttery. It's not made specifically for Primark as far as I can tell, but is part of a wider range of tanning products made a company Sunkissed. I slapped some on my pins this morning after my bath, so I'll be judging the results this evening before bed. Fingers crossed!

Large 'Ditzy' wash bag £3 and small 'Ditzy' make-up bag £2

Last but not least, I couldn't resist picking up a few make-up bags. The larger one was only £3 and the smaller one was £2, and I love the floral design. I seem to have hundreds of make-up bags but really needed a bigger one to dump my everyday items into, rather than having three of four small bags spilling everywhere on the bathroom floor. The smaller bag is perfect for holding handbag essentials, so I'll be bringing it everywhere with me. If I'm being honest I seem to get a kick out of collecting make-up bags and these were just too cute to resist!

Have you tried any beauty products from Primark? I'd love to hear your thoughts!