Farida Abdel Malek 
After a long summer of beach damaged hair, I found that my hair was drier that it has felt in a very long time. I had actually forgotten what it was like to have to work hard on detangling my hair. I’m also growing it out after almost 2 years of having a Lob, so I couldn’t go get my 6 month hair trim that usually helped with dry split ends. So it’s safe to say that my hair isn't doing too well. My mom kept pleading that hair masks and overnight oil treatments were the way to go, but I was too busy and could barely fit in a face serum in my routine to be able to do anything else.
Testing out the L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Hair Mask was really interesting, because I rarely add things to my hair care routine. I usually keep things basic and simple. So it was fun to see how much of a difference I can feel with trying out a hair mask in 3 different ways. This multi-use hair mask is good for those not wanting constrictions when it comes to how they can incorporate it into their routine. It’s a nourishing oil mask so it’s meant for those with normal hair that tends to become dry. It has 6 precious oils, including Jojoba oil, which work on adding shine and nutrition. You can use it in 3 ways: Apply it for a couple of minutes or overnight before washing your hair, use it as a conditioner/mask after shampoo for around 3-5 minutes before rinsing and even as a leave in conditioner.
Pre-Shampoo
Let me start off by saying, it smells amazing so I was very much enjoying having the scent so close to me. I applied the mask generously on all my hair including roots. I left it on for 30 minutes as I relaxed in the bath. While I was rinsing it off I instantly felt the smoothness, it’s that feeling like when you wash off a really good conditioner. After that I used shampoo and conditioner as I usually do. I wanted to keep everything else in my routine the same so I can really test out the difference. After I got out of the shower my hair felt a lot smoother than usual, it didn’t take time to detangle and didn’t need as much of my leave in conditioner that I regularly use.
The next day my hair felt really nice and soft. Even the hair at the back which is the most dry, damaged and has been driving me crazy, is calmer, easier to run my fingers through and noticeably a lot smoother. Also my hair still smelt great from the mask, which was surprising since I shampooed, conditioned and applied a small amount of oil and leave in conditioner, but it remained the scent that stayed the most.
After Shampoo
After it dried, I noticed the texture of my hair was incredibly soft. All summer, my hair has not been this soft, I ran my fingers through it so easily, I even got compliments at work that my hair looks really shiny. Even the hair at the base of my head that’s damaged and usually very dry was really soft. I went to the beach 2 days later and my hair after swimming was exceptionally soft and a lot more manageable than it was after my previous dips in the sea! I usually apply oil after I leave the water and brush it out and it takes forever to brush and still feels crusty, this time It felt really good which surprised me considering the effect of the mask should have worn off by now.
My second trial was using it in the shower after shampoo, almost as a hair conditioner, maybe leaving it on a little longer, so for about 3-5 min. As I waited, I washed my body, did a scrub, cleansed my face and washed it off after around 3 minutes. And well, it did its job, I instantly felt a difference as I was washing it off. My hair was silky smooth, too smooth to the point were I thought it hadn't been washed off properly. I foresaw the good hair day even before I had put my hair towel on.
I immediately felt an immense difference when I took my hair out of the towel. After I put my leave in conditioner and tiny drop of oil, it brushed out so easily, a lot easier than it usually does. It felt really smooth, so much that I kept touching it just to see if the smoothness would evaporate somehow. My hair even looked better even when it was still wet! Hard to explain but true. It also felt smoother than when I tried the mask as a pre-shampoo treatment.
Leave-In
That night I showered, used shampoo and conditioner and used the L’Oreal Extraordinary Jojoba Oil Hair Mask as a leave in conditioner, which I think is the technique I’ll be going for the most. Right off the bat my hair looked really shiny, which I love. As I was brushing it through my hair, it instantly got detangled, I didn’t even need to use a brush, I mostly used it for styling. I didn’t feel the need to add oil because it gave me shine and softness.
There was wind that day as my hair was drying off, which would usually have me end up with ‘Monica Geller in the Barbados hair’. However, it relatively stayed put and the frizz was actually surprisingly under control. After it dried completely, I usually have a hard time running my fingers through my hair if I left it to dry naturally, but my hair felt soft, healthy and was easy to run my fingers through.
I slept with my hair untied and usually I wake up and it's a mess, my hair was surprisingly calm, my waves actually remained uniform and intact. Also, the dry spot at the back of my hair that I struggle with was relatively a lot smoother than normal. I can definitely see the improvement as a result of using the mask 3 times so far, so I don’t think it’s leaving my bathroom cabinet anytime soon.
Main Image Credits: Instagram @camila_cabello
