TRIED & TESTED: "My dry, frizzy hair has never met a $9.09 hair mask that it loved more than this one."

Summer has ended which means my hair has weathered more than a few storms. My serious failure to maintain my blonde locks — think chlorine, excessive time in the ocean and let’s be honest, a long time in between washes — has left me with brittle, damaged hair drier than the Mojave Desert. 

Now that La Niña seems like she’s here to stay and the holidays are now a thing of the past, we’re well and truly back into the swing of things which means it's time to start restoring my hair. 

What I’m currently working with — the dryness kills me! Image: Supplied.

Currently, it’s a hot mess and in need of a salon. There's only one minor (ahem, major) issue: a quick glance at my bank account told me that I spent too much money on chilli margs, which means it'll have to be a home salon job for this blondie. 

For $9.09 a mask, I found the Bear Fruits Hair Mask range. I know what you're thinking, but yes, all those decimals are in their correct places. They're also 100% vegan and cruelty-free which are huge pluses for me. 

The price wasn’t the only major pull-factor either. Not only do these bad boys leave your hair feeling nourished, silky and healthy, but each hair mask comes with a super handy, reusable hair cap, so you don’t need to worry about the product sliding places it shouldn’t or leaving stains on your pillow, couch or clothes.

Image: Supplied.

Not easily convinced? Me neither. That's why I decided to take these guys for a test run for a week. Here's exactly how it went.

Friday quickly rolled around and I had made plans to enjoy some tacos with a dear friend. However, in no major surprise turn of events, my hair was a new level of dry. Like seriously dry. Think the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz:

The Scarecrow in action… split ends, fluffy and DRY. Image: Supplied.

From my Bear Fruits selection — because at $9.09 why not get multiple? — I chose the Coconut Moisture and Hydration Mask. 

As usual, I popped on some Mariah Carey, washed my hair with the normal products, and once I was done, towel dried my hair. 

I then applied to mask liberally. I popped the hair cap on (seriously, they are so cute), and waited 30 minutes for the intense conditioner treatment to work its magic. While I waited, I chose an outfit and finished sending some emails.

Once the timer sounded, I jumped back in the shower to rinse the mask out of my hair, (sadly) sans Mariah bangers. I sprayed my hair with heat protectant and blow dried my hair.

After. Image: Supplied.

After just one use, my hair felt silky and looked so much healthier. It was the perfect product to get a quick fix before an outing. My friend also commented on how great it looked when I got to dinner. Not used to all these hair-related compliments, but who I am to knock them back?

I love socialising, so much so that I'm that person who tries to fit too much into one weekend and refuses to admit she may have overestimated her energy levels. So naturally, by the time Sunday evening hit, not only did I feel exhausted but my skin and hair also looked it. 

So I decided to really play into the at-home-salon week I had started by turning my apartment into the ultimate relaxation zone.

Let me set the scene: candles lit, glass of red wine poured, dinner on the stove, hair and face mask on, and the netball playing in the background. 

This time around, I picked the Avocado Oil Repair and Nourish Mask, which actually smelled like heaven. After my hair had been through the wringer over the weekend, it was exactly what it (and I) needed.

Maxo relaxo. Always drink responsibly. Image: Supplied.

After letting it sit for the typical 30 minutes, I quickly learned that this one is THE definition of treat yourself, and feel as if it needs to become a permanent fixture in everyone's Sunday night routine ASAP. 

The next morning I woke up to silky smooth, healthy looking hair. I didn't even need to style it — just one quick brush did the trick, and I was ready for the workday. Ummm, thank you Bear Fruits!

Obsessed. Image: Supplied.

At that point, it was pretty safe to say I was now addicted to these products, so I decided to share the love. I proposed to my girlfriend (not that kind of proposal, although Millie, if you’re reading this my ring size is Q) a self-care night. 

We have the polar opposite hair types: she was blessed with thick curly locks compared to my thin straight hair. I gave her the Strawberry Detangle and Shine Mask and kept the Flamingo Smooth and Soft Mask for myself. 

We settled in on the couch in our caps, equipped with a sheet mask and green tea. Whilst we waited for the 30 minute timer, we tried to decide to watch something — and spoiler — all we did was surf through Netflix and chose nothing (I know you all understand our pain). 

Image: Supplied.

After we washed both our masks out, there was no denying the inevitable: my dry, damaged hair has never met a $9.09 hair mask that it loved more than this one! 

Not only are these masks super affordable, quick and easy to use, but they actually work. I now always keep at least one in my bathroom cabinet for when my hair is in need of a pick-me-up.

Want to give them a try yourself? Check out the Bear Fruits Hair Mask range at Priceline.

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.