Eliza Approved spotlights those hero products worth the spend. Whether it’s classic favourites or what’s landed on our beauty editor’s desk this week, you can put your trust in our recommendations.
I’ll confess: I’m typically not one to trust a multitasking beauty product. How can something possibly do three or four things at once, and do them all well? Especially if getting one thing right (think the perfect non-smudge ultra-black liquid liner or dewy foundation) is so tricky?
Sounds like a red flag to me. It’s for that reason when Garner’s Ultimate Blends Hair Food range hit shelves years ago, I was sceptical.
The Hair Food masks come in a generous 400ml tub. They’re made from 100% vegan ingredients (well done, Garnier) and offer 3-in-1 benefits as they can be used as a conditioner, leave-in conditioner and hair mask.
Traditional ‘food’ products are the main ingredient, so alongside banana and shea (my favourite), pineapple, coconut, goji, watermelon and papaya are each available as a mask in the range.
Any curly girl knows that stumbling on a brilliant version of even one of those hair products is no mean feat, but since food products like honey, banana, avocado and olive oil have long been seen as holy grails for healthy curly hair, I wondered if maybe there was some truth to the Garnier range.
At only £6.99, (top tip: it’s always on offer somewhere if you hunt around online), I thought I’d try it out. I waited a few months after the launch – and after I’d read a few reviews – to try the banana one.
Reader, my hair loved it.
Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food Banana & Shea Mask: my review
- Price: RRP £6.99
- Ingredients: Olive fruit oil, banana fruit juice, soybean oil, shea butter, avocado oil
- Benefits: Up to four times less breakage after one use and nourishes without weighing hair down
Which hair type is best suited to the Garnier Hair Food mask?
There’s a mask in the range dedicated to almost every hair type, but my banana one is aimed at dry hair types. Thanks to the coily shape of curly hair, it makes it hard for natural oils from the scalp to travel down the lengths of hair, so it’s typically a drier hair type. Mine is no different.
At the slightest hint of a temperature drop, I expect frizz, split ends, dullness and general disobedience. With ingredients such as shea butter and coconut oil, the banana mask brings my hair right back to life, offering intense moisture without a heavy feel.
What will the Garnier Hair Food mask do for curly hair?
Depending on your hair type as they do work in some routines, silicones can coat curly hair over time, which prevents moisture from getting in. With the aim of nourishing dry hair, the mask doesn’t contain silicones, so all that hydrating goodness can really penetrate your strands.
Expect smoother curls and stronger hair, since moisturised hair is less prone to breakage. I have a trim every three months and my hair stylist noted that I’ve been needing less off the ends over the past year, which I have no doubt this mask has everything to do with.
What does the Garnier Hair Food mask work best as?
As mentioned, the product is a 3-in-1, but in my experience it’s most effective as a hair treatment over the winter months. Thanks to its super thick and creamy consistency and strong (but yummy) banana scent, I find it works best as a rinse-out product.
How should I apply the Garnier Hair Food mask?
I’ll wash my hair then coat it in the mask, before detangling and styling into two plaits. It’s not a watery product – I’d say it has the consistency of a lovely Greek yogurt – so it won’t splash everywhere and make a mess as so many other hair products do.
I’ll pop a shower cap on for 10 minutes then rinse it out and style as usual. My hair feels super soft, looks shiny and smells *delicious*.
For the price, the Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food Banana & Shea Mask remains unbeaten.
I find one tub will last me around two months if I do a weekly treatment session. It’s a bargain, especially considering how generous the tub size is, and it’s a third of the price of my second favourite hair treatment. Of all its pros, that’s one of my favourites to humble brag about.
Other hair masks to try in the Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food range:
£6.99
Ultimate Blends Glowing Lengths Pineapple & Amla Hair Food 3-in-1 Hair Mask Treatment
Garnier
£6.99
Ultimate Blends Hair Food Coconut Oil 3-in-1 Hair Mask Treatment for Frizzy Hair
Garnier
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