This weekly Olaplex mask is my answer to frazzled winter hair - the before and after pictures have to be seen to be believed

As someone who has dyed her hair into oblivion over the years and tests hair tools for a living, it's safe to say my hair has been pushed to its limits. This means I rely on treatments like Olaplex once a week to help combat dryness and over-processing. 

As a fan of the of the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector, I wanted to see whether the Olaplex No. 8 Intense Bond Moisture Mask lived up to its 5-star reviews and helped my ends that are crying out for some TLC. 

Unlike other treatments in the Olaplex line-up, this one is all about hydration rather than bond building. I'm a huge hair mask enthusiast, making time for one every week to help my chronically dry ends. Despite knowing Olaplex products are top of their game, I didn't expect to like this product so much, nor give such immediate results. 

Benefits of the Olaplex No. 8 Intense Moisture Mask

Olaplex No. 8 is all about hydration. As the name suggests, it promises to deliver intense moisture to add shine, smoothness and body whilst still feeling weightless. I was a little dubious of the brand's before and after shots because they almost looked too good to be true, but was bowled over to discover that my own before and afters came out nearly identical. The mask aims to smooth straight hair and redefine curls—and it did just that. 

The main ingredients are glycerin, an array of oils, ceramides, squalane, panthenol, and a bunch of amino acids to help hydrate, smooth and protect the hair. It also contains the silicone dimethicone, which I personally love in hair products because it gives that real silky feeling after washing. 

Plus,  the mask also features the brand's patented bond repairer ingredient bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleat, which is found in Olaplex No. 3 and is responsible for repairing strands. In No. 8, it's not included in as high a concentration so isn't the main event of the product. 

This combination of ingredients made my strands feel deeply moisturised without weighing it down, instantly making my hair feel softer and less frazzled looking. 

How does Olaplex No. 3 compare to No. 8? 

Although Olaplex No 3 and No. 8 seem similar they actually serve very different purposes. 

No. 3 is all about bond repairing using the ingredient bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleat that links these broken hair bonds back together. It's used to strengthen and repair these strands. Olaplex No. 8, on the other hand, is all about deep hydration; working to add moisture and shine back into the hair. If anything, if your hair is a little damaged but mainly needs moisture, the No. 8 is the best of both worlds giving you a little bit of repair with a lot of hydration. 

However, if you're dedicate to No. 3 but also want to try out No 8, the good news is that they work brilliantly together. 

How to use Olaplex No. 8 Intense Moisture Mask? 

I first washed my hair using the hair sandwiching method, starting with conditioner on the ends and then shampooing before rinsing everything out. I let my hair dry a tiny bit, just so it wasn't dripping wet. 

Then, I applied the No. 8 mask starting at my ends and working my way up to mid-lengths. To my surprise, it was really easy to disburse in the hair so a little went a long way. However, it did not brush through well sadly. Typically with a hair mask I try to work it in with a wide tooth comb but it was making my hair incredibly knotty, which worried me. 

I left it on for the recommended 10 minutes wrapping it in a top knot so I could continue working while it marinated. Then I slightly wet the hair with the mask on and brushed through with my comb, which thankfully worked well and got rid of any knots. After rinsing out completely I followed with go-to styling heat styling products Redken's Anti-Snap Treatment, Pantene Pro-V Go Longer Protein Reconstruct Leave-In Hair Cream, a spritz of Arkive's Hair Prologue Primer and finally Moroccanoil's Frizz Shield Spray.. 

Before using the Olaplex No. 8 Intense Moisture Mask

This is my hair before. I had blow dried it straight a few days prior butmy  natural texture can be seen coming back. It's definitely on the frizzy side and very dry through mid-lengths and ends. 

After using Olaplex No. 8 Intense Moisture Mask

My hair felt really, really soft straight away and I didn't need to work through any tangles, which I normally do. It also felt a lot less frizzy and frazzled; took very little effort to dry and gave a sleeker appearance. It worked particularly well on my dry ends where evidence of previous bleaching can be seen. 

This is definitely a new weekly staple in my routine.