I'm not the best at taking care of my hair.  I've always kept the same routine for as long as I can remember, which is in fact no routine at all.  I rarely run a brush through it, tend to use whatever product that happens to be available in the shower, and maybe get a trim once a year.  There's probably an additional list of things I'm doing wrong, but so far it's worked out in my favor. My hair is fairly low maintenance -- or, what my friends like to refer to as "Asian hair"-- but this summer, my hair changed dramatically.  Between the years of coloring and sun abuse from the past few months of traveling, all the damage has finally caught up.  My ends are drier than normal and get tangled easily, and though they're not split, they're definitely frail.  So, I finally decided it was time to introduce my hair to masks.

I've never used them before so I was pretty excited to experiment.  And even though I grew impatient waiting for my hair to fully absorb the masks, I think this is the solution for all the low-maintenance girls out there.  You can use this once a month, and best of all, it leaves your hair smelling and feeling great, that salon quality.  I ended up trying various brands, and these three turned out to be my favorite.  I used the same shampoo post- mask treatment, but I was most interested in the scent, texture, and most importantly, how my hair felt during the rinse and dry process.

The Hello Hair hydrating mask gave my hair the exact texture I was looking for -- not too smooth and not oily at all.  It's not like a traditional mask that leaves your hair feeling like you've over-conditioned.  I was actually really nervous because my hair tends to get oily after a day without washing so I wasn't sure if adding more oils into it would affect it.  I brushed two packets throughout my root and ends (I have a lot of hair), wrapped a damp towel around it, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

OGX Argan Oil of Moracco has been a brand I've wanted to try for quite some time.  I always assumed the products were meant for people with curly hair, so I rarely picked it up.  I loved running this through my hair with a wide comb and letting it sit.  It left my hair really soft, relaxed, and took away all the dullness.

The last, Beauty Protector Protect and Treat Hair Mask left my hair smelling phenomenal and softened my ends dramatically .  The creamy texture of the mask holds well and is easy to apply.  I slathered this throughout the strands then threw it in a bun, slathering more on top (see picture).

So if your hair is looking to brighten up your locks this summer, definitely try a mask.  Whether it's one of these or something else you know works.  Also, if you have any brands to recommend me, please share!