Test Drive: Pantene 3 Minute Miracle

What THEY say: Pantene’s new 3 Minute Miracle provides a salon quality treatment experience. Enriched with a new formula, it’s designed to help repair three months of damage in just three minutes, giving hair a beautiful shine.

Directions: Wash hair with shampoo & conditioner and apply 3 Minute Miracle to strands. Leave in for 3 minutes, rinse thoroughly.

Want shiny hair without getting goop all over your hands? Then this is the product for you. Ever one to get sucked in by good advertising I decided I needed to try Pantene’s 3 Minute Miracle treatment for myself instead of reading bucket loads of magazine reviews, mostly written by Procter & Gamble’s copywriters who make it sound like you can’t live WITHOUT the stuff.

They say first impressions last and to find a 3 tube pack for only $9, things were going right for this product from the get-go. I’d been told by a lot of people that Pantene products should be avoided if you’re a consistent colourer due to the high level of silicone but I had only even been told this about their shampoo and conditioner and determined if the worst happens and I end up looking like Britney Spears (before the extensions) then my hairdresser is only a 5 minute drive away and is known to work magic no matter what the “condition”.

To my pleasant surprise, this stuff actually works. According to the well written blurb on the tube, 3 Minute Miracle makes your hair considerably smoother and silkier and they were right. After the normal routine of blow dry & straighten, there was noticeable shine just like they promised. Even after 4 days and 2 more washes, the “just been to the hairdresser” feel is still there and looks to be hanging in for another day or two.

Pros: If you’re after great shine for a function or event, get your hands on this stuff - your hair will be shiner than a detailed Ferrari at a Motor Show.

Cons: If like me you don’t like to wash your hair everyday of the week, you will find that on day two your hair feels greasier than normal and might actually need another wash. You also wouldn’t think that there was such as thing as too much smoothness but if you need an up-do, I’d steer clear of it (all those smooth strands unfortunately don’t stay up as well as slightly dirtier ones).

Verdict:
You’d be hard pressed to find a product under that’s cheaper, easier and more instant and if you’re after that “salon feel” without the $200 price tag, I’d certainly recommend the 3 Minute Miracle. Whilst I didn’t actually have 3 months of damage to repair, it lived up to its claim of beautiful shine, my only challenge was trying to wash my hair and shave my legs in 60 seconds to try and keep my shower to the governments recommended “4 minute save water” time limit.

4 out of 5 stars

Next Test Drive: Clinique Take the Day Off Make-Up Remover Milk

Yours truly

d+s