Can Amika’s Flash Mask Really Give My Hair Instant Shine in Just 60 Seconds?
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
Let’s be real – finding a hair product that *actually* lives up to its promises can feel like hunting for a unicorn. There are sooo many on the market promising shine, repair, hydration and moisture – but a fair number of them don’t really live up to the claims, in my experience.
One product that influencers, beauty editors, and haircare lovers alike have been raving about though is Amika’s Flash Instant Shine Mask.
Promising “brilliant moisture and shine in just 60 seconds”, I wanted to find out whether this quick mask really can give me smooth, sleek hair in just 1 little minute; or it’s just another beauty gimmick.
So, is it really as good as everyone says, or is it just another overhyped beauty buy? If your hair is craving some serious TLC, you’ll want to stick around for this one…
The product details
Amika says that their Flash Instant Shine Mask “instantly seals the cuticle while softening and hydrating the hair for a silky, smooth finish.”
It’s suitable for all hair types, however, fine and oily hair types can use it in place of a conditioner and thick and dry hair types should use it after conditioner.
Image – Courtesy of writer
It’s formulated with flaxseed to moisturise and soften the hair for healthy looking shine, amino acids to smooth the cuticle and boost hair elasticity, and antioxidants to hydrate and condition the hair to fight frizz.
I’ve got wavy hair and I’ve recently discovered flaxseed is a great haircare ingredient for wavy, curly, and coily hair – so this could be the perfect mask for me.
Housed in a seriously pretty pink and coral bottle, Amika’s hair mask comes in a 200ml size (£26.00 from Space NK /$30.00 from Sephora US), which is quite a lot of product for the price. I’m a real affordable beauty gal and I wouldn’t usually splash this much cash on a hair product. But, if it lives up to its claims, I would probably consider this since you get such a large amount.
First impressions
So, on my next hair wash day I put this mask to the test.
I love haircare product that have quite a strong smell because my hair seems to absorb any smells and scents it comes into contact with (this is a nightmare around greasy foods and kitchens!).
When I unscrewed the lid from the bottle, I was met with one of the nicest smelling haircare products I’ve ever tried. It’s the Amika signature scent of vanilla (my fave), spicy sweet clover, and fresh citrus – and it’s beautiful.
I’ve used similar products to this mask before, such as Elvive’s 8 Second Wonder Water Lamellar Hair Treatment, so I expected the texture to be similar to this. However, it’s slightly thicker and gloopy, sort of sitting between the texture of a gel and water.
I was pleasantly surprised by this because I’d found Elvive’s hair treatment really difficult to apply, with a lot of it ending down the drain because it runs right off your hands and hair.
But will Amika’s product provide better results?
Image – Courtesy of writer
The application process
As I mentioned earlier, fine and oily types should use this after shampoo and in place of conditioner, while thick, dry, damaged, or dehydrated hair should use this after their regular conditioner. Because my hair can get greasy quite quickly and it’s in pretty good condition, I used this in place of my conditioner.
I squeezed all of the excess water out of my hair and added a substantial blob of Amika’s mask to my palm – it was really easy to smooth over my hair. It feels glossy and moisturising as you apply it, giving a coating of hydration.
The brand says to “apply product directly to hair in sections”, I did try this but I found it easier to apply it onto my hand first. The nozzle makes it quite easy to apply directly onto hair but I feel like I can make sure all of the strands are covered using my hands. You should fully saturate from mid-length to ends, wait 60 seconds, and then rinse it out.
You can really feel the smoothness of your hair when washing this out after just 1 minute – and did I mention how stunning the scent is?! My shower and bathroom smelt so dreamy afterwards.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My results
I’m sold on this. As someone who tends to steer clear of luxury beauty in favour of more affordable brands, even I’m impressed.
I didn’t do my wavy hair routine when I used this because I was going out and I didn’t have the time for my hair to dry naturally. I’d be interested to see how it works with that routine, but this time I used the hair dryer. My hair felt silky when I brushed it damp, and as it was drying it was definitely less frizzy and much smoother.
Once fully dried, I twisted it up in a claw clip for a couple of hours to promote some waves and when I took my hair down before leaving the house, I was so (pleasantly) surprised that my hair had a lovely wave without any frizz or flyaways.
I can imagine this being amazing if I ran the straighteners over my hair, too.
Image – Courtesy of writer
What other users are saying
People are generally loving this mask. One user on the Amika website says “I love the shine my hair gets when using this product. It definitely does what it says”, while another writes “Really like the product and like to mix in with conditioner and apply on to hair and after that sits wash out. Hair definitely looks shinier.”
I came across a few people who struggled with the application. One person on Reddit writes “I hate this stuff. The instructions (in my opinion) seem to indicate that it serves solely as your conditioner and you use it in the place of you regular conditioner. I wish they had been more specific. I am almost through with a full size bottle and I will never use it again. My hair is a dry tangledly mess when I use it.”
This isn’t something I experienced at all and the mask gave perfect results on my hair when used in place of my conditioner. The brand does advise that if you have very dry or dehydrated hair then you should use conditioner as well as the mask. In fairness though, this isn’t indicated on the bottle, only on the website.
@lenkalul ad doing my hair using @love_amika flash instant shine mask ???? link to shop in my bio! #AmikaPartner
Overall value for money
I think this is pretty good value for money considering the results, scent, and amount of product you get. It only needs to be applied to the mid-lengths and ends, so I think I could get around 10 uses out of this.
L’Oréal’s Elvive Hyaluron Plump Flash Hydration Wonder Water is a similar product and almost 1/3 of the price (£11.00 at Boots /$11.99 at Ulta). While I got some nice results from this hair water, it was much more difficult to use because the formulation is thinner and it didn’t give the same shine and glossiness.
The takeaway
I’d buy this again, even if just for the scent! It lasts in the hair until your next wash day, and I kept getting whiffs of it throughout the day (I actually couldn’t stop smelling my own hair).
For me, it really did provide the shine-inducing results that the brand claims, my hair was less tangled, and my waves formed easier on their own without the need for a full wavy routine.
My hair looked shinier and smoother and it felt really healthy. What’s not to love?
Get Glowing!
