AMIKA | Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask

*DISCLAIMER: This is not sponsored. The product featured was purchased by me*

For those of you who do not know, AMIKA is a brand that came straight out of Brooklyn over a decade ago with a focus mainly on hair products and hair styling tools. Over the years, I have used several different hair masks by this brand and have loved them! Having said that, AMIKA has recently just launched a new hair mask that is slightly different from their other more traditional hair masks. Today’s product that is being featured is the Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask.

The Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask was inspired by the Korean “splash mask” beauty ritual where people would splash nutrient-enriched water onto their skin to help brighten and moisturize. Except, AMIKA created this product for your hair instead of your skin! The product claims to be a flash acting mask that delivers a brilliant shine to the hair while moisturizing and softening the hair in 60 seconds. 

|AMIKA| Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask
Price: $33.00 CAD
Amount: 200mL
100% Vegan and Cruelty Free

WHAT IS IT?

The formulation of the hair mask is marketed to be good for all hair types (e.g., wavy, curly, straight), but is ideally meant for those with fine to medium hair texture. The actual website encourages those with fine and/or oily hair types to use this product in place of their conditioners. However, individuals with thick and/or drier hair types, should consider using this product after their conditioner.

The key ingredients that make up this formula include:

-Flaxseed which helps to moisturize and soften the hair thus creating a healthy natural shine

-Amino Acids which works to smooth and improve hair elasticity

-Antioxidants which assists in hydrating and conditioning the hair to combat frizz (which I definitely need!)

Aside from having all the nourishing ingredients mentioned above, AMIKA was mindful of keeping harmful ingredients out when they created this product. More specifically, the product is “free of sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances.” To make this product even more desirable, it is also vegan and cruelty-free and who doesn’t love that? I know I do!

|AMIKA|
Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask

MY THOUGHTS

When I first used the product, I used it in place of my conditioner because I was under the impression that the hair mask would deliver an intense hydration to the hair based on its claims. However, I found this to not be the case. I found that it had left my hair feeling a little bit more dry than usual. Just for reference, I have fine, curly hair that can be on the drier side at times (especially during the winter months). Therefore, key benefits that I look for in all my hair products include hydration and taming any kind of frizz. The second time that I used the product, I used it after my conditioner and I had left it sitting in my hair a couple of minutes longer than the recommended 1 minute. I must say, I was much more impressed by the results it produced the second time around. I noticed it added a subtle shine to my hair, however, the shine became more prominent after styling my hair. I also noticed that my hair felt softer and the ends of my hair felt smoother as well which helped to tame some of my frizz (gotta love that!). I was also enticed by the fact that the formula is VERY light weight and did not weigh my hair down, which means this can be used on a weekly basis or even on a daily basis. It also did not leave a sticky or greasy residue after rinsing which I also was very happy about. The packaging also made the product very easy to use and has AMIKA’s signature scent. Would I recommend this product to others? I definitely would, but I would highly recommend using the product as suggested. Overall, I was quite pleased with the results and AMIKA has yet to disappoint me with one of their hair masks😊

INGREDIENTS

Water/Eau/Aqua, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Linseed Seed, Vitis Vinifera (Red Vine/Vin Rouge) Leaf Extract, Wine Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Germ Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn/Argousier) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat/Blé) Germ Extract, Glycine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Lactic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Citric Acid, Benzophenone-4, Lactobacillus Ferment, Calcium Gluconate, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Cellulose, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Silicone Quaternium-8, Trideceth-10, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum.

*DISCLAIMER: This is not sponsored. The product featured was purchased by me.*