A Mascara That Does as it Claims? Testing Soap & Glory’s Thick & Fast Flash Extensions Effect Mascara

Let’s face it. Makeup never looks complete without mascara. Am I right? You can be as minimal or dramatic with the rest of your face as you please, but until the mascara is on, things just don’t quite look finished. So I think it’s fair to say that the quest for the perfect mascara is an on-going mission for most of us. I can’t say that I have that exact holy grail level mascara to discuss today, but it’s definitely one that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying and would have to be up there with my top tier of lash boosters. So what is this wondrous new beauty? Get ready because it’s a mouthful! It’s the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Flash Extensions Effect Mascara!

 

For those of us in the States, it’s an exciting time as Soap & Glory’s makeup range is finally paddling its way across the pond and settling in on Ulta’s shelves. Having heard so many enticing things about their products for years from all of you UK girls, I feel compelled to test something out. I’m not sure why I was drawn to this particular mascara, especially since I don’t think I’ve ever seen it reviewed before. There is an “original” version of it that I’ve heard good things about, but the Flash Extensions version seems new and it comes with one heck of a lot of claims: volumizing, intensifying, lengthening, curling and defining. I’m guess I was drawn to it because hell yes I want all of that, but hell no do I think it will actually produce it! 😉 It also claims to have “all-day wear No Flake 4D-Flexyway Technology” to really stick to lashes without being tacky – I read that to mean it’s not supposed to flake, smear or run. Skeptical though I may be, I tend to be an optimist at heart and had high hopes for this wonder do-everything mascara. Fortunately, my hopes have not been shattered! 😉

I guess we’ll start with the brush. Nothing special here. Looks like your typical mascara wand, though it is loaded with natural fiber bristles. It’s not overly large so that it’s difficult to apply or makes it tricky to get to all your lashes; it’s not the easiest to apply either, but it’s pretty much average on the difficulty scale. It picks up a decent amount of product, but it seems to apply it relatively evenly and without too much clumping. It can get clumpy if you add too much too fast, but for the most part I don’t have trouble. Moving on….

The formula itself is somewhat wet. I personally hate wet mascaras so I immediately assumed this would not be for me. Oh contrare silly me! 🙂 It is heavier and wetter than I prefer, but my usual complaint with the wetter formulas is that all my lashes end up clumped into a few little super thick lashes chunks and looks terrible! The Flash Extensions somehow manages to avoid doing that. I do feel as though my lashes are weighed down a bit more than with a lot of drier formulas, but not enough that I think my lashes have lost all of their curl. They do lose a bit of curl, which isn’t ideal in my eyes, but it’s not terrible. Given that, if you have stick-straight lashes and really need help with getting and keeping a curl to them, this is probably not going to be your cup of tea. For me though, I still have enough curl that I’m not bothered by the end effect…especially given the other results this mascara provides! 😉

So, as we began, this sucker throws out a lot of claims. I must say that it pretty much delivers! Curl aside, I would definitely have to admit that it certainly volumizes, intensifies, defines and even lengthens! And though it does weigh my lashes down a bit, I feel like the remaining curl actually stays quite nicely all day! Not surprisingly, this is a rather dramatic mascara. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone just looking for something to throw on quickly before running out the door with nothing else on his/her face because it is intensely black and it’s definitely bold. Since that’s what I am pretty much always after in a mascara, I love this stuff! It can look a bit spidery as you layer more and more on, but honestly after sometimes even just one coat, I feel like my lashes are intense enough. That’s saying a lot! I would say I probably do two coats on average, but I am truly surprised that this mascara ticks pretty much every box. Probably because it does so many different things, it’s not the absolute best for volume or the most lengthening mascara, but as far as an all-around, does-it-all kind of mascara, the Thick & Fast Flash Extensions totally shines…well not literally because it’s definitely matte as well! 🙂

One last thing before I finish up and that is the wear and removing process. Remember that 4D-Flexyway Technology nonsense? Well, I can 100% verify that for me this mascara never flakes. I have not experienced any smudging (though I rarely do anyway) and it can certainly withstand the rain and even watery eyes with ease! I haven’t worn it during an intense crying session or anything and I haven’t showered with it on, but under standard everyday living type conditions, this mascara really holds up beautifully! Naturally one would expect that it might be difficult to remove since it stays put so nicely, but a good cleansing oil or the new Pacifica Micellar Water have both removed it easily and completely for me! No tugging, rubbing, pulling, etc required. I think it’s honestly one of the easiest mascaras to remove that I can remember using as of late, while still having fantastic staying power throughout the day!

I’m guessing you can already predict the bottom line…I love the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Flash Extensions Effect Mascara! Not a fan of the crazy long name, but the mascara is fantastic! I still love the volume I get from the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara a bit more, but that’s flaked on me a bit lately and I’m not sure that I wouldn’t prefer flake-free cheeks! 😀 If you’re concerned with adding a curl to your lashes, this may also be one to skip. But much to my shock, amazement and wonder, the Flash Extensions Effect Mascara pretty much lives up to its claims and provides dramatic, impactful lashes that are intensely black with a good chunk of volume and decent length. It’s like the Goldilocks of mascaras! I am so pleasantly surprised by this mascara and definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a well-rounded mascara. Absolutely brilliant, Soap & Glory! Bravo! 😀