Hair Paste Rundown
By Alina Avery
If you had asked me a year ago how I felt about hair paste I probably would have responded:
“Hair what?!”
But they have become part of my regular hair care and styling routine, so I thought I’d give a quick rundown on my favorite products and how to use them.
The newest and probably the star of the show: R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste
I feel like people are just coming around to the idea of dry shampoo, and now you throw a paste version at them?! But actually this product is exactly what it sounds like. The formula is solid and sticky but when you emulsify it with your fingertips it transforms to have a powdery texture. Don’t ask me how; I’m a blogger not a chemist! But once in powder form, you can use your fingers to apply it precisely where you need it: in your bangs, along your part, through your lengths, wherever. What I love about it is there’s no white cast, you don’t risk sprinkling or spraying it all over your clothes/surroundings/self, and there’s virtually no wasted product, aside from what’s left on your fingers. And it works.
I also apply it to towel dried hair for extra texture and definition, before either blow drying or air drying. Sometimes squeaky clean hair can be too slippery and flat to style, so using a bit of this to give it some grip helps a ton.
Finally, I’ll use a tiny bit post styling to roughen up curls or position bangs. It’s great for that lived-in, I-just-have-great-hair look.
Another paste I have grown to love: Parlor by Jeff Chastain Reworkable Hold Paste
This gives a more polished look compared to the R+Co paste. It’s less texturizing, but gives more hold. I have a sample from Birchbox that I carry around with me in case my hair needs smoothing or roughing up. Seriously, it’s like the great hair equalizer. Tames frizz and crazy ends while also volumizing and texturizing.
Last but not least, an old favorite of mine: Bumble and bumble Semisumo Pomade
This isn’t really a “paste”, but it’s pretty close. First I have to mention that this stuff smells phenomenal. It’s like, not overly masculine or feminine and mostly fresh but a bit musky and really hard to describe, but if you get the chance, go give it a sniff. I couldn’t stop smelling it while I had it open for photos. So _so _good.
It’s described as “hi-shine, lo-hold” which is right on point. Just use the tiniest bit of this on wet or dry hair to amp up the shine and give a little more control when styling. My favorite way to use it is to work a bit into the ends of second (ok, third) day hair. My ends can get weirdly crimped from sleeping so this helps to smooth and reshape them a bit. Remember that less is more, but this is like sexy bed head in a jar.
The best part about hair pastes: they’re unisex, so if you’re taking a trip you can stash it in your boyfriend’s or husband’s or brother’s suitcase so you have more room for shoes. Just kidding. But seriously.
(For the record, Matt swears by the Rusk Paste, and has ever since he received it in his Birchbox last November. It has more of a liquid-y school glue texture… like actual paste. I haven’t tried it, but he’s gone through multiple tubes and I pretty much can’t get him to try anything else.)
Do you use hair paste? Would you?
