Given the typical creaminess of pastes, they should distribute smoothly. Great in straight, wavy and particularly thick hair, styling wax is a good product to use for strong strength hold, Try not to use too much without washing because it will build up in your hair. In general hair pastes are a bit thicker in consistency than pomades, and their consistency and texture can range from something like a thick toothpaste to tacky glue. You can spot a water based pomade by looking at the ingredients and seeing if the first ingredient in the list is water or aqua. Hair Paste and Hair Clay. Typically, a hair pomade is a product that gives a medium to high shine and a medium to strong hold. There are even matte pomades being released, but we'll get onto why that could be confusing for you in a second. Anything that has a higher shine look and is more "perfectly styled" and combed through, like the Conor McGregor side parting. • Wax can hold hair in place for a longer time than pomade. The products are so different that you’ll probably prefer one over the other but will then have the benefit of seeing for yourself. You won’t be able to without wetting the hair first (eg. It normally works best for short to medium length hairstyles and will help to add texture and volume to the hair, allowing you to achieve messier hairstyles. Water based pomade = Medium to high shine, high hold, easily washable. What I’ve done is compared these two types of products by looking at different features that may lead you to choose one over the other. 2. • Pomade gives shinier hair than wax. Hard to wash out. Paste – Medium Hold & Medium Shine. Although certain companies simply use different product names for marketing purposes, there are in fact variations. Used as a pre styler before styling product. Texture dust = Ultra matte finish. It’s this creaminess that really makes a paste a paste, with additional waxiness or grittiness depending on its other included ingredients. And a lot of the time it was a bad experience, it left our hair crispy and we overloaded the front of our hair with too much product. With more men looking to wash their hair less and looking to rid of harsh shampoos from their grooming routines, an oil based pomade may not be for you! Adds texture and volume. It felt about as hard as Reuzel pink but seemed to scoop out a little easier once I broke the initial barrier. Pomades are most suitable for hair that’s medium-to-high in thickness, medium-to-long in length, and for definition, slickness, and gloss. This is because pomades can make thin or fine hair look even thinner, while pastes will often add fullness and volume. Water-based pomades are more gel-like, while oil-based pomades feel waxier, tougher, and stickier. While pomades work best for only a few types of hair textures and styles. Hair pastes are probably the most versatile men’s hair products and can be used for practically any hairstyle.They are usually water-based – so washing them out is easy. So if you ever see a "clay" on the market that doesn't contain a clay ingredient high up in the ingredients (typically bentonite, kaolin or any combination of these) then it's not really a clay! You’ll save yourself wasted time and money trialing the wrong one out. With one of those 3 you can't really go wrong to achieve most hairstyles that require a styling product. Contains clay ingredient. Pastes are better for hair that’s thin, short-to-medium in length, or for adding texture, layering, and a matte finish. They can also be combined with wax for a more subtle look, but the purpose of pomade is to give shine and control. Hair wax = Low to medium hold, medium to high shine. Hair gel = High shine with a high hold. You can build texture by using brushing, combing, and heat. Pastes produce more texture in the hair than pomades do. Hairspray is best used when paired with a low to medium hold styling product to help you get some added hold, especially before a night out when you want your hair in place for a long period of time. Sea salt spray = Low to medium hold, matte finish. Unlike waxes and pomades, gels actually harden on the hair leaving a stiff feeling and a shiny, wet look. Ingredients - what does the product contain as its main ingredients? Hair paste products are perfect for anything and everything. Think the Tom Hardy Taboo haircut - something with a real wet look to it. Both pomades and pastes can give varying levels of hold. Overusing texture powder can dry out the hair, just like other powder products, like dry shampoo, it does take the natural oils out of the hair, so be aware of this if you have dry hair. But we'd always suggest looking towards pomade for those styles as opposed to gel if you can as you can almost always guarantee that you'll get a better look and feel to your hair with a good pomade, and most of the time without the harsh chemicals and alcohols that a lot of gels contain. How pomades and pastes may differ, however, is in the type of hold they produce. Be wary of using too much. Matte paste vs clays. Clay = Lower hold, matte finish, reworkable, adds texture & volume. To dig a bit deeper into that, it's good for you to know that there are two categories of pomade and they are -. I’m a fan of pomade, wax, and paste. But if a heavy hold isn’t what you’re looking for and you’re simply looking to add some texture (paste) or some definition and gloss (pomade), either product would be fine for long hair. Hairspray = Used as a finishing product for extra hold. 1. Fiber would be much sticker in the application. It’s also water-based, so can easily be washed out with regular shampoo. Hair paste is one of the most versatile hair products on the market, and if you're just getting started and are really unsure then it should probably be your go to! Hairspray can be used on almost any hairstyle you can think of. It's easy to get bogged down in comparing pomade vs paste or clay vs pomade, but there are a lot of products on the market that say they're a pomade, a clay, a paste when they're not by definition. Hair gel is usually the first styling product to come to mind, but there are many other options — hair clay, hair cream, hair fiber, hair mousse, hair paste, hair pomade and hair wax, just to name a handful. That’s the beauty of it – they may have some of the grittiness of clays or the waxiness of an oil-based product, but the creaminess makes it comfortable to apply. Avoid if have thinning hair. Hold strength - how long does the product hold the hair in style for? And how are you supposed to know which one is best for your hair and your style? Pomades are best suited to hair that’s medium-to-long in length. Having said that, pastes can give you less texture and more definition if this is what you’d prefer. from blow-drying) to really break it down before you can apply it smoothly. Hair pastes are thicker in consistency than a pomade and their feel and texture can be from a toothpaste like consistency to a PVA glue. The more clay-like pastes will also produce less shine than the more wax-like pastes. If you have thinning hair then avoid gel at all costs. Pastes are traditionally most used for short-to-medium length hair, where spiking, layering, or adding texture is what’s looked for. That’s the core message, but I’m sure you want to dig a whole lot deeper. To sum that all up, you can use both pomades and pastes to build volume. Because of this, pastes are often used for more modern and layered hairstyles, while pomades are better for producing more definition with less texture and more gloss. Often expressed from low to high hold. We'd always suggest to look at the properties of the product, read reviews to see what styles people have used it on and see if you can find pictures and videos of the product in action. Clay, pomade, gel or cream? The more traditional hair wax became the go to product for a lot of men in the bed head era in the late 90s to early 2000's. Hair gel is the dying breed of mens hair products and the one we almost all started with. Texture powder, texture dust or volumising powder to give it just some of its common names, is used for doing exactly what it says on the tin, it's used for building texture and volume in the hair. Hair styling pastes typically have a consistency ranging from a thick paste to a tacky glue with a medium to very firm hold. Wondering what the difference is between a Hair Clay, Matt Paste and Pomade hair products? Pomades can be used on short hair but this may be too heavy and shiny, and so might reveal too much of the scalp if the hair isn’t thick enough. This means that it is the main ingredient used in the product. If you want a high shine and high hold for a classic look, but are not worried about washability then you should probably go for oil based. Focus more on the thickness and length of your hair, as well as the key differences I listed earlier. One brands paste will be another's putty. Cleve McMillan, stylist and hair guru, is here to help us explain what each different hair product does and how to use it (because hair gel can’t have all the love). We can all admit that taking a walk down the aisle of hair care products at your local store can be overwhelming, to say the least.. With tons of brands, products, and variations of different products it can almost seem impossible to make a decision on which is best. A lot of products nowadays have taken natural waxes like beeswax and lanolin, which have a lot of benefits for the hair and used them in a wide variety of products like pomades, pastes and clays to create hybrid products. So now you know what all of the hair products are, which one should you use? Paste vs Fiber Hair Gel . This has a big influence on the types of styles they’re used for. All styled with Regal Gentleman Matte Clay, (Related: How to use hair clay - The ultimate guide to mens clay). Like we said though we would use sparingly, if at all, when paired with higher hold styling products on slicked hairstyles. 10/10" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Josh G. Review on Regal Gentleman Matte Clay. But it can be done and the volume you build will have gloss, shape, and great definition. Almost any style. Well the 3 most common hair styling products for men in 2018 will be pomade, paste and clay. The additional ingredients usually lean more towards clay or more towards wax, with waxy ingredients being more common. It can be used on any length hairstyle from ultra short to really long hair. Some products give a matte finish while others provide a cool sheen. Can be used on short to long hairstyles. The great thing about hair paste is that although it may be thicker, once warmed thoroughly in the hands it's then easy to apply through the hair. Hairspray is one of the more common finishing products for men, and with that being said we won't go into too much detail here. Also be wary of using too much powder, some texture powders if overused can leave your hair looking white, so make sure to use sparingly and make sure to blend the product in well by rubbing your hair all the way through. A clay like the Regal Gentleman Matte Clay is great for almost any of the short to medium length messier hairstyles that we're seeing being popular in 2018, think David Beckham's new haircut and the new Thor haircut. If you still aren’t sure, try them both out. Water based pomades were designed to bring the look and feel of an oil based pomade, but while also being water soluble allowing you to wash it out of your hair easily. As always, I split “hair types” into three categories; thickness, length, and straightness. The 9mm Haircut: Guard, Length, Trim Guide [With Photos]. Hair gel will give you a high hold with a high shine, but just be careful of your hair looking too shiny and also be doing too stiff, which a lot of gels can make your hair once they dry. But overall, you can expect a paste to feel creamier than a pomade. Since 1925, Murray’s Pomade has been providing shine and hold to the hair of men from all walks of life. The matte or low shine finish of pastes is ideal for more modern and textured hairstyles where shine is less important and less desired. To get straight to the point, the main difficulty people have when comparing pomades and pastes is trying to define what a “paste” really is. In general hair pastes have a thicker consistency than pomades. But don't worry if you are worried about your product being water soluble, as there is another option for you and that's the water based pomade. Oil-based pomades are the same; the heavier the waxy ingredients, the tougher it’ll be to emulsify. A product like the Regal Gentleman Salt Spray can be used on short to long length hairstyles. ), but that’s a great product as well – kind of like a greaseless Brylcreem. Oil-based pomades, on the other hand, can be tricky to wash out given their heavy waxy ingredients. It originated in 1920s from substance called brilliantine. As always, you may find that you like certain features of one product and certain features of the other. Use it when you need a medium or firm hold. Side parts, slick backs and pompadours. Paste: There isn’t really a clear definition of ‘hair paste’ but they all have similarities when it comes to the look and feel of them. Gel was popular in the ‘90s, but alongside New Kids on the Block, it has since faded in its appeal. Pomades are great if you use a hair comb to style your hair. Hair Pomade Hair Gel vs. Pomade vs. If your style of choice is a slicked back, glossy quiff then this is just the ticket. In fact, pomades can actually make hair look less full and less voluminous by weighing it down and making it look shiny or greasy. Think the matte side parting or pompadour. Such is the versatility of hair pastes. These are also easier to wash out. Most pastes are water-based and so will wash out of the hair easily, with or without shampoo. 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