This really wasn’t an issue because the product is great for restyling. The soft, pliable hold you get can easily be brushed or finger-combed through halfway through the day if necessary. Label.m Matt Paste produces a low-shine finish that’s best suited to messier and more textured hairstyles. I was surprised with how lifeproof Label.m Matte Paste actually was, for months with my short hair, it actually became my daily driver. For the messy quiff I like to shoot for, it became easy to use and quite reliable. The finish wasn’t always the best (because it’s sometimes a touch greasy), but it was convenient to only need 1 product to achieve a decent style.

It’s always easier to apply creamy hair products to clean hair than it is with oily or greasy hair. A lot of the hold will be generated from the roots, so don’t make the common mistake of simply applying the paste to the tips. Plus, it’s not noticeable once it’s applied to the hair and shouldn’t conflict with any actual cologne you may choose to wear.

It’s water-based and water-soluble, washing out very easily with just water alone most of the time. If you’re on a budget (good value rating 8.3/10) and just need a product to cover the essentials then the Matte Paste can be quite accommodating. It is available at an affordable price point and can deliver good results for the money.

The more you apply, the heavier it’ll feel and the more difficult it’ll be to build texture and volume with.Label.m matte paste is a salon product born in the UK, commonly used and found the company’s Toni and Guy salons (their other brand). Unlike many other styling ‘pastes’ out there, Label.m’s matte paste actually looks, feels and responds like a paste. However, Claymation has a much stronger clay component (as the name would suggest) and so does feel heavier and grittier to apply. Overall, it looks sleek. Everything about it oozes “professional stylist”– it’s what you’d expect to find on the shelf of a salon. It isn’t eye-catching by any means but goes well with the overall minimalist and fashion-focused aesthetic. It may be a little weaker than what you’d expect from a hair paste and definitely weaker than a hair clay.