Redken Brews – Work Hard Molding Paste
This is the second part to the Redken Brews reviews. In this one we are covering the Work Hard Molding Paste. I will admit not having been all that successful with paste up to now, but because of the very optimistic name “Work Hard”, I figured it had to be put to the test.
This tube was provided to me by the awesome folks at Hair Junkie. Thank you for continued support in this product review adventure. It is most appreciated.
Paste is somewhat of a different beast than pomade, wax or clay. It is literally a smooth paste. In fact the Redken Brews container is interesting in that respect since it is a pump. This dispensing approach makes for a mess free portioning.
How do I apply paste? The short answer is to apply in slightly wet or damp hair. Paste has a very low water/moisture content and it will usually dry quite fast when applying. In these conditions application is a bit more difficult and you might not in fact get enough product in to get the desired result.
So having damp hair (as towel dried as can be after the shower) I poured myself a good nickel size of this paste. Spread it in my palms and distributed in my hair. Forward, backward and sideways to get as total of coverage as possible. You will feel the paste being absorbed and start to offer an ever so slight resistance. This is a good indicator that it is time to style. I found that styling with this product was considerably more agreeable than some of my previous experiences with similar products. I will assume that having damp hair is the main difference. As my hair was still a bit damp, I finished the styling by blow drying the hair in place. Instead of going for the dryer’s cold setting you will get better results using a warmer setting. The heat will relax the paste and make it bond with the hair. This took but a moment and the results were impressive. Even more impressive was how long this style lasted – a full day. Typically, pastes and clays have given me about half a day’s worth of styling.
A small item to mention; pastes, clays and cream often have a whitening effect. By that I mean that they can make your hair look a shade lighter and thus amplify your greys and whites if you have them. I am there and it’s not always something I want to have amplified. The good news is that this paste mostly acts as a pomade in this respect and tends to make your hair either a slight shade darker or simply unchanged.
Fragrance-wise, this is not an un-scented product, but it is a fairly discreet fresh aroma. I can’t quite put my finger on it and I will describe it as a fresh summer breeze. It is not like a Rockabilly soda-pop pomade. It is more in line with the common fragrances you find in hair care products.
Here is the rating on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is a perfect score and/or level of shine:
- Hold: 4
- Shine: 3 (This is an almost shiny paste)
- Texture: 5
- Feel in hair: 5
- Facility to wash out: 5
Pricing information: The Work Hard Molding Paste is sold for $22 at Hair junkie.
To sum things up, you get: an easy product to work with, proper hold, natural looking results with a mostly matte finish. I like it!
In Ottawa, you can shop for the Redken Brews product line at:
(613) 565-0123
info@hairjunkie.ca
200 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6M7