Seppo’s “BOND-O” Matte Styling Paste
My favorite Mechanics, the guys at Seppo’s have launched a couple of new products in the last little while: a cedar wood scented old school aftershave splash and the matte BOND-O hair paste.
This review will cover their BOND-O hair paste. Seppo’s already had a couple of more traditional ringing gel pomades, therefore the introduction of the BOND-O paste is an expansion in new territories. Hair Paste is most certainly the hot product at the moment. It’s been a long time coming and many of the early paste were not memorable, but over the course of the last year and half or so we have reached somewhat of a sweet spot. The older pastes and creams were promising but typically lacked performance in the hold department. The new generation of pastes have gone beyond these limitations.
For any mechanically inclined person, even in the slightest, who had to keep an older car going and looking acceptable, the Bondo name might ring a bell. Yep, it’s that body filler putty launched by 3M back in 1955 and still around. We’ll take it as an homage. 🙂
So aside from it’s cool name, why would I turn away from my trusted pomade for this paste? Up front, I will say that there is NO good reason for giving up on my pomade! …but you certainly can accommodate for another jar in your cabinet.
Here is what I liked about it:
- very easy to work with
- great volumizer/texturizer
- not demanding and you can apply it to dry hair (although I personally prefer to add a little moisture to my hair with a Barber spray bottle to help things along)
- has a great mechanic citrus scent (My nose is acting up these days and I assumed lemon at first, but it’s officially “orangesicle”)
- it gave my mope about 4-5 hours of hold before needing a bit of replacement
- since it is a water soluble solution, a simple shower head rinse will take care of business.
What is hair texture all about (item 2)? Yeah, I hear you! Texture is the buzz word in the hair world. Basically, texture is volume. It’s also a hair cutting method by which your hair ends up with more shape or at the very least, better shape. If your Barber/Stylist is a Rockstar and he/she cuts your hair so well, you might not even need any product . My Stylist is that good, but when I am left to my own devices, that kind of magic doesn’t happen and I need all the help I can get. So styling products it is!
A good styling paste like BOND-O will create texture and will make your hair look thicker and healthier. Worry not – this won’t create a 70’s afro. You’ll just end up with a higher pomp than you expected.
As with all styling products, I would caution you to start with a little and add as needed.
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: 1
- Texture: 5
- Feel in hair: 4.5
- Facility to wash out: 5
The feel in hair gets a 4.5 because the hair remains a little tacky or waxy for the bulk of the day. It is not unpleasant, but just enough to notice.
Something foreign to most guys is the idea of combining products. Yes, that jar should do it all and yes your lady is lucky that you are doing something with your hair. The thing is that most products only do one thing well and getting a little help for another products is not a bad idea. It’s like priming before painting. You work less and get a better results.
Paste is extremely light. This is in great part why you can create such fun volume and elevation, but it doesn’t have the same life as pomade might. So you can use the BOND-O paste to create a very decent style with great volume, to which you could add a touch of pomade here and there to add some shine and increase the hold. When working with paste I often seal things in place with a very small coat of hair spray. This adds a touch of shine and secures things.
In short, the BOND-O Hair Paste is a nice addition to the Seppo’s product line that fill’s in the gap for a matte option. And it smells great too!