When it comes to hair styling products, two distinct trends dominate the market: established brands with extensive production capabilities and heavy advertising, and indie brands that, while smaller, focus intensely on quality and craftsmanship.
These two trends exist in harmony, benefiting guys who care about their hair and enjoy experimenting with new products. Today, we’re spotlighting Black Label Grooming, a passionate indie brand from the UK. Founded by longtime friends Matthew and Nathan, their mission is to create bespoke-quality hair styling products. They’ve launched their vision with two standout offerings: Black Label Grooming Craft Clay and Shape Paste.
When they sent their products for review, their confidence was evident. “Just use it, really use it for a month, and then review it. We’re sure you’ll like it because Black Label Grooming products have never been poorly rated.” Well, let’s see if that holds true.
First things first: Black Label Grooming deserves top marks for their packaging design. The simple matte black finish with laser-etched white lettering exudes a premium feel - none of that tacky decal nonsense. I’ve always found cheap-looking stickers on premium products to be a major turn-off. 😦
Craft Clay
As the name suggests, Craft Clay is a clay-based wax, but Black Label has elevated it with a formula derived from Bentonite clay, which originates from volcanic ash. The thought of smearing volcanic ash on your hair is intriguing, to say the least!
Texture: The clay has a hard consistency typical of waxes, making it a bit challenging to break down and distribute evenly at first. However, it only took me three attempts to master it. Be aware that Craft Clay can feel sticky if not broken down properly, but once you get the technique down, it integrates smoothly into your hair without tugging. The key is to thoroughly rub the wax between your palms before application!
Craft Clay has a greyish hue and a dense consistency.
Hair Texture: It coats each strand evenly, providing great texture for short to medium hair lengths. Whether you're aiming for a quiff or a pompadour, Craft Clay delivers impressive volume and structure.
Volume: The volume largely comes from blow-drying techniques, and styling products help maintain and enhance that volume throughout the day. Craft Clay offers a light feel while clearly lifting my pompadour without weighing it down. For extra support, consider using a pre-styling product before blow-drying.
I used Craft Clay to style a Messy Quiff, showcasing its strong hold.
Shine: Clay products are known for their matte finish, and Craft Clay is no exception - it provides zero shine.
Scent: Both products feature a lemon sherbet fragrance, but Craft Clay adds a hint of cola, which is quite pleasant. This scent fades after about two hours, leaving a subtle trace - definitely one of their strong points.
Hold: Expect a hold of 6-8 hours. As with most styling products, the hold may decrease in hot weather.
Re-styling: A common concern in Vietnam is how well your hair holds up under a helmet. With Craft Clay, you can easily restyle your hair without any hassle. However, expect to lose about 60% of the volume after removing the helmet.
Shape Paste
The second and currently final product from Black Label Grooming, Shape Paste, offers a different experience. While Craft Clay boasts a strong hold of 5/5, Shape Paste is rated at a medium hold of 3/5.
Texture: Soft and smooth, it breaks down quickly, and you only need about half a fingertip’s worth per use.
Shape Paste has a light cream color and a soft, smooth consistency.
Hair Texture: This product gives a soft, lightweight, natural look that feels flexible and easy to manage.
Volume: Shape Paste delivers better volume than Craft Clay, creating a pleasantly bouncy look even without pre-styling products.
Shape Paste provides a natural volume and texture effect.
Shine: It maintains an absolutely matte finish.
Scent: The scent remains lemony but is more sophisticated and appealing - not the artificial lemon smell you’d find in air fresheners or dish soap!
Hold: Expect around 6 hours of hold. For a medium-hold product, that’s quite impressive, especially for maintaining my thick, coarse hair.
Easily re-style without any stickiness on your hands.
Re-styling: Shape Paste is easy to restyle. After removing your helmet, just run your hands through your hair, and it returns to its original state. In fact, you might find that restyling gives your hair a more naturally stylish look - though I might just be imagining that!
Some tips to use Shape Paste more effectively: You don’t need much - just a small amount is enough. Take advantage of its flexibility by dividing it into small "doses" during use: apply half before blow-drying as a pre-styling product and the rest to finish after blow-drying. Thanks to its soft texture, Shape Paste is ideal for combed hairstyles, like a side part, without causing any tugging or pulling on the hair.
Conclusion
Both products from Black Label Grooming are definitely worth a try. Compared to well-known brands like By Vilain or Hanz de Fuko, they stand as formidable contenders. Once I finish this batch, I’ll be buying more without hesitation! I hope Black Label Grooming expands their lineup with more diverse styles and functions in the near future. Based on these two products, they’re definitely on the right path.
Comentários