Shear RevivalNorthern Lights Matte Paste – Firm Hold, Natural Matte Finish – Handmade & Plant-Based with Kaolin Clay & Calendula – 96g

I have short hair, which is between 1” to 3” on top.I have been using matte texture products for about 25 years now. Previously American Crew Fiber was my go-to day to day product, or Hanz De Fuko Claymation for stronger hold and a super matte finish.That was until I found Shear Revival Northern Lights.The finish is great and the hold lasts all day even on a breezy day. The good thing is whilst the hold is strong it can be re-positioned throughout the day.The jar is bigger than I expected, albeit it is quite an expensive product (£20 for 96g at time of purchase).Application, it breaks down nicely in the hands without having to use loads of friction to warm it up an ‘activate’ it. It has a grippy but not tacky feelIt distributes through the hair nicely.I don’t like to use shampoo every day, but it rinses out in the shower well with so I can wash my hair every other day with no product build up.The one small criticism I have is the smell when it’s in the jar is a bit strong but it doesn’t seem to smell in the hair.I’m converted for life now.

Shear Revival's Northern Lights Matt Paste is nothing short of amazing!I am extremely picky when it comes to choosing a product for my hair. I have a sensitive scalp, so I need to be picky.Hold, texture and finish can come at an irritating cost of itching and blotching.I have been using Evo's "box of bollocks", which was great for short hair, it was also an introduction to premium priced hair products or me. I've since learned that spending more on something you use (sparingly) every day, pays off.Northern Lights Matt Paste is certainly premium, I think it's the most I've paid for a hair product, I have to admit, I nearly didn't buy it. I'm still a bit sore about the price and it could do with being a couple of pounds cheaper to make it more competitive in my opinion. That said, you get a lot of product for your money, so maybe I'm whining over nothing...The big question is, is it worth the price?It might just be! First let's look at the list of 13 ingredients. Seriously, only 13! Three ingredients (to the best of my understanding) are synthetic. Caprylyl Glycol, " used as a skin conditioning agent", Emulsifying wax (NF) to help bind ingredients and Polysorbate 80, which seems to be in aid of making the product more pliable.The rest is natural or an extract of a natural material (Calendula Flower extract). Who cares? I do, synthetics and chemicals can be harsh and corrosive to both hair follicles and skin over time.Ingredients and cost aside, it's a decent hold. It's quite thick to get out and I probably scraped a little more than a pea size, which was slightly too much (for reference, my hair length is about 2.5 inches on top) and meant a bit too much of a clumpy hold. Depending on the look you're going for experiment, a little bit less than a pea size gave me the hold and look I wanted.Heat does seem to be a bit of a killer for the hold, my style slightly melting as the day progressed! However, it is extremely pliable (thanks Polysorbate 80!), a run through with my fingers and the style is practically back with a great texture and natural, matt finish.The surprising thing about Shear Revival's Northern Lights Matt Paste is the smell, seriously, the smell! It's amazing, I feel like shoving my head under peoples noses and telling them to have a whiff. Citrus and spice wakes up your senses, inciting excitement and energy when you can barely open your eyes first thing in the morning.I would use it sparingly and consider buying it again, but I would appreciate a lower price. Prolonged use will tell how it agrees with my scalp, but so far, so good. Also for the price, I'd have liked a faster postage.A note on the seller, Newmen: It's not when things go right, but how things are handled when things go wrong. My first order was lost in the post for whatever reason, which was a genuine shame as I'd ordered it in time for an interview and wanted to feel at my best. Michael was polite, patient and responsive, and sent out a replacement in a relatively timely manner, with some delay caused by my slow responses.Thank you for your help and resolution, and thanks for a great product.

Smells good, works well into your hand for an even application. I dry my hair then add a splash of water to my fingertips to activate it, rub in my palms and then apply to hair. It has a matte finish, good hold but not too strong. Washes out easily too. I would like a little more volume/texture so I use a styling powder for the final finish

At first I was disappointed until I persisted with the product and realised how much easier it was when A: applied to damp hair and B: emulsified with a little bit of water. When you have dry thick hair and apply what is essentially to me a clay while your hair is bone-dry you will almost certainly loose a lot of hair and have horrible tug! Emulsifying the product with water will help avoid this.As for the product I do really like the texture you get out of it and how it brings out your natural hair colour- a very nice understated matte finish; the only downside with SRNL is that you don’t tend to get a lot of volume from it.

Excellent product. Finally a product that works on my thin silky hair. I have been trying ao many products for years which includes L’Oreal gels, creams, matte pastes, American crew foam and pastes/creams but all either had more shine and stiffness or too much stickiness and firm hold. I like to run my fingers through my hair often and I want a good set throughout the day and this achieves exactly that. I have seen few pictures in reviews of dried cracks but I have received the same but the consistency is as expected. That crack in the paste is not because of excessive dryness, it is something natural. Go for it and check YouTube reviews to understand the texture of the product better.

I have very fine hair and read reviews saying this product was great for fine hair. It's so oily and greasy, the complete opposite of what you'd want for styling fine hair. The price of this product is wild, it's no difference to many of the £4 products in the supermarkets.