Northern Lights Matte Paste – Strong Hold Hair Clay for Men – Matte Finish, Vegan & Handmade with Natural Ingredients – 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 feel It 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.

The Shear Revival Northern Lights Matte smells amazing and provides a solid, reliable hold that lasts through the day. The texture is nice and matte, giving a natural look without feeling greasy. That said, it is on the expensive side — there are other pomades out there that perform just as well for less. Overall, a quality product if you don’t mind paying a bit extra for the scent and brand.

Lets me style my fine hair with total control and keeps it in place for the whole day in windy conditions with some occasional frizz that goes back down with a small touch.

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.

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.

I’ve tried lots of products over the years, clays, pastes, pomades, foams, and creams but this has finally ended my search for a daily driver. I have fine blond/brown hair and this gives me hold without weighing it down, providing a healthy, natural look. ​The hold is not as strong as O'Douds or Arcadian’s matte paste, but I prefer the natural finish it gives instead of looking too dry and matte which can make my hair look dull. It’s easy to restyle and washes out with just water, leaving my hair feeling soft and conditioned. For context, my hair is very fine and 4 inches on top, which I brush back with my hands into a loose 'push back.

Awful product. Far too thick & dry. A waste of money.

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

Perfect product for hair care and styling

Highly recommended. Smells great. Holds great.

Bin mit dieser Pomade sehr zufrieden. Der Duft ist sehr angenehm und sie lässt sich gut in die Haare einarbeiten. Am Ende erhält man das gewünschte matte Ergebnis

Gives a natural matte finish without feeling heavy or sticky. Easy to apply, workable through the day, and washes out without effort. Good hold that looks clean. A solid everyday product. Been using it for years, and received several complements about the (good) smell too.

Vengo da un'esperienza conflittuale col moroccanoil texture clay, che all'inizio pareva soddisfare le mie aspettative ma per il mio tipo di capello ho notato che secca troppo: ho i capelli brizzolati, un po' diradati e tendenti al riccio, e il moroccanoil andava benino solo se ne applicavi pochissimo, ma poi non dava nessun effetto texture. Se facevo una seconda passata col prodotto, sempre aggiungendo una piccola quantità, ebbene i capelli diventavano crespi, opachi e ancora più bianchi! Per non parlare di quanti capelli strappava durante l'applicazione, nonostante avessi scaldato il prodotto per bene tra le mani. Veniamo ora al northern lights. Ero molto titubante per via delle recensioni sul profumo, addirittura molti dicono che sà di caramelle gommose alla frutta: non è così... personalmente odio i profumi dolci e soprattutto se sono forti e persistenti, tipo che lo continui a sentire per il resto della giornata. Moroccanoil è buonino ma troppo forte e persistente. Questo invece a primo impatto non è spettacolare, ma sicuramente non dolce! Ha una prima nota di aspro tipo lime, e poi sentori erbacei. Niente di fastidioso, ma la cosa che adoro è che non è per nulla persistente o invadente, anzi, dopo averlo applicato non lo senti più per tutto il resto della giornata, e questo per me è l'optimum! Infatti tanti prodotti sono così invadenti che addirittura coprono il tuo profumo... Per quanto riguarda l'applicazione, anche se scaldandolo nelle mani sembra appiccicoso, tra i capelli non tira per nulla, e crea un effetto matte molto naturale, non secco! La tenuta è buona, direi media, ma credo che se ne applichi un po' in più (non tutto insieme eh, in due volte mi raccomando!) li fissa meglio ma mai in maniera strong, sempre elastica. Ricordo che è fatto con soli ingredienti naturali, e possiede un ingrediente ottimo per i capelli diradati: kaolin. Questa è un'argilla che crea volume senza appesantire, ma a differenza del bentonite contenuto in molte altre argille (o clay) come moroccanoil, il kaolin assorbe meno l'acqua del capello (ecco perché non secca come il bentonite) ed è anche più elastico. In definitiva direi di aver trovato il mio prodotto vincente, e consiglio a tutti quelli che vogliono un effetto matte ma naturale, che non secchi troppo, e che non amano i profumi troppo invadenti, di provarlo assolutamente. Inoltre lo utilizzo anche sul mio bimbo di 5 anni (tranquillo per gli ingredienti naturali) per mettergli apposto i suoi capelli lisci ribelli, e va benissimo, tra l'altro mentre col moroccanoil texture clay frignava perché gli tirava i capelli durante l'applicazione, con questo non fa una piega! Compratelo ad occhi chiusi perché a mio avviso è uno dei migliori prodotti in assoluto per ogni tipo di capello! Spero di essere stato utile...