More waxes

Hard Muk Review (95g)

This product is very good for under $20 AUD, which is cheaper than Rockstar.  This finish for Muk is better than the comparative product of Solid Rock (a moulding clay) but the hold is slightly weaker.  Whilst Rockstar has its advantages over Muk (more versatile for different hair lengths, stronger hold), I place quite an emphasis on the finish of a product as it gives your hair the texture and look.  Like other mat/clay products, the Muk wax gives a nice dry finish with no shine.  All in all when Muk is pitted against Rockstar, they are both good products with strong hold and a good finish.

Got2b Defiant Define & Shine Pomade (50mL):

This review is just here to warn other guys out there to avoid this product because it is fairly useless.  Whilst it is cheap (I bought it for around $5 AUD), I have only tried it a couple of times because the hold for this product is very weak and as the name suggests, it just makes your hair appear and feel greasier.  So it is not really effective for creating the hairstyles that are on this site.

Gatsby alternatives in America & Canada

Whilst Gatsby is almost nowhere to be found in stores in Australia, it is easier to find in America/Canada in Asian stores (T&T, Galleria stock them I hear).  However, there are alternatives to Gatsby for Americans/Canadians to consider.  

Osmo Essence Clay Wax (100mL):

This product is similar to all the other clay moulding products on the market - it has a strong hold with very little shine.  The texture again is more solid than other types of waxes and it is good for the natural look for hairstyles.  However, as with other clay based hair products, it is best not to apply too much to the ends of hair, to avoid it hardening the hair and taking away the natural texture of your hair and making it look more Dragon Ball Z inspired (defined spikes).  I won't put the link in for Amazon because Americans and Canadians have access to it and Asians and Australians have similar products available so there would be no need to buy it online.  The price for Osmo is about $20 US.

Sebastian Xtah Crude Clay (125g): 

Everything is excellent about this product - it's hold, texture, smell but however one thing stands out about it and that is its cost (it costs about $25 US, equivalent to $30 AUD).  You do get 125g of product which is more than standard (Gatsby is 80g, Rockstar 100g and Osmo 100mL).  However it is still more pricey than other hair products and it is one of those products that are at the top of the hairstyling range and you only try once because you can get very similar products for a significantly lower price.

 

Instant Rockstar Wax

Alright, I'm going to review a few more products in the coming hours.  Next up is an Australian wax which I usually buy from Hairhouse Warehouse and it costs about $25.  It's pretty expensive for 100g of product but around Australia, popular waxes like Gatsby aren't stocked on shelf and are only available online.  Personally, I've tried two of their range so I'll only review those two because I'd feel a bit uncomfortable reviewing the other ones in the range.  Just a note that both these products are pretty good for any length of hair - they aren't length specific but rather they are classified by shine and holding strength.

 

Solid Rock (100mL):

This is a moulding clay product and it has a very strong hold .  Also, it possesses no shine so it's good for people with oily hair because it won't add to the shine, or the look of your hair being 'greasy' (similar to the effect of mat waxes).  However, this product takes a bit of scrubbing to get it out of your hair.  Among the good things about this product, is that it gives a natural look and you only have to apply a small amount of product because of the strength of it. 

Classic Rock (100mL):

This wax too has quite a strong hold, however it has a slightly weaker hold than the solid rock.  For those familiar with Gatsby waxes, this wax is harder and stickier than the moving rubber series.  This means that it makes it slightly harder to apply and quite often people don't disturibute the product evenly between their hair so their hairstyle ends up looking unbalanced.  However this can be overcomed by putting a bit of wax in the palm of your hand and then using a blowdryer to melt the wax.  Also, this wax gives a little bit of shine to your hair, so I usually use this product only when my hair is really dry and needs some moisture as I don't like the 'greasy' look.  The thing I love most about this wax is its smell - it has a nice sweet, fruity smell.

Other Gatsby Waxes:

Whilst Gatsby moving rubber series are most well known, Gatsby has other lesser known waxes.  However, most products from Gatsby tend to be quite expensive due to their well known brand.

Gatsby Perfect Hold Wax (60g):

This product is very good for any type of length - it has a good strong hold, minimal shine to give a more natural look, smells nice and washes off with relative ease.  The only set back is that the product is relatively expensive (it is 60 grams), however this is compensated by its efficiency - you only need a pea sized amount to spread through your hair - more for longer hair obviously.  Many prefer this product over the moving rubber series and are very happy with the results that it gives.  Moreover, it is quite easy to use and control, so it's quite good to achieve the style you want without having to play around with your hair for too long.  The medium hair variation of this product is the white container but I wouldn't recommend it as much as the hold wasn't strong enough for my hairlength (medium-long), but it should be okay for shorter cuts.  Just a sidenote that the cube design of this wax looks pretty cool :P 

Gatsby Hair Wax Mat (80g):
This wax has very minimal shine because it is a mat wax, which means that it will not give your hair the shiny or 'greasy' look.  Like most other mat waxes, this gives a very strong hold and is quite durable, meaning it can last the whole day without having to reapply.  This product is 80g, so you get an extra 20g over the Gatsby Perfect Hold Wax, so if you're not too fussed about the slight difference between the two products (I would say this product is slightly harder to get used to but all in all still quite easy to apply), then you would probably go for this product due to the extra 20g per product.  The Hard & Keep version of this product is a softer wax, that understandably gives a slightly weaker hold, with a bit more shine than the mat type.

Gatsby Technical Design Clay (30g):
The first thing you notice with this product is the cost - it's cheaper than the two ranges above BUT it only contains 30g of product per tub, so I wouldn't recommend buying it if you're fairly new to hairstyling or if you're on a tight budget.  However, its design isn't to be used by itself, so you won't run out of it too quickly.  You're supposed to use in with conjunction with the moving rubber series (you apply this on the important areas of your hair; i.e. the ends) to help set your hair in place for longer.  On the downside, the clay requires a good wash to get out, a common attribute with most other clays. 

Gatsby moving rubbers

Hey everyone!  Hope you all are finding this site useful :)

Now that I've uploaded the 600+ photos (I'll keep adding and organising as I go), it's time to move on to the second part of my little project - reviewing hair products.  Hopefully I'll be working on this part and my third part which is to make DIY videos on cutting (thinning, layering and shaping) and styling hair.

Alrighteo, I thought I'd start with the most well known hair product - the Gatsby moving rubber series.  I'll just give you guys a quick rundown on the seven different types.  Note that the usual size they come in is 80g.

Pink (Spiky Edge):  Maximum holding power so that, as the name suggests, you can spike you hair.  However, because of the strength of it, make sure you give your hair a good wash to rinse it all out.  A plus is that you don't need to apply hairspray with this because alone, it'll give your spikes enough definition and shape.  Good for oily hair as the minimum shine won't make your hair look even shineir. The smell divides people, some people love it, others hate it.  Ideal for short, layered cuts. 

Purple (WIld Shake):  Slightly weaker hold and more shine than the spiky edge.  All in all very similar - purple is designed for medium short hair whereas pink is for short hair.  Only significant styling difference is that pink produces more defined spikes.  If you have short hair - I'd only go for pink or purple, not both.

Green (Air Rise):  Personally, I use green fairly often, the air rise is good for a nice clean look.  It's great for when your hair is too long to spike and you don't want to just leave it flat.  Put a bit of this stuff in your hair, a few sprays of hairspray, and you're good to go!

 

Orange (Loose Shuffle):  Like the pink and purple, I would only go for either the green or the orange as they are pretty similar (the orange is for longer hair).  Both give a boost in volume and the results are pretty much the same.  Just a note that most of the people I know use green over the orange.

 

Yellow (Nuance Motion):  Personally, I'd not bother with the yellow one.  Because it caters for all lengths of hair, it doesn't have the specific properties required to acheive most hairstyles.  All in all, very weak hold and I would recommend pink, purple, green or orange before considering yellow. 

Grey (Grunge Mat):  Grey is my favourite - it gives a natural look because it doesn't make your hair shinier.  I found it to be fairly versatile; you can spike your hair or give your hair more volume, it's up to you.

Blue (Cool Wet):  From all accounts, very, very useless, even more so than the yellow.  As the name suggests, it just makes your hair look wet and greasy.  Frankly, water is better, cheaper, and runs from my tap

Final verdict: Whilst I do enjoy the Gatsby moving rubber range and do recommend it, there are heaps of other styling products out there so if you don't have access to a source of Gatsby, not to worry - there are cheaper, and arguably better products on the market.  Stay tuned !