Once again, we've got another Malaysian homebrewed product to show you guys. The brand is no stranger to this channel/blog, and that is Vintage Armor. We've had a look at two of their products previously but for today, we're looking at Lekiu Matte Paste. This is a water-based paste with a heavy hold and low shine. The product was also kindly sent to me by South East Asia Pomades; a local pomade distributor specialising in products from the Asian region. Without further ado, let's dive into the product.
Packaging
Lekiu comes in the Malaysian standard 3.5 oz glass jar. While I'm not a fan of glass jars in general, I've to admit that it's rather refreshing to see this come in a clear glass jar. The labels are also printed on a clear sticker with information still being clear and visible. Overall, a very minimalist but pleasant design.
Scent
The scent is described as a woody tobacco scent. I've to admit, I'm not able to pin point exactly what it smells like. It has a fairly sweet smell with a slightly woody undertone. Not something I'm a huge fan of, but it's still not bad. The scent is fairly prominent within the first few hours, but will slowly dissipate towards the end of the day.
Application
This is the first paste that I've ever used so I didn't really know what to expect. It feels rather thick but still creamy when you scoop it out. Breaks down with little effort, feeling slightly grippy as it breaks down. Applies into the hair with some tug and pull but nothing overly discomforting. I would recommend to apply in damp hair.
Texture
I was expecting the product to feel slightly drier, but it actually has quite a bit of slickness and stickiness to it. While you can still achieve a fairly decent loose hairstyle with it, it can also do cleaner styles well too. I do appreciate the versatility you get with this product.
Control
I can style my hair with this paste fairly easily. My hair goes mostly where I want it to and doesn't fight me back much. I can achieve good height and volume with it. Although the product has a slight stickiness to it, it's still not sticky enough to control the more stubborn areas.
Strength
You definitely get a heavy hold with Lekiu. It's a medium-weight product with some density to it so that really helps it to uphold my hairstyle throughout the day.
Shine
As advertised, you do get a low shine with it.
Durability
Lekiu does a really good job of enduring throughout the day. You don't really lose any hold and it is also easily restyled if required. It puts up with hot weather pretty well. You'd probably need to restyle every now and then if you're working up a sweat but like I mentioned earlier, it's very easy to do so. I do find my cowlick sticking up every now and then, so I tend to recomb that most often. Finger combing is also an option if you're lazy to maintain it so much.
Washability
Even though it's a water-based product, it does not fully rinse out in one wash and does leave behind a small amount of buildup. I find that 1-2 showers with shampoo should fully cleanse your hair from it.
Price-point
If purchased directly through Vintage Armor, it'd cost $33.35 SGD ($24.50 USD) including shipping. Not the cheapest for a Malaysian product, but those in Singapore have the option of buying it through South East Asia Pomades for only $18 SGD ($13.22 USD).
Verdict
As mentioned earlier, I've never used a matte paste product before. I've seen a few reviews on Lekiu specifically prior to receiving the product, but I'm glad to be able to form my own opinions on it.
To be purely honest, it feels a lot like an unorthodox water-based pomade. Even though creamy, it still feels a lot thicker than I expected and doesn't apply as smoothly as I would like it to be. That aside, I do like how easy it is to style with. It gives me a truly heavy hold without being unbearable in the hair and endures throughout the day as well. I actually do quite like this product overall.
Lekiu Matte Paste is yet another good product from Vintage Armor. I appreciate the versatile use of it and although it's not perfect, I still feel that it's worth checking out. If you're looking for a product that can go in between being clean and messy, Lekiu Matte Paste is a pretty solid option.
Click here to visit South East Asia Pomades on Carousell
To be purely honest, it feels a lot like an unorthodox water-based pomade. Even though creamy, it still feels a lot thicker than I expected and doesn't apply as smoothly as I would like it to be. That aside, I do like how easy it is to style with. It gives me a truly heavy hold without being unbearable in the hair and endures throughout the day as well. I actually do quite like this product overall.
Lekiu Matte Paste is yet another good product from Vintage Armor. I appreciate the versatile use of it and although it's not perfect, I still feel that it's worth checking out. If you're looking for a product that can go in between being clean and messy, Lekiu Matte Paste is a pretty solid option.
Click here to visit South East Asia Pomades on Carousell
Click here to visit Vintage Armor on their Facebook page
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