Gerabak Milky Way Matte Paste review

Today we've got another matte paste to review. This one was sent to me by the Malaysian homebrewers from Gerabak. This is the Milky Way Matte Paste; a water-based paste with a firm hold. Let's have a closer look at it shall we.

Packaging

Milky Way Matte Paste comes in a 3.5oz amber glass jar with a black lid. The labels, instead of being printed on a sticker, is actually printed on the jar itself. The design itself is rather simple, with information being a wee bit small to be read easily. The overall packaging looks pretty good, and I really like how the labels are directly printed on the jar.

Scent

Described as a space scent by the brewers. Vague, but the scent itself reminds me very strongly of an old-timey Malay cologne; a smell I personally associate with my late-grandparents and elder Malay folk in general. It's not a bad scent and it definitely resonates with me culturally, but I don't really like smelling like this myself. It's a fairly prominent scent that will slowly fade away throughout the day, which works in my favour.

 

Application

Scooping out the product is really easy, feeling slightly dry yet pliable to the touch. Breaking it down will emulsify it into a smooth and creamy paste that goes into the hair relatively easy. Has very little tugging or pulling.

Texture

Even though creamy, this paste definitely has a drier feel to it. While it's still combable, it definitely provides a good amount of texture. Works better for messy and looser hairstyles over clean ones.

Control

Styling with this product is fairly intuitive. Height and volume is easily achieved with this lightweight paste. The dry consistency has some issues keeping some strays in check and I do find that my stubborn areas fight it at times. It feels like a much creamier and softer clay.

Strength

It does provide a nice firm hold, but the lightweight of it does cause it to fall out of shape sometimes. That aside, the hold is definitely sufficient and good.

Shine

A matte finish, just like what's stated in the name.

 

Durability

Being a water-based product that's more on the drier side, it faces little to no issue putting up with hot weather. It could use a bit more density in the product to help your hairstyle endure a bit better against bad weather, but it's easily restyled if needed.

Washability

Rinsing your hair will get almost all the product out, leaving your hair feeling soft and nourished. Shampooing your hair will easily get all of it out.

Price-point

Including shipping to Singapore, it'll cost you $40 SGD ($29.39 USD). They don't really have any retailers outside of Malaysia so buying direct is pretty much your only option (unless you're Malaysian of course).

Verdict

Gerabak is fairly new to the homebrewer scene. Milky Way Matte Paste is the only product they've put out thus far, so I'd really love to see what else they release next.

As for the product itself, I'm actually pretty pleased with it. I'm more accustomed to using pomades and clays, and this product definitely feels like the middle ground between those two categories. It's creamy during application but gives you a great amount of texture. It gives you a solid firm hold as well and remains restylable throughout the day. The only drawbacks about this paste for me is that it's a bit too dry to control my hair fully and I don't like the scent of it in my hair.

With all that said, I think that Gerabak's Milky Way Matte Paste is a good product. A solid option for loose hairstyles that has an easy application. I look forward to seeing what else this brand puts out in the future. Get yourself their Milky Way Matte Paste for an experience that's out of this world.

Click here to visit Gerabak on their Facebook page