LOVE this stuff! I was looking for a replacement for my beloved Surf Hair Paste by Garneir, one w/out the parabens and one that had some hold to it. I use this for a few things:
1. Big hair (I apply to the roots only on slightly damp/mostly dry hair)
2. “Beach hair”, texturizing, helping to keep my waves in check. (Worked into damp hair, scruch and twist sections.)
3. I feel that it adds a bit of thickness as well.
4. Smooth down flyaways while giving hair just a smidgen of pliable hold (good for side swept bangs or when you’ve parted your hair on a new side. I like to apply this technique very lightly on dry hair with a very small amount on my palms.)
This leaves my hair pliable and workable throughout the day but keeps hair looking the way I had originally styled it. Like if I apply to my roots for volume I can brush my fingers through and then finger fluff it back to it’s original “big” state. Same goes for waves...if I mess them up by pushing my hair out of my face, they're easily restyled. Styling Glue has a little bit of hold but I wouldn’t use this solely if you’re looking for something to keep your heat styled curls looking perfect throughout the day. Also nice to keep side swept bangs in place...simply rub a small amount into the palm of your hand and smooth over or work into hair...the same technique goes for flyaways. It took me a little while to learn how to work with it, how much to apply or if I applied to dry or damp hair. My suggestion is start out with just a little bit and add as necessary...overloading on this isn’t much fun as textured hair can become very difficult to brush through. I prefer to keep this out of the ends of my hair as much as possible for this reason. (This applies to all styling pastes/glues for me though.)
This stuff really is like glue. Kinda smells like glue (faint smell, but you won’t be smelling this on your hands or in your hair throughout the day), looks like glue and is s.t.i.c.k.y. like glue. If you’re not game for a sticky, potentially messy product, skip this. Matte finish and total HG for me. This is my one I-can’t-live-without hair product. I have
long, fine, thick wavy (2a-2b) thick hair, frequently straightened.