If there’s one thing we’ve learned about stylists and barbers, it’s that they love creating new and unique product cocktails. And the team at 18.21 Man Made is no different. For their spring/summer collection, which showcases longer hair with trending texture, each look is created using a combo of no more than three products: Clay, Paste and Hairspray. “Our brand is about versatility, and there are lots of ways to use the products together,” explains Aston LaFon, cofounder of the brand. “They can be layered one on top of another, cocktailed together and used on dry or wet hair for styling or finishing. It’s all about getting more texture with modern, newer styles.”
For this look, one quarter 18.21 Man Made Clay was cocktailed with three- quarters Paste. “The idea is to create curls with a disheveled look that isn’t as shiny,” says LaFon. “Clay gives extra texture and tones down the sheen.” The style is locked in with Hairspray. “If he’s taken the time to style his hair, he’ll want to keep the look going throughout the day.”
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“This is a natural air- or towel-dried look with Clay applied at the end as a finisher,” says LaFon. 18.21 Man Made Clay delivers different results when applied on wet or dry hair. “If you blow-dry the hair and then apply Clay, it will give a very matte finish with more pliability.” LaFon says if you apply to damp hair that’s 90 percent dry, “it will give a slight sheen with a more groomed finish.”
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In this shot, once again Clay and Paste are used, but the products are layered as opposed to cocktailed. “Paste acts as the styling tool and Clay as the finisher,” explains LaFon. “We used the Paste on wet hair and blow-dried it to give direction and manage- ability with sheen. Then we applied Clay to create a piece-y and disheveled look.” Hairspray finished off the look.
[Image: Hair: Brent Nelson, Martin Hristov, Ryan Mulcahy; Photo: Aston Lafon; Makeup: Kaja Gybasova]
