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Axe

Styling Messy Look Medium Hold Low Shine Flexible Hair Paste

Styler / Paste, medium-hold

Styler
paste
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size2.64 fl oz

Price$7.99 Good valueseen at one store · 2.64 oz

Price / oz$3.03/ozat 2.64 oz

Where to buy1 store

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Curly–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Moderate Not in your profile

Hold (as stated) Medium Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Some Not in your profile

Weight on hair Rich Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Parabens / preservatives Present Not in your profile

Essential oils Not determined Not in your profile

Show all 20 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Vegan / cruelty-free Cruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Aerosol can Not determined Not in your profile

Needs heat to set Not determined Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Not determined Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

Ingredient list 27 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it Target · Walmart +3Widely sold Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Lower cost than most pastes

$3.03/oz at 2.64 oz — less than 93% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together

Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it

Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable

Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers

Easy to findsold through several channels

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Whether this hold level is right for you depends on your density, porosity, and how long your style has to last — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Hold (as stated) Medium

A medium hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Mixed

Gums and synthetic polymers together.

Weight on the hair Rich

Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.

Oil absorption Some

Absorbents appear, low in the list.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
WaterWater (Eau)	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Petrolatum	sealant	Seals moisture in	Heavy
Beeswax (Cire D'Abeille)	—	—	Neutral
Stearic Acid	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
PVP	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Glycol Stearate	opacifier	Makes the product look creamy	Softens
Glyceryl Stearate	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Softens
Steareth-21	emulsifier	Keeps oil and water mixed	Stabilizes
FragranceFragrance (Parfum)	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
DMDM Hydantoin	formaldehyde releaser	—	Stabilizes
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesContains fragrance. Contains heavier butters. Chelators for hard water.

Full ingredient list (27)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Water · Water (Eau)

General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Petrolatum

General function
A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- sealant
- emollient
3 Beeswax (Cire D'Abeille)
4 Stearic Acid

General function
A fatty acid that thickens creams and helps them hold their texture.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- emulsifier
- thickener
- fatty alcohol
5 PVP

General function
A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

PubChem
- film former
- polymer
6 Glycol Stearate

General function
A wax that makes shampoo look pearly and adds a slightly richer feel.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

PubChem
- opacifier
- emollient
7 Glyceryl Stearate

General function
A workhorse emulsifier that holds oil and water together in a cream.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

PubChem
- emulsifier
- emollient
8 Steareth-21

General function
An emulsifier that keeps oil and water blended in a cream.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
9 PEG-100 Stearate
- emulsifier
10 Propylene Glycol

General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
11 Tridecyl Trimellitate

General function
A cushiony ester used for a rich, long-lasting glide.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
12 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)

General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
13 Cetyl Alcohol

General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
14 Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

General function
A clay thickener that suspends particles and gives creams their body.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Absorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.

PubChem
- clay
- thickener
15 DMDM Hydantoin
- formaldehyde releaser
- preservative
16 Stearamide AMP
17 Disodium EDTA

General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

PubChem
- hard-water chelator
18 Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
- preservative
19 Quartz
20 Titanium Dioxide · Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

General function
A white mineral pigment that makes a product opaque or pearly.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- opacifier
- mineral
21 Blue 1 (CI 42090)

General function
A certified colour used to tint the product itself, not the hair.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
- direct dye
- blue dye
22 Red 33 (CI 17200)

General function
A certified colour that tints the product itself. It does not colour hair.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
A violet or blue colorant sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a trace of it deposited on the surface makes a warm cast read cooler. It washes out over the following few washes.
- colourant
23 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

General function
A violet-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
24 Coumarin

General function
A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
25 Eugenol

General function
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
26 Limonene

General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
27 Linalool

General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen

What the whole list adds up to

6 fragrances
5 emollients
5 named fragrance allergens
4 emulsifiers
3 thickeners
3 colourants
2 solvents
2 fatty alcohols
2 opacifiers
2 preservatives
1 sealant
1 film former
1 polymer
1 humectant

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 2.64 oz

Seen at $7.99 1 store · checked Aug 27

Good value under $12 Under $4.38/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $12 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $19 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 2.64 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Target
$7.99

2.64 oz · $3.03/oz

Aug 27Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out

2.64 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Seen at $7.99 is the price we have observed for the 2.64 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $12 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $4.38/oz; at 2.64 oz that is $12. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $19 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2.64 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

This formula covers the systems a paste is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the pastes we have researched.

How the score is counted

Costs less per ounce than 93% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
Reviewers mention 2 recurring complaints

A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.1 pt
Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

AvedaLighter feel Tousle Texture Dry Texture Spray $10.28/oz $7.25/oz more

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

· Close function

Function: Weight on the hair
Also: Vegan
Salon tier

Compare

RedkenLowest cost per oz Brews Molding Paste $4.80/oz $1.77/oz more

Rich
Flexible hold
Alcohol-free

· Related function

Function: Slip and detangling
Needs detergent to remove
Also: Masstige tier

Compare

18.21 Man MadeClose function Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay $13.00/oz $9.97/oz more

Curly method
Rich
Silicone-free

Function: Film formers
Needs detergent to remove
Also: Amber scent
Salon tier

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Curls that need definition, looking for defined, clumped curls and a formula with real substance

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance or oily scalps and fine hair

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Medium Hold

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Low Shine

Light esters can add a little gloss without a full shine system.

Petrolatum
Tridecyl Trimellitate

Partly supported

A hint of gloss.

Flexible

We cannot read film flexibility from what is recorded.

Petrolatum
Stearic Acid
PVP

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Paraben-free

No parabens appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Preserved without parabens.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Works with a very small amount, isn't sticky, and feels natural rather than product-heavy

long-time user of the product

Holds well but washes out easily, which the reviewer likes for using it on young children's hair

parent buying for their sons

Feels like a 'watered down' version of the paste they remember buying in the past

longtime user disappointed by an apparent reformulation

Recent batches feel more like a lotion than a paste, with noticeably less texture and hold than before

returning customer comparing to prior purchases

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
Ingredient references are linked for 13 of 19 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-09-05.

Styling Messy Look Medium Hold Low Shine Flexible Hair Paste

Is this right for you?

Read from the label, not the marketing

The ingredients that change a decision

What the whole list adds up to

Should you buy it?

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

What people report

More from Axe

How this page was made

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