AXE products have typically been geared toward a younger demographic — at least that’s what their advertisements, relying heavily on dudes trying to look and smell good enough to get laid, led us to believe. (For the record, we see nothing wrong with that approach.) But with age comes a wiser, more mature AXE; enter Matte Effect, AXE’s new line of products.
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We put a handful of their latest creations through the ringer, which is code for “our disgusting, unwashed hair” to see how they would stack up. Turns out their slogan “Less effort, more style” isn’t just BS. Here’s what we found … 
Molding Mud & Reworkable Clay
These two were by far the best options for our editor with longer, wavy hair. The Mud and Clay provided the most powerful tools to manipulate his mane, which typically resembled Zack Morris’ hair via Saved by the Bell: The College Years (left) and Morris’ Zack Attack phase (right). In other words, the sky is the limit when it comes to shaping your hair with this duo.
Ultra Strong Structuring Fiber
A little goes a long way here. Not in the sense that one scoop will give you a concrete shield on your head, but less than a dime-sized drop should be enough to lasso a group of rogue hair into place. The scent, hopefully inadvertently, smelled a little like clay. Thankfully it wasn’t very potent, but something a little more inspiring would have been nice.
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Texturized Salt Spray & Understated Finishing Spray
We’re not fans of hairsprays. It’s hard to gauge just how much spray to use since you’re not physically applying it, and no matter how much or little we use we always feel as though we’re wasting it. That said, the Finishing Spray and Salt Spray did work well as a tag team, with the former locking in a look and the latter adding volume and fullness. Keep in mind the Salt Spray is best for longer cuts, but both get the job done. We also recommend having a towel on hand after use; your hands will be slick.
