Good Dye Young Poser Paste Review

Ever wanted to dye your hair but can’t commit? I feel you. I’ve been wanting bright, colorful hair since I was 13, but the thought of bleaching my hair still scares me. I already have dry hair, I don’t need to make it worse with bleach! Dry hair spells hair loss, and I haven’t even used the best hair growth vitamins till date anyway. Plus with every hairdresser telling me for as long as I can remember to never dye my hair has me scared me enough. Hayley Williams of Paramore and her hairstylist/makeup artist/best friend Brian O’Connor started their hair dye company Good Dye Young in 2016 with semi-permanent dyes. I wanted to support them, but I still can’t fathom ever dyeing my hair. That’s where Good Dye Young Poser Paste comes in. Hayley and Brian created this washable hair paste for us commitment-phobes and those who can’t have colored hair due to work, school or other various reasons. I’ve been using Poser Paste for a while now and I’m very excited to share with y’all my thoughts. Check out my Poser Paste review down below!

Poser Paste ($18, Good Dye Young) is a wash out hair paste that is meant to give temporary color to the hair. Here is Good Dye Young’s description on their website:

Poser Paste is Hair Makeup: washable color that you apply to your hair. It is as versatile and creative as the person using it and can be applied all-over, on tips, roots, bangs, or wherever you want a burst of color. The product stays intact when exposed to limited amounts of water, like light rain. It’s safe on all hair types and colors, and washes out with your favorite shampoo. 

Poser Paste launched in 2017 with four colors but recently expanded to eight shades. Today I’m reviewing three colors: Ex-Girl, Steal My Sunshine and Narwhal. Ex-Girl and Steal My Sunshine were a part of the original launch and Narwhal is one of the newer colors. (P.S. Ignore my Ex-Girl label. Some oil leaked in my bag and rubbed the ink off of the label. The product still works!)

Let’s start with the texture. Poser Paste feels like a hair pomade. It’s not sticky and can be easily spread on the hands and hair. It doesn’t drip when on my hands either which I love. When I first started using Poser Paste I thought it was going to be runny, but this is truly a paste.

Now the smell. Oh, the smell! The bergamot and sweet orange essential oils make this smell like a sunny day. Even on rainy days the smell cheers me up immediately. I was afraid this was going to smell like wax or plastic, but this smells just like the brand’s hair dyes (which anyone who has tried the brand can attest to how delicious they smell.)

The smell does linger about an hour or so after application, so get ready for some compliments. The scent isn’t too strong but is definitely noticeable if you apply the product to your bangs or anywhere close to your nose. I don’t mind it though.

Color payoff varies depending on the color of the paste and the color of your hair. I have medium brown/red hair so Ex-Girl and Steal My Sunshine are brighter on my hair than Narwhal. I have to layer Narwhal on a little more than the other colors to get a true-to-color payoff. If you are looking for a blue for dark hair, I would recommend Narwhal over Blue Ruin. That one won’t show up on dark hair at all if I’m have trouble with Narwhal.

Now onto application. This stuff is so easy to apply. Let me emphasize: easy. I thought applying this stuff was going to be sticky, difficult and weird. But I was wrong! Applying Poser Paste is as easy as applying a pomade or gel.

You don’t need many tools to make Poser Paste work. Just a brush or a comb and your fingers. Easy!

Good Dye Young has directions on its website which are pretty helpful, but here’s how I apply Poser Paste.

1. Part your hair and comb out any pieces you are applying the paste to. Since I usually apply Poser Paste to my bangs, I make sure to to comb them out and make sure that they are laying flat.
2. Take some Poser Paste in your hands and rub it between your fingers. I start with a small amount – about the size of a quarter- and work to build up the color.
3. Apply the paste to your hair. I do a combination of patting and finger combing to apply the color. I also ruffle my bangs a little to make sure I’m getting the under layers.
4. Let it dry. I usually wait about 30 second before combing out the color to blend it. Go in with more Poser Paste until you get your desired opacity and color. Make sure the hair is styled before it dries completely.
5. For a softer look, brush out the look.

Do you see how dang easy that is? Seriously – easy.

After Poser Paste is in, it lasts. It won’t rub off on your clothes or stain them. I wear white in confidence when I wear Poser Paste. If any color flakes off onto your skin or clothes during the day you can just brush it off. Because I apply Poser Paste to my bangs, the color gets onto my forehead. I just let it dry before wiping it away with a tissue or a Q-Tip.

Also, I leave Poser Paste in overnight and it doesn’t rub off on my sheets or pillowcase. It makes the color and my hair a little softer, too. I usually leave Poster Paste in for a few days before wash day.

Once Poser Paste is in, your hair will feel hairspray rock hard. Your hair won’t move at all. Not even hurricane winds will make your hair move. That’s why it’s important to style your hair the way you want it to lay before the paste dries. You can comb it out when it dries for a softer look, but your hair will still feel pretty hard. The website claims you can use hot tools with Poser Paste, but I’ve never tried it so I can’t vouch for it.

Now, I’ve been singing Poser Paste’s praises this whole post, but I do have a negative. While Poser Paste washes out easily with a little more shampoo and scrubbing, it leaves your hair feeling waxy, dull and lifeless. Any volume in your hair is gone and your hair will feel dirty until you wash it again. As I mentioned, I only use Poser Paste in my bangs, so I can’t imagine how this feels throughout the length of your hair.

The most disappointing thing about Poser Paste is that although Good Dye Young claims to be a cruelty-free and vegan brand, Poser Paste is not vegan! The vegan-friendly label is missing from the boxes, the jars and the website. It makes me so dang sad that the brand can create vegan dyes but not a vegan wash out color. I hope the brand will change the formula in the future, but buyer beware if you are 100% hardcore vegan. Poser Paste is not for you.

Here are some looks I did with Poser Paste! (Read my post about my Camp Gritty makeup if you want to see the makeup more in depth!)

I cannot recommend Poser Paste enough. Whether you can’t dye your hair, want to switch up your color without commitment or need color in your hair for a costume, Poser Paste is your go-to. This is way less messy than sprays, chalk or liquids and lasts a lot longer, too. I love this stuff and I hope that you’ll try it out and let me know what you think!

Good Dye Young Poser Paste is available for $18 on gooddyeyoung.com and sephora.com.

That’s my good Dye Young Poser Paste review. Let me know if you’ll be trying this out and what color you want to try.