Maybe your usual styling goop is too heavy for summer, or you're letting your 'do grow out, or you just haven't found the perfect paste. Try what stylists do all the time and play mixologist. Start with your usual hair product, then add a dab of something complementary—lighten up a clay with some cream, or kill the Gordon Gekko sheen of pomade with matte paste. Or just try these three recipes.

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The Modified Draper

Gel can make you look like a mannequin, so add some grooming cream to maintain the wet look but prevent the hard-candy-shell feeling.

_Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom, $18; Phyto Wet Gel, $24 _

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Go Naked

The Fiber offers lots of hold but can make hair look dry. A little Pure Paste adds just enough moisture to keep your 'do from turning into tinder.

American Crew Fiber, $17; Jonathan Pure Paste, $24

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Immaculate Grunge

Work in Karg Perfect when you want that magical one-day-dirty sheen. Every Tic Tac–sized bit of Frame Wax you add gives you another day of faux dirt.

Karg Perfect, $26; Shu Uemura Frame Wax, $38

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