Review (3/5): Great scent, good hold and volume, rinses poorly
After having had a 1/4-inch buzzcut for about 15 years, about 18 months ago, I started growing out my hair, which is now quite long and sits around the bottom of my ear. As a result, I've been using different types of hair products to style it in different ways and keep it under control. Given a chance to try this pomade, I decided to give it a shot.
Packaging-wise, this is really simple: a glass jar with a metal lid. It has that old-timey barbershop feel, and would look nice on your counter or shelf, if you're into displaying your grooming products. Just remember it's glass, and an accidental drop on your counter or tiled floor is going to result in a disaster. The lid is a good quality and the seal seems to keep the product fresh.
As soon as you open this jar, you'll recognize that "barbershop scent". It has that minty-eucalyptus odor that's refreshing and eye-opening. There are days when I use this, when I'm sitting at my desk I wonder "what smells so good"...and I realize it's my hair. So if you're into good scents and smelling-good for yourself or others, you'll definitely like this.
The consistency of this product is quite interesting. It looks like vanilla pudding. However, it's definitely much thicker than vanilla pudding. It's not sticky. It feels and looks like a compound that would end up very oily in your hair, but that's not the result. Even given my hair's length, I don't have to use a lot of this, and typically on damp hair I only have to use about two fingertips' worth of this product in my hair.
While your mileage may vary, when I put this in my hair, it has an immediate effect. It provides immediate styling strength. It also helps to add a bit of volume, so that as I comb it through, I can easily prop-up the parts of my hair to give it a little volume and height. It dries well and doesn't get too stiff, leaving my hair with some movement, where I'm not afraid to run my fingers through it or adjust it. I'd say it's really good for my more "casual day" styles.
My only complaint, and for me this is really important, is that it doesn't rinse well in the shower. I only wash my hair every third day to maintain its health, and while nearly every other product I use rinses almost cleanly without leaving much of a residue, this particular product won't rinse cleanly. This becomes a problem if I use this on day two, but want to use a different product on day 3, for example. It definitely adds to residual build-up. I realize not every product rinses cleanly with just water, but this one is particularly problematic, forcing me to either wash my hair earlier or plan the days on which I use this so the build-up doesn't become an issue on consecutive days. So, if like me, you don't like washing your hair often, this may be a deal-breaker.
Overall, though, I'm quite impressed. The small jar is actually going to last me quite some time. It has a great scent and styling power. I'd probably use it every day if it weren't for the rinsing issue.