society of the hairxplorer

[fasa]

Hi,

I was inspired by @David157 to start this new thread where we can talk and report about our own experimentations to get a better hair style but also to provides advices.

I will start by answering the latest thread from David:

Wow, that looks really good. How does the Gravity paste hold up? It's listed as a firm hold.

Gravity paste holded up pretty well, the next day in the morning I just needed a bit of finger comb to get my hair back to the same style. Amazing ! It didn't survive my workout though but I am pretty impressed by this product. I ll definitely get some. I d classify it as a medium-strong.

I've been researching gravity paste and apparently it's a similar product as American Crew Fiber, which goes for $9 for 3 oz. I'm going to purchase that, Gravity Paste, American Crew Molding Clay and American Crew Forming cream. All three go for $30 combined on Amazon. What a deal! Those products for $20 each in the grocery store near my house. They cut the price on Amazon.

I haven't tried american crew fiber. it seems to be a very solid product. Please do let me know how it performs. I already saw the review from James Robin below. On a side note, I believe he is a fantastic curator.

Interested in Quicksand by the same makers as Claymation and Gravity paste. That looks like interesting stuff as well.. Yeah, it's around the same price as those products unfortunately.

You got an eye for the good stuffs. Quicksand / spong wax / claymation / gravity paste are the 4 most popular product hanz de fuko does. The reason It hasn't made the top of my list is that my hair and scalp are fairly dry, It seems it would work better for someone who has a more greasy hair.

How was your experiment with Dax Wave and Groom? It's got to be hard going back to that stuff after using Claymation and Gravity paste. Who can beat the price and the shine of Dax? For $3, you get a product that might not be perfect, but it's good enough to do the job without breaking the bank.

So I am just halfway through it but It seems i get better results by using LESS product. It's better for me to use a tiny quantity and layer it as it avoids the tendency that a newbie like me has to cake it. I can get a fairly natural style this way that enhance my hair slightly.

I was having a chat with my barber who made a very interesting point. You need to stick with a small range of products and get to know them. Having 20 products won't give you a better hair style, it's your technic,

What i learned from looking at him work:
- I really need to learn how to use a hair dryer. It's the most important styling tool, with a good one you use less product and your style holds longer.
- For a style that lasts, use a bit of hairspray as a finisher. The good quantity will keep your hair pliable without the hair helmet effect.
- A side partition doesn't need to me 100% clean. I ll get a couple of stray hairs here and there, It's fine, trying to fix it will do more harm than good.

SO next week I plan using some more dax. I also plan on investing in a good hairdryer. (parlux 3800 or 3200)
@David157 what is your hair type ? I know you have blond hair but that's about it.

Romain

 

[David157]

Hi Romain,

I'm still not sure if I'm going to get this stuff. I'm worried about the lack of hold. I had lousy luck with the clays I purchased, and I have a feeling that American Crew will be no different. They contain a small amount of wax for texture and hold, but probably not enough for my hair. I need a strong hold pomade. I'm thinking of just sticking with High Life, Murray's and Dax for a while.

I've thought about using a blow dryer too, but I work 80 to 100 hours per week, and I don't have time to work on my hair. I get up real early and take a quick shower and throw on some pomade before leaving for work without eating breakfast. It's daily ritual. That's one of the reasons why I like Murray's, Dax and High Life. It's so quick to get my hair ready. Hair preparation is lightning fast with those products, and they hold my hair all day long without me having to worry.

My hair is fairly long right now, and slightly curly. I haven't had it cut in a while. I hate the ordeal of having my hair cut. I found one good place in my city where I can trust leaving my car parked outside. I still intensely dislike getting my hair cut because of the nonstop questioning I get from my barber, who is female and I interested in me. She does a good job. I tried some of her clay not long ago after she cut my hair. It wasn't as good as the stuff I purchased. It was pure junk and had my hair looking and feeling dirty to the extreme.

 

[fasa]

has anyone tried a texturing powder as a result pre-styler ?

 

[fasa]

Hi Romain,

I'm still not sure if I'm going to get this stuff. I'm worried about the lack of hold. I had lousy luck with the clays I purchased, and I have a feeling that American Crew will be no different. They contain a small amount of wax for texture and hold, but probably not enough for my hair. I need a strong hold pomade. I'm thinking of just sticking with High Life, Murray's and Dax for a while.

Hi david,
I hear you! Pomades are great product in their own right.

I've thought about using a blow dryer too, but I work 80 to 100 hours per week, and I don't have time to work on my hair. I get up real early and take a quick shower and throw on some pomade before leaving for work without eating breakfast. It's daily ritual. That's one of the reasons why I like Murray's, Dax and High Life. It's so quick to get my hair ready. Hair preparation is lightning fast with those products, and they hold my hair all day long without me having to worry.

I certainly understand that as i work in the finance industry. I can't use a hairdryer in the morning as it would likely wake up the entire household. Since i do wake up quite early to go to work.

I think styling is like shaving. Once i ll have my skills honed it will drastically reduce the time it takes me.

I am thinking of learning how to use a blow dryer just for the sake of expanding my options.

My hair is fairly long right now, and slightly curly. I haven't had it cut in a while. I hate the ordeal of having my hair cut. I found one good place in my city where I can trust leaving my car parked outside. I still intensely dislike getting my hair cut because of the nonstop questioning I get from my barber, who is female and I interested in me. She does a good job. I tried some of her clay not long ago after she cut my hair. It wasn't as good as the stuff I purchased. It was pure junk and had my hair looking and feeling dirty to the extreme.

That explains why you need a strong hold! How do u style your hair ? A slick back ? Pompadour ? Quiff ?

 

[David157]

Hi Romain, I usually just use a side part for my hair. When I'm not working, which is never, I'm sometimes sport a pompadour. i've been using the wrong type of pomades for that type of hair style until recently. Since I started using the High Life pomades, I've been able to sport a pomp.

I'm looking forward to next year. I want to buy a ton of different products. Yeah, I want to keep trying clays. I do like that stuff. There are so many excellent products. I want to try them all. The only stuff I don't want to use is the water base pomades. I'm done with them.

I want to get clays that have more wax for hold. I need a firm hold clay. The no shine in clays look bad in my hair for some reason. I think blond haired people need to have shine in their hair otherwise it looks bad.

 

[fasa]

I want to get clays that have more wax for hold. I need a firm hold clay. The no shine in clays look bad in my hair for some reason. I think blond haired people need to have shine in their hair otherwise it looks bad.

I heard lockhart does a great clay ! It s on my buy list along with gravity paste.

I am sure how the hold is. Have you heard of it ?

 

[fasa]

Blackfriday !!! I got a 22% discount from on hanz de fuko so i added gravity paste and quick sand.

That s a true impulse buy.

Looking forward to give them a try !

 

[fasa]

Today i experimented with texturing powder + hanz de fuko claymation.

An awesome result !

I put the partition on my left side. This is opposite to my hair natural growth which makes it easier to build volume.

0 hairdryer usage there !

 

[fasa]

[MENTION=108930]David157[/MENTION] i received my gravity paste and quicksand this week.

Although it s early days i wanted to post my early impressions.

Gravity paste smells like spearmint, the scent fade out fairly quickly. I am neutral about the scent, i don't love it i don't like it. I do think hair product should have either no scent at all or a simple one.

It scoops out quite easily from the can. Once you warm it up it will take a quite tacky consistency becomes very grippy. This is quite unique !

That being said it can be a bit of a pain to apply to your hair if you are not careful.

The hold is a firm one similar to dax and with light shine.

It s quite lightweight on the hair and won't weight down on them. Even with no texturing powder i get pretty big volume because of that. It doesn't harden in your hair and will stay reworkable during the day.

What do i think of the product? I think it's good stuff. It s very different from claymation in term of finish.

I plan on using it for a at least a week but so far claymation is my favourite of the 2.

 

[scalped]

Hi

With thinning/receding hair it does indeed make sense to go with lighter product like you mentioned, encouraging volume as in the photo above...Dax and other heavier pomades would most likely be a touch too much for the job in hand.

"The hold is a firm one similar to dax and with light shine.
It s quite lightweight on the hair and won't weight down on them. Even with no texturing powder i get pretty big volume because of that. It doesn't harden in your hair and will stay reworkable during the day."

 

[David157]

@David157 i received my gravity paste and quicksand this week.

Although it s early days i wanted to post my early impressions.

Gravity paste smells like spearmint, the scent fade out fairly quickly. I am neutral about the scent, i don't love it i don't like it. I do think hair product should have either no scent at all or a simple one.

It scoops out quite easily from the can. Once you warm it up it will take a quite tacky consistency becomes very grippy. This is quite unique !

That being said it can be a bit of a pain to apply to your hair if you are not careful.

The hold is a firm one similar to dax and with light shine.

It s quite lightweight on the hair and won't weight down on them. Even with no texturing powder i get pretty big volume because of that. It doesn't harden in your hair and will stay reworkable during the day.

What do i think of the product? I think it's good stuff. It s very different from claymation in term of finish.

I plan on using it for a at least a week but so far claymation is my favourite of the 2.

How you enjoying the Gravity paste? I purchased some Osmo Wax Clay pomade. I got it for $10, and it's like using Voodoo Brew 2 in terms of the volume I'm getting. I really like stuff. I like it better than Baxter of California Clay. Uppercut Clay and McNatty's Clay. The price is quite fair.

 

[fasa]

How you enjoying the Gravity paste? I purchased some Osmo Wax Clay pomade. I got it for $10, and it's like using Voodoo Brew 2 in terms of the volume I'm getting. I really like stuff. I like it better than Baxter of California Clay. Uppercut Clay and McNatty's Clay. The price is quite fair.

Hi [MENTION=108930]David157[/MENTION],

I hope you are doing awesomely good. So i have been using for over a week now and i think it s a very good product.

It s indeed a strong hold due to that tacky consistency when you warm it. A little goes a lonnnng way. It works great for neat style and controled style.

It has a light shine imo. It doesn't create as much texture as claymation, which i style favour.

Would i recommend it ? Yes it s a good stuff.

I have started using quicksand for a messy hairstyle. I thought it would be similar to claymation but it s very different!

Really hanz de fuko products are very neat. Each one of them is very different from the other.

For now i am sticking with what i have and i am focusing on improving my technique to style my hair.

I don't need more products for now what i need maybe is a hairdryer.

Osmo is a brand i did notice. What does it contain?

Romain

 

[David157]

It sounds like the hold for Gravity paste isn’t as good as the Claymation. Do you like Gravity paste enough to want to purchase it a second time when it runs out? I like the look for Claymation. That seems to have a nice hold judging from the photos and video I’ve seen of people reviewing it. I’m wondering if Quicksand is much different than American Crew Fiber, which is a lot less expensive.

Are you going to purchase a hair dryer soon? There should be some nice discount sales for hair dryers are Christmas.


Osmo Clay pomade is nice. Unfortunately, the volume I’m getting with it is no improvement over Voodoo Brew I & 2, Murray's Superior, High Life Heavy. I’m not surprised though, because one of the main ingredients for Osmo is Beeswax. It’s just a wax pomade with a matte finish. It’s a good pomade for me to use when I’m on the go. It doesn’t take much to get my hair looking good, albeit without shine unfortunately. It creates texture and is definitely great for volume. It’s just not an improvement over the High Life pomades though in the volume department. But for the price, it wasn’t bad. I only paid $10 for 3.38oz.

The look that I have with this pomade is similar to the look I’ve gotten with clay pomades that sell for twice the price. Osmo Clay is a MUCH BETTER deal than the $20 clay pomades I’ve purchased. I haven’t used Claymation, Gravity Paste or Quicksand yet, so it’s hard to tell how it compares to them. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Osmo Clay is at least as good as them, which is kind of sad because it shows how some of these companies really hike the price for their products, which are basically not much different than what you get from less expensive pomades like the High Life series and Murray’s.


Here are the ingredients:


Petrolatum, Kaolin, PEG-T, Glyceryl Coacoate, Cera Alba [Beeswax], mineral oil.


I see Murray’s and the High Life pomades as a great alternative to the expensive hair waxes/clays that are now being sold. Murray’s is a forerunner to the Clay pomades. The companies that have created products for texture and volume are pretty much just following Murray’s lead, but putting a MUCH bigger price tag on their products. I’ve got Murray’s in my hair right now, and I must say, it’s no different than the volume and texture I’ve been getting with the clay pomades. I only used a little today, and my hair is getting GREAT volume. Murray’s cost me all of $3 for the tin I’m using. The high end hair waxes that are now becoming popular are redundant products in my opinion. Murray’s works just as well at the fraction of the price. I can’t believe it. When you purchase Clays, you wind up paying for the all the hype and marketing that goes into it, but without any real improvement. My hair looks natural with Murray’s in it, and the best part of all, it’s not loaded with nasty chemicals. I’m able to restyle my hair using just my hands without a comb when I have Murray’s in it.

 

[fasa]

View attachment 708789

It sounds like the hold for Gravity paste isn’t as good as the Claymation. Do you like Gravity paste enough to want to purchase it a second time when it runs out? I like the look for Claymation. That seems to have a nice hold judging from the photos and video I’ve seen of people reviewing it. I’m wondering if Quicksand is much different than American Crew Fiber, which is a lot less expensive.

I am not sure yet i would buy back gravity paste. While it s a very good product, i prefer claymation and quicksand so far but i haven't made up my mind just yet... i think i just don't know how to get the most of it.

Gravity paste hold is quite strong actually, in particular if you are heavy handed. I think it s a different product to claymation.

I have a preference for claymation but i this point i think gravity paste is a very good product in it's own right. It has a pretty decent shine considering how string the hold is.

I am experimenting with quicksand at the moment. It s more similar to claymation while being different in term of finish. It scoops out very easily and is very easy to apply with a string hold.

The main difference is the finish.

Quicksand is very different from anything i have tried.it can be used as a dry shampoo as well as a styling products.

Are you going to purchase a hair dryer soon? There should be some nice discount sales for hair dryers are Christmas.

I ll have to hold on for now ... i have been a bit overboard for my wifes present ...

Osmo Clay pomade is nice. Unfortunately, the volume I’m getting with it is no improvement over Voodoo Brew I & 2, Murray's Superior, High Life Heavy. I’m not surprised though, because one of the main ingredients for Osmo is Beeswax. It’s just a wax pomade with a matte finish. It’s a good pomade for me to use when I’m on the go. It doesn’t take much to get my hair looking good, albeit without shine unfortunately. It creates texture and is definitely great for volume. It’s just not an improvement over the High Life pomades though in the volume department. But for the price, it wasn’t bad. I only paid $10 for 3.38oz.

The look that I have with this pomade is similar to the look I’ve gotten with clay pomades that sell for twice the price. Osmo Clay is a MUCH BETTER deal than the $20 clay pomades I’ve purchased. I haven’t used Claymation, Gravity Paste or Quicksand yet, so it’s hard to tell how it compares to them. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Osmo Clay is at least as good as them, which is kind of sad because it shows how some of these companies really hike the price for their products, which are basically not much different than what you get from less expensive pomades like the High Life series and Murray’s.


Here are the ingredients:


Petrolatum, Kaolin, PEG-T, Glyceryl Coacoate, Cera Alba [Beeswax], mineral oil.


I see Murray’s and the High Life pomades as a great alternative to the expensive hair waxes/clays that are now being sold. Murray’s is a forerunner to the Clay pomades. The companies that have created products for texture and volume are pretty much just following Murray’s lead, but putting a MUCH bigger price tag on their products. I’ve got Murray’s in my hair right now, and I must say, it’s no different than the volume and texture I’ve been getting with the clay pomades. I only used a little today, and my hair is getting GREAT volume. Murray’s cost me all of $3 for the tin I’m using. The high end hair waxes that are now becoming popular are redundant products in my opinion. Murray’s works just as well at the fraction of the price. I can’t believe it. When you purchase Clays, you wind up paying for the all the hype and marketing that goes into it, but without any real improvement. My hair looks natural with Murray’s in it, and the best part of all, it’s not loaded with nasty chemicals. I’m able to restyle my hair using just my hands without a comb when I have Murray’s in it.

Use whatever works for you David My personal choices are just preferences. I don't mind spending what i spent for hanz de fuko and i didn't felt robed. Some people spend 100s of £ on a restaurant, so why not in hair products?

Ultimately, improving my hair style gave me confidence and makes me feel good about myself so that s money well spent

 

[David157]

I hear you, Romain. I like clays. I just DO NOT like the HIGH prices for clays. I don't see 4 x the improvement in my hair when I use clays over more traditional products like Murray's.

 

[fasa]

I hear you, Romain. I like clays. I just DO NOT like the HIGH prices for clays. I don't see 4 x the improvement in my hair when I use clays over more traditional products like Murray's.

It s all comes down to marginal increase theory... those increase become more and more pricey.

 

[fasa]

[MENTION=108930]David157[/MENTION],
Looking in my hair products drawer i found this baby. Fish finger matt paste

It s sold has a medium hold, i actually would say it s medium-firm and is very matt.

It s sold for only 6£ in the uk and got great results out of it. It s easy to use and you only need a small amount. There are really good high street products !

I used in conjunction with texturing powder. It works pretty well for a looser hair style like this.

What do you think?

I came back to claimation for a couple of days and it really works well for me. Gravity paste is a good product, i saw what my barber can do with it but i just don't have his skills yet....

 

[David157]

Wow! That is impressive. How did you get that much height out of your hair? I never heard of that stuff. I tried looking it up and found only one site. You’re getting a ton of volume with that pomade, and your hair looks clean and neat with this stuff. Did you use a hair dryer? This stuff looks like a winner.

Your hair looks the way my hair looks when I wake up with Murray’s in it. I comb it quickly before leaving for work in the morning and get outrageous volume. I hadn’t used Murray’s in ages and had forgotten what it was like.

I’m still on a Murray’s kick. The thing of it is, I bought so much of this stuff, I feel like I’ve got to use it now. I’ve been hording so much pomade in the last year. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve got to start using it up, because I keep switching pomades. I do it for the heck of it, but I have a closet of the stuff and I want to try and use it up in 2017 if possible.

 

[fasa]

Wow! That is impressive. How did you get that much height out of your hair? I never heard of that stuff. I tried looking it up and found only one site. You’re getting a ton of volume with that pomade, and your hair looks clean and neat with this stuff. Did you use a hair dryer? This stuff looks like a winner.

So the volume is not coming from the product but from the texturing powder. The texturing powder adds grip to your hair. I use it to give the shape to my hair than add the hair product of my choice.

This is very inexpensive and does wonder.

For instance to today i built a big quiff using claymation (which i think you would absolutely love) and texturing powder.

Your hair looks the way my hair looks when I wake up with Murray’s in it. I comb it quickly before leaving for work in the morning and get outrageous volume. I hadn’t used Murray’s in ages and had forgotten what it was like.

I’m still on a Murray’s kick. The thing of it is, I bought so much of this stuff, I feel like I’ve got to use it now. I’ve been hording so much pomade in the last year. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve got to start using it up, because I keep switching pomades. I do it for the heck of it, but I have a closet of the stuff and I want to try and use it up in 2017 if possible.

Right , i don't have super thick hair so clay work best for me as my hair appear thicker with them. I keep my pomade for a very slick and controlled style however my wife is not a big fan hence why i am dwelling in different hair style.


I also use a hair spray on a regular baseball s to fix it in place so that it foes move during the day.

If i know i ll be fairly active i don't use hair spray.

One thing i am learning about styling is that modern hair style depend much on you being anle yo work with you hands rather than combs as it gives your hair more texture

Romain

 

[David157]

What hair style are you going to be using? The current one in the photo or back to the side part. They both look good on you. The swept back look you have here might be more work if you have to use a blow dryer to achieve it.