Well, I've been researching waxes, pomades, gels and just about every hair finishing product known to man the past year. I've tried everything from a doller a bottle to fifty bucks for a half ounce of some hair serum and every price in between. From salons, the internet, cosmetic stores and even dollar stores.

I took everything in to account when testing these products except price.
Criteria for decision in rating each product I tested(weighting factor CFD of 1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest):
Does it contain any ingredients not recommended for hp hair: 6
Healthy/adverse effect on hair: 5
Lighting effect on hair after applied: 5
Long term effect on overall hair performance: 5
Long term effect on hair color: 5
Was I able to achieve the style I was after: 4
Did the look last all day and into the night: 4
Sunscreen: 2
Texture of hair after applied: 3
Texture of product before and during application: 2
Smell: 2
Ready Availability: 1
Waterproof: 1

After testing probably 100 products these are the four I've settled on and I rotate to keep my hair looking good and changing the finish up for different occasions and to keep things fresh.

Without further adieu, the BIG FOUR are...

Paul Mitchell WaxWorks Medium Hold

Wet shiny look, hair soft and moves depending on amount of product applied. Feeds hair oils needed to keep soft shiny and fresh, it absolutely beats every other product in this category. Shiny finish. Clear/milky wax. No smell. Can be applied to wet or dry hair depending on style to be achieved. When applying to dry hair, hands can be run through water before applying to hair for quick next morning touch ups. This product has already be reviewed favorably by TL customers. This product should be the main wax gel used in your repetoire. I use this for daily work days and can be refreshed daily without washing out.

Joico Creme Wax

Flat/matte finish. Each hair will move in the wind seperate from one and other. Will put flat finish on hair when new. Does not gather/stick hair together. Does not have negative or positive effect as far as feeding hair oils. No smell. White cream can be applied to wet or dry hair for different finish on hair, do not wet hands. Maximum effect achieved when applied to dry hair. This product will compliment your everyday look of the WaxWorks. I get the most comps when wearing this product. Certified by professional cheerleaders as "that's the coolest look". I wear this when I'm going out and really want my hair to say "BAM"! This product can't be refreshed, is not water resistent and can be brushed out.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shaping Creme

Similar attributes to WaxWorks except a satin finish(between flat and shiny) instead of shiny. Use this product for non shiny finish with hold and different style.

Nexxus Exxtra Gel

I use this product in the convertible or out on windy days. Clear gel. No smell. Will wash out. Can be refreshed somewhat. Hair drys crispy in place. Has sunscreen, I use it at the beach.

Hey snipe thank you for that research I am sure you had some dollars invested buying all those products I have a drawer full trying to find the right product which I never found, always to shinny which drew attention to my head. Their is a need for a product that leaves the hp with natural looking oils maybe you found one with these products I will try them thanks again!

Thanks for posting this Sniper. This is valuable information.

Rod

ahh gimme a break! get us gel from the dollar store and your good..whats all this high end nonsense stuff.

I agree MO, its all about the same basic stuff.
Same with most shampoo and conditioners..........the best conditioner for me , came from a dollar store, a buck for a big bottle! I have spent as much as 50 bucks, no better results than Cream of Nature, from Walmart......like 3 or 4 bucks!! Thats the best shampoo I have ever used in over 40 yrs of wearing!! Believe Miss Debbie also raved about it ? Think she did on here.

But good informative post Snipe........thanks for sharing, I have one of the products, the Paul M. stuff, works pretty good, not expensive, think like $5 ?

johnny/abq

Hey Snipe,

Could you confirm that all of these products are alcohol free - and therefore suitable for pieces? Thanks!

Jam

Yup, my first criteria was no bad chemical weighted a "6" in importance.

I only tested products that didn't have bad stuff in it. Ironically one that did have some phosphates was one of my favorites-BedHead stuff, I didn't include it but it was one I really liked but it railed my hair in like a couple weeks.

This stuff is all cheap, less than 15 bucks.

i've been using crew products (including their pomade) for years now and have yet to be disappointed. their leave in conditioner is quite good.

Yo yo, Trey, I tried the Crew products, the WaxWorks out performed them on many levels for me.

WaxWorks is the same price but you get twice as much.

good job e/s ..at dollar tree you can get giant alcohol free gel 2 types $1 ,,try it..all not equal debbies pricy .. but its worth it
bob/philly

Yo bobby, no boat expenses in the winter.

Yeah, I have some of Debs, and also tried the stuff at the dollar store you speak of, it was ok but left my hair crispy and I prefer the nexus for crispy because it actually has some good conditioners in it.

But I did keep the dollar gel in my glove box in my car for the quick touch ups.

Is palm aid only a wet look, or will it hold a dry look too?

"Just about ready to wear and a newbie to this forum so please bare with some of my simple questions"

YuleB, which product are you referring to?

I keep hearing palm aid being mentioned in this forum, but I have no idea what it is...lol. Is it like a mousse to keep your hair in place, like Brealm cream, a little dab will do ya? Can is be used for a dry look or only a wet look or ??

Its' pomade, not palm aid, get your head out of the gutter. lol

Kinda a thick cream, not quite a wax, although some seem to be waxy.

would this product suffice? Its a generic version of paul mitchel.

http://www.sallybeauty.com/Wax+Compare+to+Paul+Mitchell+Wax+Works/SBS-264045,default,pd.html?cgid=Hair04-05>

I only ask cause they sell this particular one locally

I heard someone complain about waxworks as leaving the hair too shiny. Is this the case, I dont want it super shiny. am i better off trying the tea cream stuff instead?

Yeah, that generic brand is probably the same.

I'll stop by a Sally and check the ingredients just to make sure.

cool thanks snipe. Just curious tho. Is the shine over kill with the waxworks? I never used any cream or waxes before but want to try it. Gel is ok for me but id like a change from the crispy stiff look. I want something that has some shine, but doesnt make the hair too shiny or greasy looking. Something in the middle with a medium hold.

Do u still recommend the waxworks or should i try one of the others?

bump

xeon the WaxWorks will give you verying degrees of the wet look and hold based on how much you use. My other pics used WaxWorks.

I'm going to run by a Sally's now to check out the generic.

The stuff at Sallys' is way thinner, watery compared to PM.

I'll stick to the real stuff.

yea? damn that sucks. I dont know where to get the waxworks then. sally beauty is near me. but i have no idea who else sells it

I can get it at CVS, Walgreens, Eckerd, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart too.

Or get it on eBay.

I dunno i might try the generic anyway cause its probably a lot cheaper. maybe it does a similar job cause it has the same ingredients. I guess its worth a shot, and not having to spend like 15 or more bucks

Well i bought and tried the generic version of the waxworks. I have kind of mixed feelings towards it. On the positive side my gf said she liked it, but i kind of feel like its almost the same thing as putting Castor oil on your hair. it makes it very shiny and kind of greasy. It doesn't really have much of a hold, I mean its not bad. I kind of like it.

I think my ideal styling product would probably be a gel that gives a soft/medium hold with some shine, but not overkill. But i think the wax works might grow on me. I never thought about testing products for thehair. i always used like cheap gel.

The generic brand sucks!

Lmfao!

can someone give me a link to a picture on a hair style that uses pomade........

yeah? have you tried the generic brand or did you just look at the consistency. I mean its got the exact same ingredients. Maybe the consistency or texture is a little different, but I would think they were pretty similar when you use it. U think i should return it and get the paul mitchell?

I mean i read a review about the paul mitchell stuff and they kind of said the same thing. leaves the hair like glass and very shiny.

I put some on my hand and in my hair.

I didn't like it at all.

My pics were with WaxWorks, do you think they look shiny?

The PM Tea Tree leaves hair less shiny.

I go to this outlet mall, there's a place that sells only hair care products.

When I buy something from them the girl says if you don't like it bring it back and exchange it. I did a couple times.

Maybe you can find a hair place in the outlet mall, then you can try different things without spending a ton of money.

And I said PM WW was for the wet look.

Yeah maybe ill return the generic brand and try to hunt down the paul mitchell one. did you find the generic one greasy ?
sorry to bust ur chops. Just got me curious with ur post and made me want to try some new products since i never usually do.

Yeah i know u posted it. I like the wet look but not TOO wet and greasy. I cant judge cause i gambled on the generic. Ill def try to find the real deal stuff. I trust ur judgement.

It's cool Xeon, I was hoping the generic brand would work to, but it left me more with the feeling and results of like a brylcream.

WW must have a good hold because that is what i used to shape that style in my pics. And I use it in the front when I can't get my hair to stand straight up and it will hold hairs up after application.

I ran out of WW and have been using the Tea Tree and it is more of a flat finish, it seems pretty good hold. I use very very little, the stuff is like a thick paste.

I'm liking the finish, though, just a different look.

Sounds good. Im still trying to hunt the paul mitchell one down, seems like no one carries it locally. maybe ill just return the generic and get it online. the generic seems a lil too greasy. but with hairspray its ok.

I like a little shine, makes me feel like i put something in my hair. Im assuming the matte finish products just allows u to style ur hair without adding anything really. The hair just appears dry? Never used it so im not sure just guessing

No, doesn't look dry, kinda hard to explain, I'm really liking the TT, took about 5-10 applications to figure out the best way to work with it.

It has a very similar look as the Joico but more hold. think

If you're trying to avoid the wet look, I think you might like the TT.

I'm going use TT for a while, A nice change to the WW for me.

I think you may like the look of the TT, and hair still moves, and is soft.

I don't think I would use this in my ragtop, maybe have to use more.

Well i found it at a cvs store that had a lot of hair products. I kind of went really against my better judgment buying this one lol. It friggin cost me 19.50 all together, I dunno if thats really worth the price. I see what ur saying now vs the generic, Its thicker and less watery. But i dunno if its really worth that much of a price difference. almost 20 bucks is kind of overkill.

If i find it not worth the price im going to try next crew light hold gel and or their pomade. Its a lot cheaper.

My tube lasted about a year.

Xeon, I really want it to work for you.

Experiment with different amounts of WW, applying to wet and dry hair.

And if your girl digs it who cares what you think! lol j/k

The best part, even if you don't like it, is that it really seems to nourish the hair.

Return the other stuff to Sally's.

I hear ya. I busted ur balls on this thread, im sorry lol. yeah its worth a shot. Since you say its healthy for the skin. Ill try it later tonite. I dont really experiment with products so its all good. I returned the generic stuff.

You mean hair not skin right?

yeah hair sorry typo. thanks again for ur help

I think also that the Joico product would be great for thinner densities of say 65% and less.

Funny you should say skin, I use to wash the stuff of my hands but now I just rub it in as it really moisturizes my hands.

I keep thinking that I'll eliminate one of the four I use but keep coming back to the fact that they all have different uses and make the hair look different from one and other.

I get a little tired of the wet look so I go with the Joico, which I'm out of, so I've been using my TT the past week and am really liking the look and finish on my hair.

And the thing is, I don't really have to wash these products out, don't really notice any build up and am just rinsing unless I'm working out or something.

All in all, these combo of 4 styling products is really working out well for me.

I think total, it would be about 50-70 bucks a year, and you might have the 4 products last longer than a year.

****, I spend more than that in one night at the bar.

If beer and woman are worth that much at the bar, then surely I can spend that much on my looks.

Yeah i hear you. Ill keep messing with the waxworks and other products. I was tempted to try the crew light hold gel and their matte finish cream. cause i cant find the tee tree stuff. i found pm teetree wax but not the cream.

Btw, just to clarify when u say matte finish. Does that simply mean products that give the hair some hold or volume, but doesnt look like u have any product in your hair. Sort of a way to form your dry style with some hold. cause im picture a matte finish really wouldnt give the hair any kind of effect besides helping to sculpt it

well just to update u snipe i think im a fan of the waxworks now after trying it again. I did more of a messy type style with the waxworks and it came out really nice. Im kind of pissed i have no where to go today and its snowing cause it came out probably the best it ever did.

Cool Xeon, you can really change the hair depending on how much and whether you apply to wet or dry hair.

Sometime with WW I'll use less rubbed together in my hands then run through some cold water then apply to hair.

Also, the matte finish, what you described is fairly accurate, although it does leave translucent finish, so when light hit your hair it look really cool.

The Joico covers the shine of the hair while the TT has more of a matte/satin finish.

I've been using the TT, thick paste and it took a while to figure out the best way to apply it.

It really makes the hair seem "thick", this stuff is real good for the messy look and still leaves the hair soft and flexible yet still has hold where the Joico has less hold.

There is the Tea Tree smell that diminishes in a couple hours.

On a side note, last night I went to the bar and my hair smelled like smoke really bad and when I was in the shower I was going to wash my hair to get the smell out but my Pureology was in the other bathroom, so instead, I just rinsed my hair under the hot shower water, didn't rub the hair or anything, just rinsed. When I got out and my hair dryed, I couldn't believe it, the hair just incredibly soft and clean, even though I just rinsed it. It was softer than when use Pureology shampoo/nearly natural/conditiner.

I wasn't quite sure how the hair was doing since I just started using the TT everyday.

Again, I'm really glad your starting to dig the WW.

Yeah its something different. I always buy 99c bottles of hair gel lol. I guess im allowed to buy something expensive for once. Ill just experiment with different things to find one i like, then if its too much money ill try to find the next best alternative. Maybe I sound cheap, I just wanna limit the long term expenses of wearing hair. Especially living in nyc, everything is so much money it just flys out of ur wallet before u put it in.

Here's a link to results using TT Shaping Cream, the second set of pics in the thread:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/241571/thread/1201196518/last-1203624879/70%25+Freestyle+Intermediate+Length+Pics-UPDATED+cut+down

Bump for Rob.

Also, I'm trying to verify that the TT and WW also have sunscreen.

The Nexxus does for sure.

Xeon. are you still digging the WW product? You're a tough critic, so if you say it's good, then I know it's good.

I like it. Its pretty nice. Not quite sure if its worth the price, but perhaps. It leaves the hair soft, and gives it a nice sheen. I have been using it instead of gel. i might stick with it.

My dilemma now is cut ins. If i should buy the damn robo and do it all myself, or maybe try debbies service.

Hi Xeon,


have you ever posted your pics on the forum? I'm just curious

Thanks.

yeah a few times.

My dilemma now is cut ins. If i should buy the damn robo and do it all myself, or maybe try debbies service.

Man, I should have your dilemmas. It's no big deal. Debbie will give you a great cut in, but maybe keep a robocutter anyway (since you'll probably want to cut it a little shorter than she cuts it. I know you like to go very short.) Over time, the investment will be insignificant.

Hi Snipe,

I'm going to paste the American Crew Forming Cream's ingredients right below; have you tried it already? Please tell me what makes the difference with the Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Shaping Cream.

"Water, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Lanolin Wax, PVP, Carnauba Wax, Ceteareth-25, VP/VA Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Ozokerite, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dioctyl Malate, PEG-40 Castor Oil"


Thanks Mr Poser

dont worry so much about those type of alcohols. U can easily google the ingredients and find out info about it. that kind of alcohol isnt the same bad type that is used in some gels to dry it. THey actually say certain types of alcohol are good for your hair. Its a different animal all together.

I did try Crew and didn't like it for various reasons.

And none the other stuff feeds the hair like WW.

Thanks for the prompt replies mates!
As I don't want a shiny finish, the tea tree shaping cream will be better. I'll leave a feedback in this thread later.

Xeon, I asked for your pictures because I can't remember seeing them; I was curious because you seem to have a modern style but a tad more conservative than Snipe's.

Personally, I'd like to achieve something similar to this:

That's my man, he's such a pimp!

When using the TT, put some in the palm of your hand and rub both hands together smearing in your palms and fingers and apply to WET hair or if the hair is dry just run you hands under some water.

Use about a dime size a couple mm thick.

The TT is a little tricky to get used to.

For a different matte look with less hold try the Joico dry on dry hair.

Crap, its all CRAP....

everyone thinks the hair will make them look like brad pitt lmao

CRAP I TELL YA, all rubbish and poopeycock

Jake "water bomb" Jakexy

EDIT - that wasn't very comprehensive :P

Jake,

with all due respect, your comment sounds a bit off mate. I never asked to look like Colin Farell. I want to look like myself with a similar hairstyle. And my question was: is this style achievable with the product that Snipe has recommended? And Snipe replied & gently gave me some tips.
But feel free to share your own styling tips Jake

Snipe, thanks for your reply; which shampoo do you use to rub all these products out? Maybe have you tested them all as well??!

I took Izzy and bobbys' advice from the start and have only used Pureology shampoo and conditioner.

But AG has some great advice too and he recommends Cream of Nature.

alot of times the wax works doesnt look very shiny or have much shine at all. I use a little bit with water, and when it drys, it almost is matte but with a little extra luster. The only thing I dont like about waxworks is it makes the hair feel a tad greasy to the touch. but i still like it. Gel makes the hair hard and crispy this doesnt.

I might try the matte finish but im not sure id like it. WHen my hair system is completely dry the color looks a lil horse polishy.

btw here are some photos for the dude who asked.


btw these pictures are a little outdated, i wear a different kind of hairstyle now. Its a little more spiked up, almost like a maux hawks whatever the hell its called but not really. to a less extreme

lol, it was between snipe and me, after all, where do you think he learned all of that stuff

We bust each others chops, had nothing to do with you or the post, in fact I didnt even see who posted it, just saw some pics, colin brad, doesnt matter, it was in fun with Snipes.

cheers

edit: and feel free to review the board, I started that trend of hairstyles along with guys like CC and sam, with my own styling tips, attaches, etc...., and more specifically really paved the way for young guys who do like that style. Although it was through ALOT of trial and error so others wouldnt have to, now guys like Snipe are able to offer new and exciting things.


Still looks like mularcky SNIPES, CRAP I TELL YA

Jake, your axx better be in Orlando, and stop being such a kiss axx to your wife, you've already got her wrapped up, just like I predicted before the fact.

And if you can't work up the muster to break away for the weekend,one my best friends lives in your area, so I'll be there in late summer and I'm going to find you and steal all your hair and your st30!!!

"so I'll be there in late summer and I'm going to find you and steal all your hair and your st30!!!"

Ill just have to make sure I am gone then LMAO