Pomades by ACE HIGH

As part of my on-going regular quest for what is new and exciting in the fabulous world of pomades, I came across the ACE HIGH brand.  The perfectly old-school vintage presentation of these products just spoke to me.  It’s straight forward and un-pretentious.  Just a simple an stylish labeling that is to the point.

ACE HIGH is an American project finding its roots in Rochester, Michigan.  Nathan and Christian, the masterminds behind the ACE HIGH  brand, basically decided one day that they would make pomade  because they weren’t finding that right product out in the market place.  We can understand that “passion and desire” were their guiding light.  Passion for pomade and the desire to create a worthy product!

As a fellow pomade enthusiast, this is exactly what I love about pomade. It’s not a mega corporation with legions of Chemists and marketing experts.  It’s regular people making and offering something that they are proud of.  It’s literally like being invited for a home cooked meal! Fast food has got a few things going for it, but it ain’t a home cooked meal.

The current offering is; an original pomade, a clay and a grease based.

The ingredient listing on the pomade is incredibly simple, just the way I like it!  Water, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Soy Lecithin, Candelilla Wax, Grape Seed Oil, Fragrance oils, Sodium Borate.

Shout out and thank you to Christian and Nathan at ACE HIGH for making this feature possible.

Here is my unboxing and first impressions.  As I work with these products, I will update this post with detailed reviews.

 

The Blue Suede Clay

The first jar to go under test is the Blue Suede clay.  Why the clay? Clay is usually a strong hold fixative solution and with my muppet hair, firm hold is what’s needed.  Contrary to many pomades, there is nearly no scent to this clay aside from a small touch of something along the lines of tea tree.  I will say that this in itself is an interesting thing because clay or bentonite typically has a rather distinctive clay scent that is hard to mask.  Bentonite does not have an unpleasant scent, but it is also not a scent you expect to smell in hair.

Coming back to the jar, I want to reiterate how much I enjoy the purity, simplicity and vintage vibe this packaging gives out. It totally looks like a jar you could have picked up in a 1940’s general store.  Simple does not equate to cheap looking or as if no effort was invested.  Quite to the contrary, presenting only the relevant information in an effective manner is rarely achieved.  Bottom line, I like it and suspect that most Greasers, Rockabillies, Psychobillies and other pomade enthusiasts will also enjoy it.  I should also mention that the artisanal vibe is very present and will certainly appeal to those followers.

On a personal note, the spade speaks to me as a symbol of luck and after many year of debating, I am in the queue of a local tattoo artist to have one drawn on me.

As indicated before, the ingredient listing is very short and is to be commended.  Finding and using natural ingredients is not always easy or affordable and the temptation to go chemical is enormous.

Onto the actual first contact!  The clay is rather smooth.  Let’s gauge that.  It’s smooth for a clay – clay is typically hard.  I am assuming that this jar is incredibly fresh and no water evaporation has taken place, so I am working with the product in its absolute perfect state.  I expect that it will firm up just a little over time.  It is nice and easy to scoop out and to relax in the palms before application.

As mentioned on the label, applying clay is best done with hair that isn’t entirely dry.  My approach is to blend it in hair that is just a little humid. I use a barber water spray bottle and give a few shots to create a small mist.  The same can be achieved with a hair tonic.  This mist gives just enough moisture to work the clay in.  Expect the clay to dry fairly quickly.  This is a very nice product to work with.  Once in the hair it is not overly tacky or sticky and will dry over the next hour or so, leaving things completely touchable,  No crunchiness.

Here is the rating on a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is a perfect score and/or level of shine:

• Hold: 5+
• Shine: 2 (Although this is technically a matte product, a natural healthy shine exists)
• Texture: 5
• Feel in hair: 5
• Facility to wash out: 5

I applied perhaps the size of a nickel this morning and we are now at the end of the business day and everything is nearly perfect.  I haven’t spent any time restyling.  For a lazy styler like myself, this is exactly what I am looking for – a product that works all day. In the above video I am scooping out a bit more than what I used.

My hair is currently done in an uppercut where the front is about 6″ and gradually shorter towards the back and the sides are faded where the longest is done with a 1 guard on the clipper.

Summing things up, the Blue Suede by ACE HIGH gets a perfect score (5/5).  The vintage presentation drew me in.  The easily workable clay made a strong argument and the all day participation finished the convincing process.  The fact that this is a home brew product is just an extra bonus.  Well done guys!