The Hybrid pomade by Stickmore Hair
After our hair altering experience with the Stickmore Hair Water Based pomade, we are now trying the Hybrid pomade. Up front, Stickmore has to be commended for coming up with such a product as it fits in a rather unique space. A water based pomade, that looks and can be applied like a cream and that offer styling results more like that of an oil based pomade. Cool, euh?!
Let’s jump into this this jar! I applied this product to clean and dry hair. The results are: a good healthy shine and medium to strong hold. So my hair is tamed – check! But not locked in place like it would be with the water based pomade. This is thus a completely able player, but with less grip. It’s important to keep in mind that as fantastic as a pomade can be, it’s a good idea to have 2-3 “go-to” products in your arsenal to cover your different activities and outings. You might not sport the same hair-do at work as you would on date night or even for a pint at the pub with the lads.
But back to business. The deciding factor for this pomade, will be determined by how many times I might have to restyle my hair throughout the day. For example, are we looking at a needy scenario with an hourly re-comb or more? Like anyone, I like to have some style, but I might not be inclined to tend to it on a constant or recurring fashion. Typically, oil based products are fantastic on application, but need a lot of regular love to keep things going. This product being a compromise between both the water and oil worlds, I am expecting great style at first with some restyling demands but perhaps on a more spread out schedule.
Application was done in dry and clean hair. Since the Hybrid is a compromise between cream, oil and water it is a very pleasant product to work with. It was blended in with no tugging or pulling. I would say that it was even smoother than a typical water based pomade. The styling process is very much like working with an oil or grease based pomade: smooth but nicer.
I styled at home before leaving. Had a few errands, a drive and then a 12 minute walk to the office. Some of my hair had fallen out of place. Minimal combing was required to put things back in place. Thus far I am liking this hybrid pomade.
Oh and the fragrance! Well, you will be able to identify a base note of musk but the overall scent is more interesting and more complex than musk alone. I am going with: musk, soap, pepper, sandalwood and maybe even coffee. It passed the test with our asthmatic Mrs. Style4men.ca. Always a key milestone! I prefer this fragrance to the Water based pomade as it is milder in intensity and a more subtle fragrance.
I can’t skip over the jar presentation. Stickmore hair has done a great job with their branding and logo and this continues here. In fact, that vintage-cool effect might even be better on this jar because of the colour of the jar is dark brown. Always a favorite for this guy!
At 113 g or 4 oz it is a typical portion. Note that the jar is slightly higher and narrower than the more common pomade jars out there. Same quantity, just a different layout.
Here is the rating on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is a perfect score and/or level of shine:
- Hold: 3.5
- Shine: 3.5
- Texture: 5
- Feel in hair: 5
- Facility to wash out: 4 (the slight element of oil means that it washes out at some 90% under the shower)
It is important to note that very little of the product is needed to achieve proper styling. I used about the size of a Canadian nickel. Therefore this jar will last you a couple of months.
As the day progressed I re-combed my hair 3 times. Considering the length of my bangs at some 7” combined with the thick and somewhat unruly waves, this is completely acceptable. The feel in the hair is nice and smooth, not oily or waxy making it suitable for date night where the last thing you want to hear is: I’m not touching that!
Note that you should be careful not to over use the product as your hair will get saturated and just get too heavy to hold correctly. If you want more hold, don’t be shy to add a thin coat of pomade for example. Hair spray is also always a good option to lock things in place, but when doing so keep in mind that your hair will harden a bit. This is perhaps the best kept secret from most guys: you can mix products. I don’t mean to blend 2 products together in a new jar, but rather that you can use a product to create volume or hold and add shine or more hold with a second product. Think of it as using primer and paint. Neither one does the best of jobs, but together the results are generally much better.
I would like to make a little deviation and touch on something at a slightly higher level than the pomade itself. The simplicity and authenticity of this product appeals to me a great deal. There is an artisanal feel to it. There is a care and effort being poured in the jar that transpired to the end user. Beyond the slick labeling and packaging, the short ingredient list hits home. Between you and I, a pomade ingredient list with more than 20 things in it where most of which I can’t pronounce or would never be able to buy without a special government issued permit makes me worried. I love my hair and I want it to stay with me as long as possible. It’s pretty clear that both Cyrus and Jacob feel the same and are making products with that state of mind.
Considering the sheer originality of this product as well as some of its rock star ingredients (beeswax, coconut oil) it is a very interesting option.