Reuzel Clay Matte Pomade review

I was browsing Instagram while at work a few weeks back and I stumbled upon an eye-catching post by local barbershop, The Panic Room. It stated that if you swung by the shop and showed them that very post, they'd give you a 1.3 oz tin of Reuzel's Clay Matte Pomade or the Fiber Pomade. I immediately booked a cab from work, rushed down to the barbershop and got myself a tin. The things I do for free hair products, am I right?

Packaging

My tin of Reuzel Clay Matte Pomade comes in a 1.3 oz tin; a small amount as this is the travel-sized version. But just like all the other Reuzel pomades, they're also available in 4 oz and 12 oz tins. It has the same exact design style as their previous oil and water-based pomades. However, these new products come in shiny tins unlike the matte tins that come with their older hair products. Just something to take note of even though it doesn't make a difference.

Scent

There's not really a scent specified on the official site, however many others who have tried the clay pomade have stated that it has a minty scent. I on the other hand, disagree with that statement. To be honest I have trouble pin-pointing what the scent is but mint is definitely not the most prominent scent it has. My girlfriend says it kinda smells like Wrigley chewing gum. Either way, I think the scent is pretty alright (whatever it is). It's fairly clean and is pretty subtle especially as the hours pass.

 

Application

I've honestly very little experience using clay products. I've never liked the ones I've used back then and have always been wary about them now. The Reuzel Clay however, has made me reconsider my opinion upon clay products. This stuff scoops out and breaks down really smooth and creamy. I don't get that gritty texture that I normally get with other clays. Going into your hair is an absolute breeze and I can even comb through with relative ease. Impressive. Most impressive.

Texture

Despite it being soft and creamy in terms of application, I do find that I can get really decent texture from the product. It walks the line between being slick and textured so you get a nice balance between the two qualities. You can style something really neat or go with something more messy. Versatility at it's best.

Control

My hair is currently on the shorter side of things so it's fairly resistant to most products. The clay does is pretty decent job of keeping the strays and my cowlick down, but I do find that I have to push them back in place every now and then. I do get pretty great shape using the clay and it does what I want it to for the most part.

Strength

Has a medium hold, but I do find it gets pretty light at times too. While I can get pretty good height and volume with the clay pomade, I do find it sagging and dropping down more than I'd like it to. It still does a relatively good job of staying where it should be and out of my face.

Shine

Matte from the start to the end. It's literally in the name.

 

Durability

Being a clay product, I didn't have much to worry about with it withstanding the heat. The product stays strong enough for my to style my hair with throughout the day. However as mentioned earlier, I do find myself losing a bit of height and volume every now and then.

Washability

This is a water-soluble clay pomade so one rinse should get it all out. If not, just add some shampoo.

Price-point

I got this for free, but the 4 oz tins are selling for $29 SGD ($20.31 USD) over at The Panic Room's website. Over at the official Reuzel store, the 1.3 oz tins are $9 USD ($12.84 SGD), 4 oz tins are $17 USD ($24.27 SGD) and 12 oz tins are $38.50 USD ($54.96 SGD), all before shipping. Pretty pricey.

Verdict

When Reuzel announced that they're releasing a matte clay and a fiber pomade, I honestly felt pretty neutral about it. I personally, am not too ecstatic about such hair products but I will admit that they piqued my interest. With the hair product trend in the pomade community as it is, clays especially, are highly sought after. Seeing that I had the opportunity to get one for free and try it out for myself, I figured it was a no brainer to see what the big deal was. And while my opinion is undeterred for the most part, I am beginning to understand the appeal. The ability to style a pomp while retaining some loose and textured quality is one that's fairly easy to manage throughout the day compared to a classic, clean pompadour. So is the Reuzel Clay Matte Pomade any good for that? I'd say it's not too shabby. While it does a good job at what it's supposed to do, I do feel that at that price point I am able to get better clay pomades. Nonetheless I think it's great that Reuzel is broadening their already awesome line of hair products and hope to see them continue down this path.

Click here to visit Reuzel on their online store