Black & White Hair Dressing Pomade review

I'm finally back with more pomade reviews for you guys. We've been looking at tonnes of products from Malaysia lately and while there are still more that I'll be reviewing, I thought I'd change it up a bit for the time being. I bought several classic pomades a few months back. These products have been around for ages and seeing that they're stood the test of time, I figured it's time I try a few. Today we're looking at a classic, said to be what Elvis used back in the day; Black & White Hair Dressing Pomade.

Packaging

The jar of Black & White that I bought is only 50 ml which is about 1.75 oz. Quite a small amount, but they also sell these in a 7 oz tub. If that's still not enough for you, then I don't know what is. The jar's pretty simple and straightforward. A really classic and old school design.

Scent

I don't think it's ever been stated officially what the scent is. To me, it smells mostly like baby powder and lavender. It's sweet, clean and powdery if that makes any sense. Not a scent I'm crazy over, but it is rather pleasant.

 

Application

The pomade is really easy to scoop out. Requires little to no effort. Has a slight tacky and greasy feel to it. Breaking it down is just as easy and feels a lot like a thick lotion. Goes into your hair the same. Just a smooth application overall.

Slickness

Combing through your hair with this pomade feels smooth and slick. It's got just enough stickiness to keep those flyaways in check as well.

Control

Despite being a light-medium that doesn't feel waxy at all, I can actually style my hair really well with it. Of course, you can't expect insane height with the pomade but you can get more than enough height and volume. Gives great shape too. The product is definitely pleasant to style with.

Strength

As mentioned earlier, this is a light-medium that also lacks waxiness to it. Nonetheless, it still does a pretty decent job of getting height and holding up the shape. Unless you're out and about in the sun, you won't really need to restyle much.

Shine

A slightly higher than medium shine.

 

Durability

Seeing how I live in a hot and humid climate, it wouldn't be fair for me to fully judge the endurance of this pomade. It definitely has a lighter hold, but one thing for sure is that it puts up a fight. Sure, it'll fall slightly out of place every now and then on an active day. Despite that, it still retains enough height and shape and is easily restylable to be fixed throughout the day. That, to me, is what matters.

Washability

It'd take about 1-2 showers with shampoo to fully wash it all out.

Price-point

I bought this on eBay from a store in the UK for $10.25 SGD ($7.38 USD) with free shipping. I think most people would be able to get it on retail at their local stores for cheaper, but it's not that easy to find a jar here in Singapore. $10 seems like a decent enough price.

Verdict

Black & White pomade has been around for decades. You've used it, your dad's used it, and probably even your grandpa's used it before he lost all that hair. There's no secret to why this product has been on the shelves for this long. It's a great pomade. It's affordable, reliable and readily available for most people. I especially love how it doesn't feel overly greasy even though it's a lighter hold pomade. Even though most mass produced hair products suck ass, this one is far from that.

Of course I'm not gonna go so far as to say this is the best damn pomade I've used thus far. That's outrageous. If anything, it's a bit too light for my hair and I mostly use on top of buildup. This stuff also isn't as easily available where I'm from.

At the end of the day, I still think that Black & White pomade is worth your time. I find it interesting to see how products like this have inspired the homebrewers we know and love today. If you're looking for a pomade with a lighter hold on a budget, your search is over.