Templeton Tonics Compass Pomade review

One of my more recent pomade purchases was of a relatively new product that got released not too long ago. Best known for his hair tonics and being a scent wizard, Chris Templeton from Templeton Tonics dropped his very own pomade called Compass. After seeing plenty of good feedback from the folks on EP, I decided to pull the trigger myself and get one. Here's Templeton Tonics' Compass Pomade.

Packaging

Compass comes in a 4 oz green plastic jar with a gold lid. I'm just gonna put this out there and say that this is one of the best looking pomade presentations I've ever witnessed so far. The colours are not only unique and eye-catching, but they also gel with the theme of his tonics as well. The golden lid compliments the green jar and the design of the labels give the pomade that outdoorsy feel that his scents are mostly known for. Very well done.

Scent

Compass was released in Chris' signature trailhead scent and I believe that's the flagship scent of the pomade. However, he will put up limited runs with different scents on his store every now and then. The one I copped comes in his heritage scent which is his version of a barbershop scent. I can't remember the details of what's in the scent, but I mostly get bay rum coming off the strongest in it. Definitely a nice scent and I do enjoy it a lot.

 

Application

This stuff scoops out really fluffy and creamy. Breaking it down is really smooth and you'll start to feel some of the oils showing through. Goes into your hair just as easy with pretty much no tugging or pulling. I do recommend applying into dry hair to optimise hold.

Slickness

Combing through your hair with the pomade is pretty much hassle free. Combs through like a dream as expected from a lighter holding pomade. The product has a decent amount of stickiness to keep my hair out of the way. It also doesn't feel greasy or oily which I do appreciate.

Control

Styling with the pomade feels reminiscent of styling with a light hold. It's really easy to get great shape but it does take some finesse to get height, especially if you're more attuned to using heavies and firms. Nonetheless, I still find myself being able to get a decent hairstyle from it.

Strength

Advertised as a medium, but I do consider this to be a light or a light-medium at best. It's hard for me to get my usual height with the pomade, but it doesn't fall flat either. It's able to last throughout a good portion of the day which is more than what I can expect from a product with less hold. Definitely has enough strength for a decent lasting hairstyle.

Shine

Has a shine that's a slight notch above medium. Definitely a good option for people who like lighter holds but want less shine.

 

Durability

Living in a hot and humid environment, there's only so much I can expect from using a light hold pomade. I can't expect it to uphold it's height on hotter days, especially if I'm gonna be outside and sweating. What I count on it to be able to do is restyle, and that's exactly what it does pretty well. I can easily recomb my hair throughout the day to fix what's fallen out of place. It retains most of it's hold so I can still get decent height and it's still slick enough to keep those strays away. The scent does fade out and I find it to be a tiny bit more oily as the day goes by, but it's not a big deal.

Washability

1 rinse would get most of the product out, leaving your hair feeling smooth and conditioned. Adding shampoo to the mix will get everything out, no bother.

Price-point

I bought this on Templeton Tonics' Etsy store for $42.51 SGD ($30.73 USD) with shipping. A hefty price, but it's definitely worth the money and I'll get into why later.

Verdict

As mentioned in the beginning, Chris is best known for his wonderfully scented hair tonics. He's very well-renowned on EP for that, so seeing him branch into the hairstyling department was a very exciting venture for him as well as pomade enthusiasts alike.

As a hairstyling product alone, I feel that Compass is somewhat average. Living in Asia, I need something with more hold. That's simply it.

However, I need to stress that this simply isn't your typical hair pomade. This is catered to be a hair treatment product rather than a styling one. Brandon from The Workman's Pomp said it best in his review on how Compass Pomade is a hair tonic made into a pomade.  It's intended to be used on top of buildup where it helps to break it down, nourish your hair and on top of that, give you styling benefits as well. As much as you could still use it as a standalone product, I feel that you wouldn't be utilising the full potential and capabilities this pomade was formulated to do. This product was made to be used on top of buildup and I feel is essential in almost everyone's pomade collection. It's definitely worth the price for everything it can do.

It goes without saying that Compass Pomade is a great pomade. Chris has been releasing good products since he started Templeton Tonics and I hope to see him broaden his product line even more in the future. I'm mainly hoping to see a heavier holding version of Compass. Until then, the current formula is more than good enough for me and I'll definitely get more once this one runs out. Don't lose your way with your hair. Get back on track, and get yourself a Compass Pomade.

Click here to visit Templeton Tonics on their Etsy store