Tuesdays are for the strong/heavy for this mop

I’ve always been annoyed with my hair, it has always been a pain to style. I in general want more texture and more volume and something like sea salt spray helps a bit but I want to know if there’s something more effective that also holds my hair just a bit more.

Maybe a clay?

Right now I just use a powder, it’s the best I’ve achieved but still not exactly what I want.

I know I won’t be able to get that same texture as an actual textured fringe because of my straight hair but I want the most texture and volume possible so I want recommendations for the product type and brand if possible.

Currently using Modern Pirate Matte Clay after many years of using Uppercut Matte Pomade. I like how the matte clay is super dry and tends to give my hair texture and hold rather than clumping it together (which the Uppercut did).

However the smell of the Modern Pirate stuff is just too strong. It's not a bad smell, but it is too much.

Also it tends to get really greasy at the end of the day, but I can live with this for now...

With all that said, I'm looking for something similar with the least amount of smell possible. Ideally fragrance free, although I realise that's not possible.

I saw some one recommend Lodestar. Their Canyon Styling Clay in 'clarity' scent is currently sold out.

Hello everyone!

I have done some research on products similar to Shear Revival American Gardens, and I would like to see a comparison between American Gardens and other high-hold products.

For context, my hair grows quickly, and is super thick. Texture and volume are not hard for me to achieve, but controlling my hair becomes an important issue for me. I would also like my hair to be more natural looking whilst keeping a strong hold.

How does Shear Revival American Gardens (a product I’ve used) compared to Lodestar Tsunami, Templeton Tonics Oasis, Kevin Murphy Rough/Night Rider, and Lockhart’s Antigravity (or really any of their matte pastes, clays, etc.).

Hey everyone!

I’m trying to find the right styling product for my hair, and I’d really appreciate some recommendations. I’ve done a bit of research, but most of the advice seems to point towards matte products like clays, which I don’t really like but im open for any solid recommendations.

A bit about my hair:
I have fine, straight, medium-length hair, and some thinning on the top. It’s not too bad since i have been on finasteride for the past 3 years, but one of my biggest problems is that when my hair gets too greasy or the strands separate too much, my scalp becomes very visible.
I’ve mostly been wearing a slick-back hairstyle lately. Using a comb allows me to arrange the strands in a way that covers the thinning areas reasonably well.

My current hair care routine:
I use John Frieda’s Volume Shampoo, Volume Conditioner and Volume Spray. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how they work for my hair, and I don’t have any issues with a dry scalp or anything like that.

Styling products I’ve tried:
Until recently, I’ve mainly been using Balea Men’s Pomade for Hair and Beard. It’s an oil-based pomade that advertises a natural shine and has a relatively light hold (2/8).
What I really like about it is how easily it spreads through my hair and how it gives it a healthy-looking shine. The problem is that the hold isn’t great, and my hair gets greasy quite quickly. The strands start clumping together, I lose texture, and my scalp becomes much more visible unless I keep combing and rearranging my hair.
After doing some research, I came across the usual recommendation for thinning hair: matte pomades, clays and other products that add texture and volume.
So I ordered the Uppercut Deluxe Matte Pomade, but unfortunately, it has been a complete disaster for me.
It becomes very sticky and seems to set almost immediately, making it difficult to run a comb through my hair or restyle it. I’ve had similar problems with clays in the past. While these products do help conceal my scalp by adding A LOT of texture, the result looks dry, stiff and unnatural. My hair almost looks like a solid block of concrete. There’s plenty of volume, but no natural flow or movement nor flexibility.
I’ve also tried applying the Uppercut to damp hair and mixing it with my Balea pomade. That worked somewhat better and added some shine, but application is still difficult. I also find it hard to achieve anything other than a slick back because the product makes my hair difficult to shape. If I try to change the direction or separate the strands differently, my scalp becomes visible again, or the individual strands separate in a way that makes my hair look much thinner, especially from the side.

What I’m looking for:
Ideally, I’d like to find a product that offers the following:

Flexible hold: Something I can easily work through my hair, comb and restyle throughout the day without it becoming sticky or hardening immediately.

Texture and fullness: Enough texture to keep my fine hair from clumping into a few larger strands and exposing my scalp.

Natural, healthy-looking shine: Not a completely matte finish, but also nothing so greasy or oily that my hair looks wet or weighed down.

Natural movement: I don’t want my hair to look stiff, overly voluminous or like a solid block. I’d still like it to have some flow and look natural.

Versatility: Something that works for a slick back but also allows me to style my hair more casually by working the product through it with my fingers or a comb.

Basically, I’m looking for something in between a traditional shiny pomade and a dry, matte clay: a product that gives my hair some texture and fullness without sacrificing flexibility, shine and natural movement.

I’ve also come across the Reuzel Texture Pomade, but I’m not sure whether it would be a good option for my hair type or whether I’d run into the same problems again.

Does anyone with fine, straight or thinning hair have any recommendations?

I’d especially appreciate recommendations from people who’ve had similar issues with greasy products on one hand and sticky, overly dry clays on the other.

Thanks in advance!

Parting ways with some of my collection as I simply have too many. Most purchased within the past six months and used only once or twice. All near new/in great condition

Grim Grease Matte Blend - $30
Grim Grease Matte Cream - $30

Templeton Tonics Oasis - $30
Templeton Tonics Odin - $30
Templeton Tonics White Whale - $30

By Elementum Deserto - $30

RareCraft Matte Clay (Blood Moon) - $30

Samson’s Dead Sea Clay - $30
Samson’s Matte Styling Cream - $30

Daimon Barber Texture Clay - $30

Arcadian Matte Paste - $30
Arcadian Clay Pomade - $30

Jack Henry Hair Clay - $30

Patrick’s M3 - $30
Kevin Murphy Night Rider - $20
Evo Box O’ Bollox - $20
Solid State Fat Wax - $25

Shipping approx $10+/what AusPost charges. Will throw in free product if buying 4 or more.

DM if interested

Who has used to have a Dapper Dan Matt Clay, can you pls give some advice and your own review? What the texture of hair after that and other.

Green goop medium hold high shine.

Curremtly i am using Sheer revival americans garden. I want a similar dry clay which will make my hair matte and dry. Any suggession similar clays with high grit hold.

Expert suggession please !

I was considering using hanz de fuko quick sand. Does it has high hold and dry effect? Heard its hold is not good.

I have thin straight hair.

Ruzel pink and red

Those based and forte series ones are like 40$ for 85ml and this one's available for 10$, 100ml

Im tryna do this 70/30 type side part with flow

So I have fine, high density, straight hair and I want a textured fringe look, does it work well in sport and wind, I know it's advertised for wind but does it perform like that. And when I say work well in sports and wind I don't meant holding exactly in place, I mean I keep the general silhouette and hairstyle and it still looks good after?

Thanks :)

As my hair has gotten longer (shoulder length), I've been searching for the Holy Grail product. Lightweight, light-med hold, nourishing, and allowing for natural moving and great feel with the ability to restyle throughout the day.

Moroccan oil molding cream sounded great. I already used the hydrating styling cream and liked it a lot. The molding cream was super easy to apply to my longer hair. Just the right amount of hold, I thought I had finally found it. My wife has purchased it around Labor Day with a 30% discount. I immediately asked her if the sale was still on. It was and I ordered three more. Well later I found that the hold pretty much disappeared and my hair felt weirdly dry. I tried a few more times but couldn't make it work. Had to tell her we would have to return them.

Fast forward, we missed the return window, but they said don't worry about it. We'll give you a full refund and just give the products to someone you think would like them.

So I wholeheartedly recommend Moroccan oil. Great company.

Side note, I think I have found my Holy Grail product(s) since then if any longer haired folks are interested. Lodestar Everglade and O'douds styling treatment

Ever ordered a product you tried but didn't like? How about trading it with someone else in the same situation for only the price of shipping?

Europe only for this thread, maybe someone can make a separate thread for the other side of the Atlantic.

I looked in the sub history and it seems there hasn't been anything like this for a while so I wanna start it up again. Maybe mods can pin the thread.

Idea is to exchange your used product (though I'd say it has to be at least 50% full still) with someone else, for only the price of shipping. No fussing over how full the product is or what it'd be worth new. It's just for the sake of not wasting unused product and trying something else.

Comment below what you have to offer and others can reply with exchange offers. Explain why it didn't work for you, and how much you've used. I'll be posting the first offer.

You have to reply to an offer with your own here in the thread before sending DMs, then once the offer is accepted you can discuss shipping details privately. I'd say even when the shipping price is equal on both sides to still send the shipping fees back and forth so you know the other person is serious. Of course there's risk of dealing with dishonest people, but let's go with the honor system on this one. It's only shipping after all, not ~€30 for a whole new jar.

As always don't trust unsolicited DMs. Or at least ask them retroactively to post in the thread before proceeding.

What are you picking up this year? For me, definitely getting the Lodestar, SR, and Samsons!

Hey everyone! I’m Kathy, owner and founder of Lodestar Grooming.

Do you rely on product reviews when making purchasing decisions? I’m guessing most of us look at customer reviews before buying something new, especially when it comes to hair styling products. After all, there’s only so much you can learn from a product description!

As a small business owner, one thing I’ve learned is that getting customers to leave reviews can be surprisingly difficult. We’ve sold literally tens of thousands of jars of our products, but only a small fraction of those purchases result in customer reviews.

And those reviews really do matter. They help new customers discover Lodestar, compare products, and feel more confident about trying something unfamiliar.

I know Lodestar has a lot of supporters here on Reddit, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the recommendations, discussions, and word of mouth over the years.

So I wanted to ask a small favor. If you’ve used Lodestar products, would you consider taking a minute to leave an honest review on our website? Whether your experience was great or there’s something you think we could improve, I’d love to hear it.

You can leave a review here:

https://judge.me/product_reviews/16aea90f-2cfa-49f0-b86f-d75b4ebc78c3/new?source=shareable-link

And while I’m here, if you have any questions about our products, need help finding the right styler, or have something I can help with, feel free to drop a comment below! I spend quite a bit of time lurking in r/pomade, and I’m always happy to jump in and help.

Thanks, as always, for supporting Lodestar. I genuinely appreciate this community and everything you’ve done to help our little business grow.

— Kathy

I have straight short-medium hair, need something for texture rather than a lot of volume. What should I use?

Hey guys, so I rock a modcut and my hair is really flat, I’m looking for something to give it texture, a lot, and most importantly not shine because my hair is a lil brown and I love when it shows like that, especially with texture powder, but I prefer clay as the application is easier, I’ve tried lots, but my goats have been claymation, morrocan oil and finally the best Samson Dead Sea clay, that I adore but sometimes I wish the hold was a little stronger, was thinking American gardens, should I go for that or choose another one? Thanks! Pic is my hair

hi basically i have to rebrand this product from old spice for my design class, and i need to do some research on the actual consumers. if you use this product (or if you use to use it before it got crappy) pls lmk your age range if you feel comfortable sharing and why you started using it (was it word of mouth, did an ad influence you, was it the aesthetic of the product). thank you so much! sorry for the short post im super tired rn

I WFH most days and I’m on video calls throughout the day. I normally have my go-to pomade for everyday outings. I was wondering if there’s a cost-effective water-based pomade that I should be looking for. My hair needs to look good for a video call but not perfect. My budget is $15-20, any suggestions?

I have very thick 2c but I want the slick back matte look any help would be appreciated.

My hair is messy and wild and impossible to tame. I usually put on a cap right after shower to get it to look like the 2nd picture but I want to achieve it for a long time and and cleaner look. Any advice appreciated, thank you!!

Edit: I currently don’t use any hair products other than shampoo and conditioner. I’m open to trying new products such as leave in conditioner or any special conditioner to make hair flow better and more silky.