The promise
Is it a gel? A mousse? A trendy pomade? None of the above. American Crew's new hairstyling product for men is powder-based, promising gravity-defying lift, maximum volume and a natural-looking matte finish.
How it works
Surprisingly, the product contains very few ingredients compared to other hair gunk on the market today. In fact, you can count them on one hand. After water, there's propylene glycol (which helps hair retain its natural moisture and softness), silica silylate (which provides flexible hold and adds volume) and citric acid (which revitalizes and restores hair follicles). It also contains sodium benzoate, a preservative.
How to use it
The powder is stored in a super-compact, lightweight puck, so simply give the disc a few taps, pour a small amount of product into your hand and sprinkle evenly on hair. American Crew, ever looking out for your maximum-volume needs, recommends applying the powder closest to your roots. (If you want to double up on styling, they also say it can be combined with other hair goo, preferably by American Crew, natch.)
The bottom line
American Crew's latest offering is like a sensitive jock: strong but not too strong. It provides the right amount of volume and lift without tripping into Jersey Shore territory - there's not even a hint of greasiness. And even though the company says you can use another product on top of the powder, I found it worked perfectly well on its own. With warm weather - and clean-cut, short spring styles - just around the corner, every guy jonesing for a good-looking head on his shoulders should seek this product out.
$19.95 for 10 ml through www.spaboutique.ca or at various salons and stores across Canada (call 1-800-387-7980 for more information).