American Crew Fiber VS Hairbond United Kingdom Mattifier Leave a comment
Ok, today it’s the ever so popular brand battle between American Crew Fiber VS Hairbond United Kingdom Mattifier Professional Hair Cement.
Good day everyone, as we kick on in 2020, we see hair styling trends have been evolving so much so that we are seeing more and more matte, natural look styles.
But what are the best matte products to get the look you seek?
Here we will look at two of the most popular hair styling products from two of the most saught afterhair care brands, one is from the USA and the other is based here in the UK.
We will rank each product separately for the same categories out of 5. The objective is for us to decide what’s the better matte hair styling product at the end.
Will it be the UK’s Hairbond United Kingdom Mattifier Professional Hair Cement or the US’s American Crew Fiber?
Hairbond United Kingdom is a super popular trendy British brand founded by a dissatisfied UK barber back in 2008. Over the last 12 years, the brand is known to have only invested in the best quality when it comes to their hair care products. Today the brand exports to over 30 countries selling both online as well as in high-end barbershops.
I first discovered Hairbond on YouTube just after they first launched circa 2009, and the next time i went for a trim I noticed my local barber began stocking it.
To this very day, my barber continues to only supply Hairbond products, he says he won’t settle for anything less.
Although super popular, this UK company is relatively small in comparison to American Crew who have become one of the industry leaders and one of the first names to capitalise on the male grooming industry.
American Crew launched in the US in the 90’s and have never looked back. American Crew is available pretty much anywhere, especially in the US, making it far less exclusive than Hairbond.
Hairbond have a selection of matte products all designed for different hair types but today we want to know if Mattifier aka David, has got what it takes to bring down Goliath.
Hairbond United Kingdom Mattifier Professional Hair Cement
Packaging:
Definitely the best packaging I’ve ever seen for a hair styler. My wife Jenny even commented on how great the Hairbond products look on the bathroom shelf. Plus once you unscrew the main lid, there’s a secondary lid underneath, it’s actually more of a resealable seal to make sure your product maintains maximum freshness. 5/5
Application:
Breaks down super easy into the palms, however not as smooth as say the Hairbond products with lower holds like the Distorter. You can tell this is going to be a strong holding matte wax. 4/5
Finish:
Great matte finish although does flex a very low natural shine with bigger dosages. First I styled messy for my textured haircut. The product description said it has a reworkable formula so even though the stronghold had been applied, I easily transformed my style into something a little more conservative. Great feature Hairbond! Spot on. 5/5
Consistency:
I would say the Hairbond Mattifier has the thickest consistency out of their full range. Upon opening the jar the wax has what appears to be a marble effect running through it. Easily scooped but don’t expect a hair cream. There is some resistance. This is not that kind of product. 4/5
Hold:
It is labelled as 5 notches out of 5 for hold, and boy I agree, this perhaps explains consistency and application. 5/5
Overall:
4/5
What They Say
“Take your short, textured style to the next level with Hairbond Mattifier Professional Hair Cement. Ultra-strong hold and a classic matte finish combine to create premium hairstyles. Hairbond Mattifier Cement means your style keeps locked in all day long, whilst the advanced formula means it’s still reworkable throughout the day. This product is ideal for spectacular and edgy hairstyles. This Mattifier Cement is one of the newest products from Hairbond and comes with a pleasant fruity Cherry scent. Also available in 50ml.”
Now lets see how the American Crew Fiber measures up!
American Crew Fiber
Packaging:
American Crew Fiber comes in a brown and blue container, the packaging is disappointingly standard. I do however like their fonts but I do find the Fiber spelling a bit annoying as here, in the UK we would spell it Fibre. The size is 85g or 3Oz for the American people. 2/5.
Application:
Breaks down easy enough and styles well but there is a bit of resistance, not unpleasant, this is clearly just the grip you get that can be used to add volume to the hair. 3/5
Finish:
I have found there are different levels of matte looks. Some do infact carry more ofa natural shine which cant be helped. This is one of those products. 3/5
Consistency:
Soft texture which I like and quite a waxy consistency; on this occasion quite easily worked through the hair. 4/5
Hold:
Last time I used the American Crew Fiber, I lost any hold it had throughout the day. This time my fringe stayed up in a relaxed quiff. There were two differences, this time my hair was shorter and it wasn’t as humid outside. 2/5
Overall:
3/5
What They Say
“Fiber-like, resinous product helps thicken, texturize and increase fullness to hair. Provides a strong, pliable hold with a matte finish. Works well in shorter hair, 1-3 inches in length. For high hold with low shine.”
And the winner is..
With an overall high score of 4/5 the Hairbond Mattifier Professional Hair Cement wins this battle against one of the world’s best selling matte stylers ranking at a UKhairbrands 3/5.
Although the American Crew Fibre comes in at approximately half the price of the Hairbond Mattifier, you will find you not only get more product with the Mattifier but it should last you much longer. I do think twice as long if i’m honest. Therefore they probably work out a similar price if you look at it that way.
Thanks for tuning in. Lots more to come..
