So you’re looking for a matte hair styling product but you can’t decide what to get. Do you get a powder or a clay? How are they going to differ? Can you use them together, or do you use either or? Common question! So I decided to take two of the most on-trend matte hair styling products and do a battle of the brands with them to see what comes out on top. Today we look at the Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Texturising Powder VS Hairbond Distorter.

Welcome to battle of the brands.
Whilst Slick Gorilla is quite new to market, their success has grown from the growing trends and demands for matte hairstyles.
The Slick Gorilla brand is run from Leeds, UK. Whilst it is early days for the Yorkshire company, the Slick Gorilla range has started to evolve and diversify as they bring out more hair clays and creams.

Slick Gorilla Hair say
“A new and emerging brand from the streets of downtown Leeds is about to hit the pavements – well hair, to be honest! We introduce to you the one and only Slick Gorilla. A hair brand created with the urban jungle in mind.
Our first product – one of many we’ll be launching – is a volumising hair powder to give your mane that stand out look. Slick Gorilla’s mantra is to create the best hair products for the discerning gentleman who wants to look great and survive in the urban jungle…
When only Slick will do!“
Hairbond United Kingdom on the other hand is much more established. A range which similarly only started with just a select few products over 12 years ago has gone on to dominate global demand now manufacturing a range of products suited to different hair types.
Unlike Slick Gorilla, Hairbond launched out of Lancashire when multi-brand owner Scott Michaels saw that a premium British label had the potential to represent the best-made quality hair styling products when it comes to world hair styling. Since then Hairbond products have been crafted to be loved by the masses.
Over the years Hairbond has gone from strength to strength with thousands of celebrity endorsements. Due to the amount of Premier League and International footballers who support it, Hairbond United Kingdom have become known as the “Premier League Of Hair Styling”.
Hairbond United Kingdom says
“Launched in 2008, Hairbond is an authentic British hair brand that produces professional hair products. The brand products are all as a result of progression, innovation, and expression. What Hairbond offers, no other hair brand can claim. It uses the best ingredients to formulate professional products that achieve creativity and style. Hairbond has won many awards across the globe, and rightfully so.
The Hairbond brand is distinctive and luxurious, trading all over the world as the number one men’s hair product. Hairbond’s mission is to bring together different world fashion into one world stage. Therefore, to get the right hair products to achieve your best results, buy Hairbond products.
The philosophy of Hairbond is as true today as the day it was founded. The Hairbond range has intended to deliver its promise of quality by maintaining the highest possible standards, using top of the range product formulations and ingredients to create an authentic British solution for the ultimate hairstyling results.”
First lets get stuck in to the Hairbond Distorter Professional Hair Clay!

Hairbond United Kingdom Distorter Professional Hair Clay

Packaging:
Exceptional. Attention to detail, glass look looks great, inside a second lid means product stays fresh. 5/5
Application:
The Hairbond Distorter I think is the best hair clay I have ever tested. Nothing comes close to how easy this is to work with when styling. 5/5
Finish:
Matte finish, no shine. Offers loads of texture whilst the styling finish stays subtle. Professional product which is certainly salon quality. 5/5
Consistency:
Creamy for a clay. A few light circular motions with it in between your palms turns this ultra-concentrated hair clay invisible. 5/5

Hold:
Shows it’s 3/5 Hairbond dots for hold. Remember this clay stands out head and shoulders above the res as a natural matte product. If you’re looking for super strength this isn’t the one for you. 5/5
Overall:
5/5 full house!
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.“
What They Say
“An elite, matte styling product that creates texture with a supple finish Hairbond Distorter Professional Hair Clay is an offers a flexible hold factor of 3 out of 5. Providing professional results on all hair types Distorter is particularly suited to thick, straight hair.
Designed in the UK as an alternative to sub-standard high street styling products, Hairbond Distorter Professional Hair Clay is not just a commodity but a lifestyle essential, promising to deliver quality by maintaining the highest possible standards. Hairbond use top of the range product formulations and ingredients to create an authentic British solution for the ultimate men’s styling results.”

Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Texturising Powder

Packaging:
Nice job with the branding and outer box but I’m afraid the 20g worth of powder doesn’t fill the shaker. It’s like you’ve been short-changed when you get a new one and it comes half full. 4/5
Application:
The Slick Gorilla hair powder works well once you have managed to get it in your hair. Be careful not to waste any more than you need to during the application. I ended up with white shoulders when trying to apply it whilst trying two different ways. The instructions say to put in the hand first, but I didn’t get even distribution. The second way is to lightly shake it over your hair but be careful it can come out quickly and missing your head isn’t the most difficult thing to do. 2/5
Finish:
Once you have it where you want it, the volumous look and the results are decent. I do however believe that powders are just a prestyling tool for adding volume in the roots and that for the complete professional style you need something else like a matte clay or a mud to seal the deal for coating of the actual strands of hair. 3/5
Consistency:
A fine powder. 5/5
Hold:
Good hold alone but recommend working additionaly with a strong clay, mud or wax if hold is important to your style. 4/5
Overall:
4/5.
What They Say
“Put a small amount of powder on your palm or apply directly to dry hair
Mess it up and make sure the powder is distributed all over the styling area
Style your hair the way you want
Remember you can rework the powder later or simply add more to get the desired look”

And the winner is..

Congratulations Hairbond Distorter! You ranked higher in our battle of the brands!
Whilst the Hairbond Distorter wins this battle of the brands, we can conclude that both of these matte styling products are effective for matte hair styling and can be in fact used in conjunction with one another.
I hope you find this interesting. Join us again for more brand battles and hair product reviews.
