American Crew Boost Powder VS Hairbond Mattifier Leave a comment

I get messages all the time asking how hair powders stand up to normal matte hair styling products. Is it just a gimmick or do they actually work better in your hair? Today we are going to check out two of the best selling matte hair products from two of today’s strongest global hair styling brands, one product is a matte powder from US brand American Crew, the other one a strong hair cement from the UK brand Hairbond. We will compare results after testing American Crew Boost Powder VS Hairbond Mattifier.

American Crew

It all began back in the mid 90’s for American Crew as they swamped the US hairstyling market with a range of men’s hairstyling products like nothing ever seen before. Previously hair product marketing was only majorly focused on the ladies.

This huge corporate company quickly went global with huge marketing budgets and still today a popular choice for men’s hair styling. After the 90’s, the hair styling product industry became way more competitive as product technology advanced.

Hairbond United Kingdom

The start-up UK brand Hairbond United Kingdom launched later in 2008 by the professional hairdresser and barber Scott Michaels, in order to raise the standards of the global hair styling market, by focusing only on the best premium ingredients and of only the highest quality for their best-performing hair styling products.

Most major companies look for ways to cut costs where they can to keep their products competitively priced, subsequently losing a lot of quality potential, but Hairbond says they are only focused on manufacturing the best, whatever the cost. The company is a lot more exclusive and Hairbond’s products can be hard to find, although they do only cater for the end of the market who are prepared to fork out for the privilege of quality.

First let’s see what the Hairbond Mattifier has to offer

Hairbond United Kingdom Mattifier Professional Hair Cement

Packaging:

Full marks for packaging. This particular Hairbond product has a premium gold font which really does make this hair cement stand out as a luxury item. Great gift idea too. 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 as it has a thicker texture. 4/5

Finish:

A nice all round matte finish, you can get some more shine if you take a second application but the best thing about this product is that it is strong but also has a reworkable formulation. 5/5

Consistency:

Thick waxy clay with marble effect running through. Easy to break down. 4/5

Hold:

It is labelled as 5 notches out of 5. 5/5

Overall:

4/5

Let’s see how the American Crew Boost Powder compares!

American Crew Boost Powder

Packaging:

I do like the colour scheme and branding even though it might be a bit dated, but find the packaging style a bit bizarre and impractical for a hairstyling powder. 2/5

Application:

Avoid wastage by missing your head when applying this powder which is easily done. The product works in well at the roots and it’s a straight forward step. 3/5

Finish:

This product has mattifying properties and does add a new boost to the hair. More impressive with shorter styles. 3/5

Consistency:

Light powder. 4/5

Hold:

Not strong enough to use on its own if you have thicker or longer hair. 2/5

Overall:

Better powders available. 3/5.

What They Say

“Tap the puck a few times to loosen Boost Powder and then pour a small amount into your hand. Sprinkle it lightly and evenly on dry hair, making sure the product falls to the root for maximum lift and separation. Combine with Fiber Cream or other American Crew styling products for enhanced volume and styling options.”

American Crew Boost Powder VS Hairbond Mattifier WINNER

With a strong score of 4/5, the Hairbond Mattifier Professional Hair Cement ranks higher than the American Crew Boost Powder which only scored a mediocre 3/5.

I hope this help understand a bit more about what these products have to offer and how you can compare a matte hair powder with a hair clay.

Stay tuned for more brand battles!