Bounder is another one of the top known brands of moustache wax. I have read countless reviews on Bounder and other Wax Industries products. I was very interested in trying bounder ever since I first began growing a handlebar! After emailing back and forth with Mr. Wax himself we were finally able to work out the exchange rate (him being in London, and me being in the US) and were able to get me some of his fine moustache wax.
Reading about Bounder online you learn that it is made with Pure British Beeswax and Fine Caribbean Rum – Think about that… Fine Caribbean Rum.. Now that is something I think every man would have no problem with smelling throughout the day!!
The nice classic looking package that it came in
Upon receiving my Bounder I read everything that was written on the envelope/package that the wax came in. I saw in the ingredients that it also contained Vanilla Extract. This made me even MORE excited to get this stuff open and have a whiff! Upon opening it I was a little bit shocked with the color and consistency of the wax. When people say wax my mind goes to the “Clear” shiny wax (like Firehouse, Rex Wax and many others.) But when I opened up my first tin of wax I saw a creamy off white colored wax. – This does keep the ‘stache looking more natural throughout the day without the high sheen of other waxes.
I don't know if off white is the right explanation for the color, but you get the idea!
Ok Ok, on to the smell!! The smell is what I was most excited about with this wax. The fact that it has Rum in it, I mean come on!! The first whiff of this stuff what a bit over powering to me and I couldn’t make sense of what it exactly smelt like, But I think that was just the fact that it had been sealed up for while! After airing it out real quick I started getting everything that was in this stuff! At first I just got the vanilla and it almost smelt like, And I know this is going to sound weird but… Vanilla cake frosting. You know like Betty Crocker… Yea, then I started to take my time and I could really get the rum and a hint of the Glycerin soap (I feel that it has a hint of a soapy smell, but hey soap is clean! And it’s good to be clean!!!) Overall I really like the smell of it! Its vanilla frosting with rum, and you can’t be mad at that! – Unless your more of a chocolate frosting guy… Ok enough with the frosting talk!
On the inside of the package it says to keep the lid on tight or the wax will dry out, I read somewhere from Mr. Wax that the way the wax gets its firmness is by drying into a firm hold. This is a fantastic idea, because this stuff dries STIFF! It will hold all day even in the hottest of places (I lived in Phoenix AZ during the summer, and it got HOT. I’m talking like 118 degrees hot!) The fact that it dries out is also what I think makes this wax one of the more difficult to get a hang of. While applying it to my ‘stache I could feel my fingers and my ‘stache getting really sticky as the wax was starting to dry out. This would cause me to pull a hair or two out if I wasn’t careful! The way I got around that was by heating up the wax with a blow dryer (for about 10 sec), applying it to the ‘stache and working it through until I felt my fingers getting sticky then washing off of my hands (this stuff comes really easy with warm water) and grabbing a little bit more wax and finishing off the curls. It did take me a couple of days and multiple tries to get this right. To tell you the truth I still have not perfected application process, and have yet to get a hang of the wax. – Although the wax does come with some sort of disclaimer stating “Bounder is an old-fashioned product and behaves in an old-fashioned way.” So this might be Mr. Wax’s way of saying it is tricky to get the hang of!!
Throughout the day Bounder really stays where you put it! If it doesn’t you can wet your fingers and fix it up and the wax will reset itself to the new position. When Mr. Wax says “Extra Firm” he means EXTRA FIRM! This stuff is AWESOME when it comes to its strength and holding power! A little of this stuff goes a long way so like it says on the package use sparingly!
Overall I am very happy with Bounder Extra Firm Moustache Wax. It has a fantastic scent which is not overpowering one bit and wares off throughout the day. The holding power is top-notch while still being (hot) water-soluble, and again because I’m not a fan of yesterdays wax in today’s ‘stache that is a good thing, but if you were to leave it in for a second or third day all you would need is a little touch up with some wet fingers. The one thing that gets me every time is the trickiness of the wax when trying to apply it. This may just be my own experience with the wax but it is something that I still need to figure out.
Bounder Extra Firm Moustache Wax is definitely another wax that every ‘stacher should have in their collection!
Go check them out and order some wax! It comes in a 3 tin package Each of the tins is 10g so in total it equals out to be about 1oz of wax. But you have 3 little tins, one for your pocket, bathroom, and anywhere else you need to stash some ‘stache wax!
Until next time
-Keep that upper lip stiff!
The 'Stache Wax Review 