Herban Lifestyle MAN Moustache Pomade

Alrighty folks, It’s time again for another review!

Now, thanks to the masses of the internet will all of these “Man” sites popping up (And no I’m not talking about THAT type of “man” site) But sites about mens grooming and about being a true gentleman. Well thanks to one of these sites I found this ‘stache wax, and let me tell you I am quite excited about it!

 

I found this wax on a Man site, and it immediately stuck my interest being a moustache wax that I have yet to hear of! I contacted Herban Lifestyle and they were happy to send me a tin to be reviewed.

When I received the tin I noticed a very natural looking label, now I know it’s weird for a label to be “natural looking” But this off white paper label with simple black text looked natural to me.

As you can see, a very “natural” Label

When I opened up the tin I saw a creamy looking wax (which is another reason why I was interested in trying it) and automatically it reminded me of a wax that I have already reviewed and REALLY liked…

The scent of this wax was unlike any other wax I’ve tried…. And I must say the scent at first was very off-putting and hard to explain, but the only thing I could connect it to was cigarette smoke.. Ya I know, weird right? WELL at first this scent was quite off-putting, but after a couple uses I started to like the musky, woodsy, smokey scent. I did notice that the scent disappeared throughout the day, so I didn’t have to deal with it for very long.

See? Looks like another well known wax right?

Now when I first dug my nail into this wax, my suspicion about this wax being like one from the past was put into reality. This stuff was not a Wax, it was soft and creamy… That’s right folks, this stuff reminded me of Bounder. So being a soft and creamy wax, I knew that it was going to be another one of those drying waxes… If that makes sense. This stuff gets its hold from drying out JUST like Bounder, which also means this stuff IS water washable (but we’ll get to that later).

Applying this stuff to the ‘stache is quite easy as it is a creamy wax. But like Bounder, you need to work quickly to get it into the ‘stache so it doesn’t dry out and start to pull hairs out (trust me, I lost a couple in the process) Once into the ‘stache this stuff is very easily shaped into curls, and once in position, those curls are going NOWHERE! This stuff dries STIFF, now I’m not talking Firehouse WT stiff, I’m talking Cement stiff! With this wax in your ‘stache you do not need to worry about any sort of droopage in the curls. Being a water washable wax, you do need to worry about the center of the ‘tache, but if you’re careful with your drinking then you will be fine.

Now like I’ve said this stuff (like Bounder) is water washable. I was surprised by how easy it was to wash out, because of how stiff this wax hardened during the day. I normally use soap to wash out my ‘stache at the end of the night, but with this wax I was able to just use some warm water. Although it did take a little longer than when I used soap, but I was still able to completely wash it out with just water.

**One thing I will point out about this wax is that, once “dry”, if you try to restyle, or fix the stache too much it will start to flake off and you will be left with white flecks of dry wax floating throughout your ‘stache. So be weary of that because nobody likes flakes in their ‘stache!**

 

Overall I would say I really liked this wax. For those of you who liked Bounder and are looking for a wax that is quite similar to Bounder (AND a ways cheaper) Then I highly suggest you have a look at this wax. I will say that because this wax dries out, you need to keep the lid on as much as possible. I say this because I noticed that over time, the wax started to harden and dry out in the tin. I’m sure that Herban Lifestyle can fix this problem by packaging this wax in a smaller tin (Which is exactly what Mr. Wax did with Bounder). But other than that, I was very happy with this stuff, it stays stiff (as hell) throughout the entire day, and is easily washed out at the end of the night.

If you’re interested in trying this stuff out, head on over to Herban Lifestyle and pick yourself up a tin or two. NOW remember, this is the Moustache Pomade, they also make a Moustache Wax which I would be very interested in trying as well! BUT HEY Buy yourself a tin of both! At $10 for a 1oz tin of wax, this stuff is right on with almost every other wax out there as far as price.

A huge thanks to Mary over at Herban Lifestyle!

 

Until Next Time

-Stay Waxy

Meister’s Old Fashioned Moustache Wax

I hope everyone had a fantastic Super Bowl weekend, and didn’t get too wild and crazy! I didn’t really care who won the game so I just watched it for the commercials, I mean the game itself wasn’t even that exciting! -for those not in the US and don’t know what the Super Bowl is; it’s the championship game for Football (yes, American Football.. or Hand Egg as it should be called!!)

Meister’s Old Fashioned Moustache Wax is a wax that I again found on Facebook, Oh the wonderful world of social networking.

I was excited when I received my tin of wax… I mean who isn’t excited when they get something in the mail that isn’t a bill or junk. So of course I was excited, AND it was another wax for me to try.

I opened my package and found the very basic yet classy black and white label on the tin. I do like how it is simple and to the point.

The very simple but classic looking tin.

Opening up the tin you see a white wax, and after taking a whiff it reminded me almost exactly of Cowboy Comb Moustache Wax. But there was something different about this smell. I turned the tin over and read what was in it, and what do you know this wax has Rose Water in it. I then smelled it again and it is very slight but if you think about it you can smell the rose. But who knows that could just be me thinking it actually does :). But other then that this wax does smell somewhat like Cowboy Comb’s wax.

The wax looks a little cream colored in this picture but It looks white while in the tin.

Scraping this wax off is tough! This is what I was talking about in my Wild Bill’s review about a stiff wax that is flakey. This wax is VERY stiff when scraping off and the best way to describe it would be it flakes. So is this wax really that stiff? Well, No. Once you start warming it up in-between your fingers the wax softens very nicely, but it does get a little “Greasy”, and I hate to say it but it stays that way while applying it to the ‘tache and throughout the day. Applying it is very easy since it softens up so nicely, but it stays that way, which I find a little bit weird for a wax that is SO stiff in the tin to not harden up after being applied to the ‘stache. Throughout the day I did have to worry about readjusting it to keep it in place. I did have a little bit of trouble keeping the large curls that I like, but I did manage to get smaller curls to stay in place.

Washing this wax out was very easy, since this wax didn’t harden back up like some other ones, it was very easy to wash out with water and a little bit of soap.

Overall I would say this wax would be a good one for someone who is not looking for the stiffest thing in the world but for something to keep their whiskers in place throughout the day while keeping a natural flow to it. The smell was hardly noticeable after being in the ‘stache, and it was a pleasant scent to begin with. This wax is white so you do have to worry about some noticeable flakes throughout the day but after a little readjusting they disappear.

A huge thanks to Todd from Meister’s Old Fashioned Moustache Wax. For all of you out there, head on over to their site and buy yourself a tin of their wax! This wax is definitely on the cheaper side for a 1oz tin, at $7.95 a tin you can’t go wrong!

Until Next Time

-Keep That Upper Lip Stiff

Foad Wax

European (I now stand corrected about my Geography) British waxes have seemed to always have an advantage over the American made waxes. Could that be because the facial hair epidemic has only just become such a huge thing over here in the US? Well I can’t answer you that, but I can tell you that the Britt’s make some of the best waxes out on the market today!

Foad Wax is one of the 3 European (Again my ignorant USA world geography comes into play haha) British waxes I have so far, and let me tell you, It does not disappoint!

My tin arrived while I was on vacation back home in Boulder, CO and I couldn’t wait to get back home and open up my package. When I got home the first thing I did was open up my package from Mr. Foad himself. What I found inside was a .5oz tin of wax with a cartoon drawing of Mr. Foad’s face on it.

The cartoon drawing of Mr. Foad

Opening the tin you find a dark yellow/greenish wax and you get the scent of the Essential Oils Mr. Foad uses. The scent of this wax is fantastic, yet not overpowering at all. There is really no other way to explain the smell other than the Essential Oils, it smells like…well…Essential Oils…

A dark yellowish/greenish wax

As for the wax I would say it is a firm wax.
I must say I did have some trouble warming this wax up, it seems as if the normal warming it in your pocket just doesn’t cut it. I tried using the blow dryer one or twice and it did seem to help. But most days I just kept it in my pocket(I always seemed to run out of time in the morning to use the blow dryer). Because I had some trouble warming it up applying it to the ‘stache was a little tricky. I had trouble spreading it evenly throughout the ‘tache. I think the reason for this is because the wax has Gum Arabic in it, which it seems like it makes it “gummy” and harder to get off your fingers and into the ‘stache.
Once I got the wax into the ‘stache I was set for most of the day, unless I had myself a cup or two of coffee. Gum Arabic is water-soluble which is good when trying to wash the wax out of the ‘stache but not too good while trying to keep it in the ‘stache. Other then having some minor droopage if I had a hot drink. I didn’t have to worry about the dreaded DSS or the Fangs.

Overall Foad wax is great, although I had a little bit of a tricky time warming it up, I would say this is another fantastic wax for the British! The scent of this wax is awesome, it smells natural so it is something I had no problem putting so close to my mouth. The hold of this wax is great, and you won’t really have to worry about having to do too much readjusting throughout the day.

Mr. Foad is a great guy so head on over to his site and get yourself some of his wax. He sells his wax in .5oz tins for what equals out in US Dollars to be around $7.96 and $3 for shipping to the US.

Until Next Time

-Keep That Wax In The ‘Stache

Count Justinian Moustache Wax (Classic, It’s Sticky As Hell)

My apologies for taking so long on writing this review! I have been very busy this past week  and this is the only time I have found to actually sit down and write this review.

Count Justinian Moustache Wax, was the first wax that I came across. The Count himself contacted me when I first began growing a ‘stache…. It’s like he knew………. I must say I was a little reluctant to try it, since it was a new product and there were no reviews on it. Well here one is!

I was wrong by second guessing The Count and his wax! both of these waxes are great! After I had done some experimentation with waxes I was finally willing and actually very excited to try the Classic wax, but when the Count told me that he was going to be releasing a stiffer I was even more interested in trying his waxes. When he finally released the It’s Sticky As Hell I think I was one of the first people to purchase it, because I was so eager to get a hold of his waxes.

I do like the tins a lot! Very simple and clean

When my package came in the mail I found my individually wrapped 1oz tins of wax, I almost didn’t want to take them out of their little bags! -But then how could I have reviewed them…

I started out with the Classic wax, since it was the original and “Classic” hold and I would have something to compare to it later.

The smell is the first thing that hits you when you first open the tin, I was very taken back by the smell!! I don’t think I can put it any other way then “It grabs you by the boo boo…”(Cheech & Chong Reference there) I have no Idea what to compare this scent to, so I can’t tell you what it smells like (It’s almost “Clinical”), I can just tell you that it is a very strong. Is it a good smell you ask? Well to tell you the truth, I don’t like it. The scent does dissipate when out of the tin and it  wares off throughout the day, so I got over the fact that it was so strong while in the tin. I am not sure what is giving this wax such a strong smell, it could be any of the ingredients really. But since it only has the normal 3 (beeswax, petroleum jelly, lanolin) ingredients nothing stuck out to me more then the others.

The Classic wax. It's a classic beeswax color

As for the wax itself, I would say that it is a medium/firm hold, and the color is a dark yellowy beeswax. It is very easy to soften up between your fingers by rubbing some wax in between them. I would say this is one of the easiest waxes to warm up! Spreading it through the ‘stache is very easy once the wax is warmed up. I did notice that I needed to add a bit more to the ends of my ‘tache to keep it in curls. (I also fixed this problem by adding some of the Sticky As Hell.) With that problem solved I was met with infamous “fangs” as the day went on. -They were not serious fangs, just a little droopage in the center of the ‘tache throughout the day. But fear not, I was able to fix them by readjusting the ‘stache, and sometimes adding a little bit more wax.

As for the It’s Sticky As Hell:

When I spoke with The Count about this wax, I asked him how much stiffer it was going to be than his Classic wax. “This new wax will be very stiff.”

Oh no, I hope its not as stiff and tricky as Rex Wax.

Well, good news! It’s not! It’s Sticky As Hell is exactly what it should be, a firmer version of the Classic! Which is a good thing!!

Actually the only bad thing about It’s Sticky As Hell being the firmer version of the Classic, is the fact that it has the same smell. Although the scent is not as strong as the Classic, it still has the same smell… Which is something that I eventually got used to after using the wax every day. The color was a little bit lighter then the classic, which actually surprised me considering it is the firmer wax. But hey color doesn’t really matter when it turns out clear in the ‘stache. EDIT FROM THE COUNT ABOUT COLOR: 

The slight difference in color between your two tins is unrelated to the different styles of wax. It is due to the very nature of beeswax. We use only 100% natural beeswax with no dyes or other additives, and so far we have been able to source all of our beeswax from the same bee farm. The bee farmer explained to us that the wax changes in shade from season to season based on the pollen the bees are working on at the time.

It's Sticky As Hell. As you can see it's a little lighter then the Classic

Warming this stuff up was almost the same as before, it did take a little bit longer because this is definitely a firmer wax. But once it was warmed up it was easy to apply to the ‘stache. If I were to compare this stuff to any other wax I would have to say it is most like Firehouse (WT), It has none of the Tackyness that Firehouse has, But the firmness is close.

As for the hold, It’s Sticky As Hell is more of what I needed to hold the big curls that I like in my ‘tache. I did not have to do too much adjusting throughout the day, but a few little things here and there (mainly because I am quite picky about how my ‘stache looks). Thankfully I did not have to worry about the dreaded “fangs” when I used It’s Sticky As Hell, because of the firmness it has.

Overall my experience with Count Justinian’s waxes was very pleasant!! I love how easy the Classic is to warm up and apply to the ‘tache, and I love the firmness that It’s Sticky As Hell has to offer! The one and only downside this wax has is definitely the scent, but like I said before I’m sure The Count could easily fix that. The color of the wax is neutral so you don’t have to worry about it changing the color of your ‘tache, unless you have a DARK DARK colored ‘stache.

I Highly suggest you go check out The Count and his waxes! The price for his wax is what I would say on the cheaper side, at $8 a tin and $2 for shipping and $.50 for the second tin. I got myself both tins of 1oz wax for $18.50!! Definitely one you should all add to your collection!

BONUS PIC. It's Sticky As Hell on the left, Classic on the right. As you can see It's Sticky As Hell is a tad bit lighter color then the Classic

Until Then

-Keep That Upper Lip Waxed

Oregon Wild Hair

Now I know I am posting two reviews in one day but THIS one is a part of my weekly wax review! So on to OWH!!!

During my initial search for moustache wax I came across Oregon Wild Hair, I was very interested in this wax because of all the reviews and how popular this wax seemed to be. With a huge help from Mark and Susan I received a tin and travel tube of their OWH Moustache Wax. Since I had heard so much about OWH I was stoked to finally get to try it out!

The tin and travel tube of wax.

First off when you open the tin you see that it is a neutral “wax” color which means this stuff is natural! The smell of this wax is like most other basic beeswax, petroleum, and lanolin waxes which again means there is no extra BS in this wax. One thing this wax does have to set it aside from the others is, Musk. Now musk is a very distinct smell some people like it and other don’t, and if not used properly can be very overpowering. Luckily OWH has done it right, the scent of this wax is in no way over powering, just a light natural smelling wax. —Personally I am not the biggest fan of the musk smell, but I got over that while using this wax. The smell of the wax is still noticeable throughout the day if your paying attention to it, and since I am not the biggest fan of musk I was noticing it more…

The wax is a very neutral color

As for the stiffness of the wax, I was excited to find that it was a medium stiffness; easy to scrape out, and fantastic to warm up in the fingers! -maybe a little bit too easy to warm up? would this effect the way it holds? Well fear not my fellow ‘stacher!! OWH is what I would call a medium hold. Once warmed up the wax is very easy to spread throughout the ‘stache, a once over with a comb and you should be good! As for the curls, I was in need of a little help when it came to keeping my long curls… long curled.. This is just because of how I like my curls, I like long stiff curls that stay where I put them. With OWH I was able to establish the curls I wanted, but because of the medium hold I had trouble keeping them there.  I “Cheated” a little bit and took a little bit of Rex Wax and used it on the ends of my curls to keep them in place… And Voilà! My curls were long curled! Throughout the day I did have to do some readjusting on the center of the ‘stache, but good thing I had my travel tube with me, just a little wax on the fingers, into the ‘stache, and BAM a fixed ‘stache! After I did some fixing I was able to forget out the ‘stache for the rest of the day, no more “fangs.”

Oregon Wild Hair is a great medium hold wax. I did enjoy my experience with this wax (other than the smell, sometimes) but I would definitely recommend OWH to the fellow ‘stacher who is looking for an overall good wax to have in their collection! For beginners I would say this is the perfect wax, as you wont have any trouble warming this stuff up and applying it to the ‘stache without ripping out any hairs. Another great thing about OWH is that it stays pliable throughout the day, so if it does need fixing you won’t have to go through much trouble to do so.

OWH is a great wax to add to your collection, and at $9.45 per tin with free shipping(In USA) it is a great deal! With very kind people and great customer service you can’t go wrong! Plus they also sell brushes, mugs, and apparel, so go give them a look and order some of their wax! Again I must send a HUGE thanks to Mark and Susan for their support for this blog!

Until Next Time

Keep that upper lip stiff!

Vacation time!

Alrighty! I have taken a week off to head home(Boulder, CO), a beautiful place with fantastic people and an amazing atmosphere! My time in Boulder will be spent drinking Ozo Coffee, seeing old friends, and spending time out in the beautiful mountain air.

Isn't it just BEAUTIFUL!

I have brought along my entire wax collection with me to test each one of them out while being here in this lovely town. I will be trying each one of my waxes for one day while being here to see how they hold up to the Colorado climate and the lack of oxygen (Being at 5430Ft.) The forecast calls for beautiful weather in the low 80’s to high 70’s, so I don’t believe I will have to worry about the wax melting.

The Collection has grown!

As for my week-long reviews I will pick back up with them when I return to California on Saturday (Oct. 1st), as to keep the consistency of my reviews. I was in the process of reviewing Oregon Wild Hair which is quite a fine wax, a little on the softer side but still a very fine wax(make sure you look out for the review of OWH).

If anyone in Colorado wants to get in contact with me and talk Moustaches please feel free to shoot me a line on here or find me on Facebook!

Also my search for moustache wax will continue here as I am ALWAYS looking for new brands of wax to find and review! – If you know any brands in CO that I should look for let me know!!!

Until Then

-Stay Waxy

What’s Up Next?

Hello Again!

This past week I have been in the process of reviewing Rex Wax from Oregon. This review has been quite eventful, so we’ll see how the final review turns out!

Over the weekend I received TWO shipments of wax, and have already had more shipped out!

The wax I acquired over the weekend;

Oregon Wild Hair

Count Justinian (Classic)

Count Justinian (It’s Sticky as Hell)

So Those will be the next waxes I review, I will most likely start with the OWH since It was the first to arrive over the weekend! I must say I am quite excited to review all of these brands! – Plus the waxes that are in the mail are quite exciting as well!!

 

Keep checking back this week to find out how the eventful review process of Rex Wax went!!

 

Until Then

-Stay Stiff

 

Gotta spread the Love of the Handlebar!!

Another great blog about living the Handlebar Moustache Life!
Make sure you go check out this blog!

Keep ‘Staching!

Got a handlebar? Want to talk handlebars? Check these guys out!

My fellow ‘stachers!

I want to take this time and tell you guys about

The Handlebar Club

If you have a handle bar you need to check these guys out! This is where I got my start with my love for the handlebar ‘stache. I’m sure if you have done some research on the web about handlebars you have come across them once or twice. They’re hard to miss!!!If you want to see what a huge community the handlebar moustache has you MUST go check them out!!

Want to join the Club?

-“The qualification for Full membership is defined as “a hirsute appendage of the upper lip with graspable extremities”, and membership is open to “any gentleman that the committee consider to be suitable, provided that he has the necessary qualification”. Please note that beards are prohibited.”—And that’s that! All you need is a handlebar moustache!

GO CHECK THEM OUT!!! OR ELSE!!!

-Keep that upper lip stiff

-Mr.SuperCooper

Firehouse Moustache Wax (Wacky Tacky)

Firehouse Moustache Wax is a pretty well-known brand, I’ve already found tons of reviews on this wax (as it seems EVERYONE recommends it). Firehouse makes three different waxes; Light, Dark, and Wacky Tacky.

their light wax is made for more of a blonde/gray/white hair (my ‘tache is more of a reddish/brownish so this wax is a no go for me)

The Dark wax is supposedly a little bit lighter color wax then the Wacky Tacky. Also I have read that the wax itself its a softer wax then the WT as well*. (*Have not tried it so don’t hold me to that)

And last but not least, the Wacky Tacky!! This is their darkest and firmest* (*Just what I’ve been told) wax.

OK enough with the other waxes, let’s get to the review of the Wacky Tacky

When you first open the tin you see that this wax is pretty dark, Not black by any means but it is a dark chocolate color. After holding it up and taking a nice big smell you get a natural sent(Hard for me to put a finger on what the exact smell is but it is quite pleasant) -although some have said they don’t like the smell I don’t mind it to much- and by no means is this smell overpowering. Just a slight hint which you’ll catch a whiff of every once in a while throughout the day.

As you can see I have used quite a lot so far! It is my everyday wax so I have used it for a while. The color almost matches the dark brown table. So yes this stuff is real dark!

Let me tell you this stuff is flipping stiff! the first time I used it I didn’t heat it up in any sort of way (which is recommended by their website,) I had a real tough time trying to get it into the ‘tache! So I would indeed say warm it up first, throw it in your pocket for a couple of minutes or give it a quick blast with a hair dryer (only about 30 sec but probably a little less.) After heating it up a little bit this wax becomes easier to work into your ‘stache.

Styling it into curls(or whatever you may choose) is quite simple with this stuff when it is softened up a bit. Just a quick twist of the fingers and it should stay almost exactly where you put it for most of the day!-The only reason I say most of the day is because throughout the day the center of my ‘stache falls into “fangs” and the curls sag a little -This may be because I am not using enough or I am just not combing it through well enough. Or because of the 115 degree heat during the Arizona summer… But a quick touch up on the center and reshaping the curls fixes that! Plus it only happens about once a day. And there is no need for me to reapply any wax, just fix it with the wax that is already there! This wax stays stiff but not rock solid, it is still workable while in the ‘stache. Washing this stuff out is relatively easy, it comes out when I wash my face in the shower each morning (which is fine by me because I’m not sure I want yesterdays wax on today’s ‘stache).

Overall I would say that Firehouse Wacky Tacky is a fantastic wax! it has become my day-to-day wax, (so I have been using it for longer than a week already) and it has yet to disappoint me.  I think everyone should have a tin of WT in their wax collection, and at $8.00 a tin and $2.00 for US shipping it is reasonably priced!

To order Firehouse Moustache Wax go check out their website

–I’ll upload pictures of the wax soon–

-Until Next Time

-Keep A Stiff Upper Lip