Strong Hold, Matte Finish: Alterna Hair Concrete – $19.00
So you’re the type that wants a good amount of control over how your hair will look for the entire day, but the last thing you want is a shined up pomade finish. Styling creams
Enter Alterna’s Hair Concrete
It’s not really a wax, and it’s not a cream either. When you emulsify it in your hands it gets extremely light feeling. Use a small amount with almost completely dry hair, start at the back of your head and move forward. Push your hair against the grain a few times to get even distribution, and then finish off how you want it to look.
Done. It’s a dry finish, has incredible hold, and has almost no weight because you don’t have to use that much to get the desired effect. Made in the USA, comes in recycled and recyclable packaging, all natural ingredients.
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Where can this be purchased? Any major stores carry this or is it online only?
Nearly $10 cheaper off , with S&H.
@ishakir + Cresftfallen = I get mine through my stylist. And it’s about $20 there. That deal that Crestfallen found… I’m honestly surprised (and questioning?) how Buy.com has Alterna so cheap. They don’t seem to discount much… but I say go for it if you’ve purchased from Buy before.
Call me an old man, but I recently tried Vitalis ($4.99 at the local Wegman’s) and it does the trick quite nicely if you’re looking for a little less hold than this stuff. It really does keep your hair looking healthy and helps if your hair dries out a lot after showering. I had previously been using American Crew’s “Fiber,” and one of the major advantages, particularly in colder months, is that you don’t have to emulsify Vitalis since it’s already liquid.
Apparently you’re not supposed to smoke until your hair has dried, though. Sometimes I live on the wild side, and I have yet to pull a Michael Jackson.
@ Greg K: Call me an old man as well (I’m 35 and will be 36 in December) as I am a Brylcreem user. Tried Vitalis, didn’t have enough hold for me. Gave up the d-bag hair gels years ago and never looked back. Brylcreem gives hold without the stiffness and stickiness of gel. Doesn’t cost $19 either.
20 bucks is worth it when the stuff lasts 2+ months, as it does with me. I usually use Fiber, but it smells like wax and cardboard, so maybe i’ll give this stuff a shot.
What’s it smell like though? I can’t stand the chemical scent of most hair products. I still haven’t found anything better then American Crew Tea Tree Firm Hold Cream
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I use Crew Fiber too, and can also attest that it is worth the cost. I bought my last container of it back at the end of summer and im no where near half way through. I use it every day.
@Derek and Dave: All of these non-cream / fiber/concrete waxes won’t smell the freshest in the world. But this one doesn’t smell like chemicals at all. I think more along the lines of… I dunno… fresh clay? But as soon as you rub it between your hands the smell is gone. Kinda out-doorsy?
If you have coarse dry hair such as mine that does not receive much oil from the scalp, be attentive in what these products do to your hair. I had been using clay, wax, etc and in MY case it made my hair look awful, wavy and dried, which was weird lol.
Anyways what I learned is, since I coarse dry hair, short, and dull I need a product that is soft and brings a slight sheen to it already. No recommendations of products from me just saying to experiment and analyze. I find that if add a bit of oil to my hair not the root and I use a boar’s hair brush I can style it and give it some sheen ( which is what most of you probably have naturally) ;P
Sticky Rice is where it’s at.
http://www.cibuinternational.com/sticky_rice.htm
I use it everyday, smells great, a little bit goes a long way. One container has been going for 4 months. I have medium length hair.
Cosmeticians can get this stuff for 50% off too, so ask your barber to hook it up.