I’ll be honest. As a man, the word “product” never crossed my mind or came out of my mouth for the larger part of my life. Well, at least not when talking about my hair. I was used to words like “gel” or “mousse” or “hair spray,” your basic meat and potatoes terminology of hair care.
For most of my life, I didn’t know much about hair products and thought they were all the same. I liked the Pert Plus commercials, so I used Pert Plus. Pantene Pro-V has vitamins? Cool, I’ll use that. Vidal Sassoon says if I don’t look good, he doesn’t look good. So naturally I wanted him to look good, so I used his products.
Yet, I always wondered why some people’s hair looked better than others. I never really thought that it had anything to do with the products they used. I grew up with straight hair that got rebellious at puberty. Now I live with a thick mane of frizz and ‘fro if not properly maintained with a short hair cut. And that’s when I started learning about “product.” Or specifically, when a woman who cut my hair asked me what “product” I was using. I thought she was crazy.
I didn’t realize there were balms, pomades, and a varied assortment of other stuff. So I tried a whole bunch, in search of the perfect hair accoutrement that would help my hair look cool but not get too sticky, or wear off in just a few hours. And I am certainly not a fan of the “wet” look that is a side effect of many gels. (My wife is convinced that my hair looks the same no matter what, but I notice!)
So it was my pleasure that the Lock & Mane team introduced me to Tough by John Allan. The label calls it a “Fortifying Styling Paste,” but to me it just equals hair styling awesomeness. What I like about this paste is that it sculpts your hair without being too sticky or stiff. For example, certain pomades cause your hair to become one big matted mess, and if you don’t get the perfect style within the first 10 seconds, it sets in and you’re screwed.
Fortunately, John Allan’s Tough is different. It works well with problem hair like mine, giving it the proverbial “muscle” to sculpt it in a way that makes me happy.
My wife tells me it also has enriched conditioners and extracts from Acai, Red Tea, and even Pomegranate to protect the scalp. So that’s good, too.
John Allan’s Tough has replaced my other hair products on my shelf. It’s a great product for any guy looking to show his hair who’s in charge.
