ChallengerMen’s Matte Cream Pomade | Natural Shine Free Finish Product | Clean & Subtle Scent | Medium Firm Hold & Travel Friendly | 3oz

While I prefer sumotech for my purposes, the Challenger matte paste is a suitable lower cost alternative. My mildly curly hair is between 1-2” on top for the first 2-3 weeks after a cut, and it’s nice to style it with a paste until the curls get too unwieldy. I prefer the effortless look of a matte finish. Challenger is a thick cream that spreads easy and is easy to work through your hair. It has a bit of a sticky texture to it and makes my hair easy to shape. It smells like the salon to me, which isn’t preferable but not bad. My hair had a mild shine after applying, but running my hand through my hair eliminated the shine, and over time it looked perfectly matte. Medium-firm is an accurate description. It’s not firm enough to keep my hair from curling just a bit but my hair isn’t going anywhere. Longer hair might be susceptible to some wind but it seems easy to reshape if needed. I liked the look of my hair with it. Overall, I prefer sumotech. It’s a firmer hold, it’s extremely matte, and scentless, but comparing the 1.5 oz size of each, it is not $17 better than challenger’s. I’m happy with this find!

By far one of the best products on the market. I care a lot about my hair and have used a number of products over the years but nothing compares to the quality of Challenger. It comes out of the jar as a soft cream so it’s easy to rub through your fingers and hands before applying and the soft texture blends nicely into my thick hair. It’s easy to style my hair just how I like it and once I’m done it holds right where I want it. It’s matte so my hair looks soft and natural all day long. It looks so natural that I’ve even been asked before how I get my hair to stand up without product! It holds the style throughout the day and into the night too, while other products I’ve had to reapply after a few hours to keep the style. Challenger is worth every dollar I spend on it and I’m a huge fan!

I normally have used American Crew Fiber for my longer hair (just beyond covering my ears in length) and I've used it since I was basically in high school (10+ years) because it worked better than the Axe and Old Spice products available at the time. I don't like how non-pliable and hard AC is and I usually have to water it down to get it throughout my hair thoroughly even when it's damp. I tried a couple new products throughout the past couple weeks and Challenger is by far the best of them.This cream has a very spreadable pudding-like texture which not only makes it super easy to spread on your hands and through your scalp but it actually has a really strong hold too- deceivingly so. The scent of the cream is very subtle and not overly musky or anything. I also didn't mind the AC scent either but this one is less noticeable, which may or may not be a selling point. Normally I just use hair creams to pull my hair back and keep it back and within a couple hours AC and the other new creams I tried lost integrity and my hair started to wilt or have a mind of it's own. So far with all my uses, even when it's been hot out and I've been sweating the Challenger holds up for hours. I also noticed this cream doesn't bleed onto your forehead after long periods like some other creams do. If you have longer hair and are trying to do something crazy like getting it to stand up on end, this honestly might do the trick but I don't know if I'd try my luck, but for what I do, which is mostly slicking a large volume of hair back, it works great.A big gripe I've been seeing in the reviews- the price. Obviously this isn't your cheapest option but it is better than AC in my opinion and about the same price, so it's not outrageous or anything and I will say I have tried more expensive creams that did not work as well or just as well for nearly double the price. For the money, I am very pleased with this product and it is one of those things where I would recommend buying the smallest size and trying it out if you're not completely confident.

Was initially concerned when I opened the container because the product looks very glossy, unlike the other matte products i use. Was pleased that there was no shine after application. It has a faint floral scent, which I though was a bit off-putting, but fortunately it is undetectable by the time I'm out the door. I'm surprised at the hold it has. It seemed to be more of a gel pomade consistency, not like a styling or forming cream/paste, but again, I am pleased that the holding power is indeed medium-firm and lasts all day. The thing I like the most is the ease of application. Goes in easy and has decent hold. Will likely purchase again. Try it. Won't be disappointed, even if you don't care for the scent.

Product works ok but seems to make my hair stiff. Absolutely nothing as to amount to use or how to dispense it. It comes in a round jar and looks like a heavy cream. Tried rubbing it between my hands to get it on evenly and it felt like it dried out. Tried again (less rubbing) and it went on feeling thick and heavy even though I only used a small amount. I don't use hair cream as a rule but this is nothing like what I remember. Where's the Wildroot.

This pomade holds all day, isn't greasy, no funky smell and it washes out clean in one wash. Add in they've sized it to be under the TSA limit for carry-on, and this is a winner.Highly recommend!

Other pomades I've tried are usually chalky and it usually doesnt mix well in my hand or my hair. Challenger is the perfect texture for a cream/pomade. The medium firm hold doesnt leave my hair hard and stuck together, it allows my hair to flow naturally instead of being "frozen", yet it still holds its shape well all day. And I have very thick black hair. I've tried many pomades and this is the one I have stuck with for 3+ years now and I absolutely love it (even over Crew, and its way cheaper). 10/10 highly recommend.

This pomade is exactly what I needed it to be! A nice matte finish and a good hold without leaving my hair feeling gross the next day.