American Crew Men's Hair Forming Cream (OLD VERSION), Like Hair Gel with Medium Hold & Medium Shine, 3 Oz (Pack of 1)

Update: Since I wrote this, I've changed how I do things. Now, I blow dry my hair bone dry, and then use the defining paste (matte, and holds good with just a tiny spritz of hairspray). I also have some left over forming cream, and it works really well too, just gives the hair a shinier look. For me, that shinier look is nice if I'm going to a wedding, or dressing up...that sort of thing. I blow dry the hair in the front up, blow dry the rest totally dry, put some defining paste in my palm, rub my hands together vigorously and warm it up, and then work it into my hair. I love the way the defining paste smells, matte looks nice, and it's super easy to get that messy but controlled look. I have slightly wavy hair, not stick straight or curly. I decided to leave the rest of my original review below. Funny how the process changes over time! Experiment and have fun, but I personally think the Defining Paste is awesome for matte, and forming cream if you want a little bit of shine (but it's harder to work into your bone dry hair, and doesn't smell as good). ******************************************** Original Review I copy and pasted this from my Pomade review! ************************ I've used four different American Crew wax/pomades, and they are all great. They smell great, and they are relatively inexpensive. The hard part is figuring out...what product is good for what hair? I've gone from very short guy hair, to longer guy hair...and as I've done that, the American Crew product that I prefer has changed. With my hair really short, I was using their "classic wax," which they no longer make. I started trying their Fiber product on that short hair, and it worked pretty well. Get my hair fairly damp, work the Fiber in, and it would give me good hold...little spike in the front. Another product I was using with my short hair was TIGI Bed Head Men Matte Separation Wax. That stuff is REALLY sticky...which is fine for short hair. Before I move onto the Pomade, the other thing to consider is...varying the dampness of your hair prior to the product will have a HUGE effect on how it works. For example, you can have your hair fairly damp with the stickier (ie high hold) products, and still be able to work it in really well. As your hair gets drier though, two things happen. The hold becomes even MORE pronounced, but it also becomes harder to work into the hair. So as I grew my hair out...the Fiber began to work less well. I had a lot more hair, and because it's a "higher hold," it actually started to weigh my hair down. Spiking up hair that's only an inch or two long worked fine...but as my hair got to 3+ inches, it would start to fall over. And the Fiber is fairly sticky...so your hair needs to be fairly damp to work it in, but then it doesn't want to stay up. Now I will FINALLY talk about the Pomade! I had to move to a "lower hold" product...and I wasn't used to this at first. I was leaving my hair fairly damp, and putting the pomade into that didn't give it much hold at all (though depending the style you want...like a more traditional mad men kind of look without a lot of spike, then that would be fine). I wanted a little more spike and "verticalness" to my hair, so what I had to do was start drying it more. I've started using a blow dryer to "train" my hair in the direction I want, and to get it much drier (not 100% dry, but maybe 75%). Now the pomade has much more hold! The other product I've been using is the Forming Cream. It's similar to the pomade...but a little less shiny. It has worked well in my longer hair, and like I said before...to get any hold, I need my hair drier. You will probably have to try a couple different products until you find the one you really like. But before you give up on any one product, vary the dampness of your hair first. Hopefully my experience will point you in the right direction. For short hair, use the high hold products with damp hair. For longer hair, use the low hold products with drier hair.

I've been using the American Crew Men's Hair Forming Cream for a while now, and I have to say, it's become my go-to styling product. This cream offers the perfect balance of hold and flexibility, allowing me to achieve the hairstyle I want without feeling like my hair is glued in place. One of the things I love most about this forming cream is its versatility. Whether I'm going for a sleek, professional look or a more relaxed, tousled style, this cream delivers every time. It's easy to work through my hair and provides just the right amount of hold to keep everything in place without looking stiff or unnatural. Another great feature of this product is its matte finish. I prefer a more natural-looking hairstyle, and this cream gives me exactly that. It adds texture and definition without any shine, which is perfect for a laid-back, understated look. I also appreciate that this cream is lightweight and doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy or weighed down. It washes out easily and doesn't build up over time, so my hair always feels clean and fresh. Overall, I can't recommend the American Crew Men's Hair Forming Cream enough. Whether you're styling a sophisticated business look or going for something more casual, this cream has you covered. It's a must-have for any guy looking to elevate his hairstyle game.

Great for a light hold, a little healthful shine and natural look.

After commenting on other reviews I have te pleasure to make my own review on this item which I bought here in Amazon. I love this prodcuct and honestly will mention its pros and cons because it does has its cons! I reeived this item few days after paying for it and it arrived pretty melted I dont blame the seller I blame the terrible hot weather we have in the lower states specially here in FL where temp arouses almos the 90 degrees. The cream came almost oily due to the high temp. I had to put it close to the AC for few hours to get it back to normal shape, it did helped but the cream is also creamy and it melts fast but still is usable and I love it! However the jars are misleading with these low medium or high shine this one is very similar to other forming creams it does produce a low shine to medium shine at times depending on if you apply it with wet hair or dry hair. I noticed with wet hair tends to get a medium shine and with dry hair gets a low shine. The smells is great love the smell, it smells so soft and natural it has a very natural smell kinda of vanilla but not actual fake vanilla. Overall I will be getting me the American Crew Grooming cream which is for high shine and high hold I love my wet hair look but meanwhile I use this one! However hold is weak this states hold is high i will say to me is low to medium hold I need to use an extra product for hold or use hairspray to keep my hair in place because this cream kind of melts in our hair and does not give you that strong hold some might need specially i ou have medium long hair. So if you are looking for a good hold opt for American Crew Fiber instead!! I recommend getting the small jars to try them out if ur not sure on which product is best! Pros: Great natural smell Great natural low to medium shine Great small jar to start with Great price here in Amazon of course Great texture none sticky Cons: Weak hold Melts to fast Turns into oil if tempeture is high

I've tried this product at 2 vastly different hair lengths (10" and 3"), and it behaves slightly differently at the different lengths. It also behaves differently depending on if your hair is wet or dry. For reference, I have mix of hair (the curse of having one parent with straight red hair, and another with curly black), and really thick hair too. This mix of hair means my hair is near impossible to control at any length. The product feels tacky and sticky, but not overly so - and dry, not greasy. Because of my thick hair, it was near impossible to work through my hair when dry - but it would work through just fine with damp hair. This allowed me to kill the friz that normally plaques my hair. Then, to keep my hair from being as flat, I would add just a tiny bit more after my hair was dry again, that would work through just fine now that there was cream already in my hair. When my hair was longer, it helped my hair fall in pieces (rather than just being frizzy throughout). After cutting my hair to a much shorter 3" in length, I was able to use the cream to help form my hair into just about any style I wanted (much like Pomade) - without my hair looking shiny or feeling greasy (provided you didn't use too much, which is easy to do when you're still going through the learning curve). When it comes to amount, even when my hair was very long, I didn't need much, I would just lightly run my index and middle fingers over the top to the product. I ended up with 2 pea-sized dabs, one on each finger, that I would then warm with my hands and work through my hair. Then after it dried, I would just dab my finger into the cream again apply between my finger tips, and then style as desired. After cutting my hair shorter, I needed even less. Lesson: less is more. It does about the same job as a Pomade, but without the shine and no greasy residue. Being water-based as well means it washes right out, even without shampooing. However, it also means the rain can also wash it out - so bring an umbrella. I bought a 3oz jar in mid-august, and while I used it sparingly, sporadically and at varying rates (because of experimenting with styles and changes in hair length), I have only just started to run out. I have settled on a length and style, and I will be purchasing again.

I've used the American Crew Fiber and Pomade. This product, the "Forming Cream" I would describe as the middle, the perfect balance. My hair is thick, somewhat coarse, yet soft. I wear my hair short, almost like a buzz and usually let it grow longer so that I can comb it over (by longer I'm talking 4-5 inches on the top, sometimes more). What I didn't like about Fiber is that it can be too clay like and usually made my hair too stiff. I found fiber to work best the shorter my hair was, but even then it was a super strong and stiff hold. It was actually working as intended, but not to my liking. What I didn't like about Pomade was the high shine and depending on how much used, greasy feel to my hair. And once again, you buy Pomade for the shine, so working as intended but not to my liking. The forming cream (this product) works awesome. It mixes well into your hands for applying. It's very easy to work with. My hair doesn't look greasy yet stays in place all day. It keeps my hair looking and feeling natural. It blows in the wind yet returns to place when I run my hand through my hair to fix it. It provides hold whether my hair is long or short. Almost no shine, which I prefer, and has a very slight coconut smell. The amount provided in one container will easily last me about a year. For the price, it is well worth it. Will buy again.

This product gives fullness to my very fine hair.

I've used a lot of different hair gels over the past 30 years and even a few hair sprays back in the 80's, do they even make Stiff Stuff anymore? Unlike the aforementioned spray, this forming cream is one of the best products I've ever used. My last personal favorite was the now discontinued Burt's Bees natural hair gel for men. It worked well but simply didn't last and my last tube was just about gone when I looked for a replacement. The forming cream, while not being touted as "natural" works far better than the Burt's Bees gel or any other gel for that matter. Pros: -All day/night hold with no crispy hair feeling. I was shocked when I woke up the next morning and my hair looked fine. -All day/night healthy shine. I like my short hair to have a bit of a shine, not grease shine but enough to help darken up my hair. Previous gels eventually looked dry or like I wasn't wearing anything. -No flaking so far. I'm still experimenting with how much product is needed. So far a very small amount goes a LONG way. I can only describe it like old shoe polish. Wipe your finger over the product, wet your hands and product, work through your hair. If you need more wipe and repeat. Cons: -Hard to say this is a con but the smell is a bit strong at first. You get used to it and my wife didn't mind. It is a musky smell that isn't overbearing or harsh but is definitely not typical of hair products I've used before.