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Matte for Men Review by Antimidas on 17 Aug, 2009 13:18
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My order from Matte for Men arrived today and I quickly put the Complete Head Care Lotion to work. I have to say that I like the muted look better. Instead of the attention being drawn to my scalp from the shine, it helps even up the entire appearance. It does have a nice scent to it without being floral like most over the counter face lotions. The aroma is similar to Bald Guyz products.
The lotion does do everything it claims. My head feels nice and cool and well hydrated. There is no greasy feel whatsoever. It removes the shine and evens out skin tones well making those little ripples that I seem to notice fade away.
I have to say that I believe the product is way overpriced at $24.00 for 2.5 ounces. Though I have only used it once, I am guessing that I will only get a month or maybe two with once daily use. When the HeadLube Lotion Matte is $11.97 for 8 ounces, I find it hard to justify the additional expense.
I bought the whole kit which included the Antioxidant Shave Gel, Antioxidant Daily Facial Cleanser, Complete Cleansing Cloths and Man Powder. I have yet to try any of these products, but will post my reviews upon use. The whole package was $32 off the price of the individual items and included a free imitation leather travel kit. But with the substantial price difference between competing products on a per ounce basis, I don't see even this deal as a great value unless you have the extra money to spend and just want to spend more.
Below is a cost comparison between similar products based on their web pricing as of today. Notice that the Matte for Men Complete Cleansing Cloths are a good value compared to the other products. However, they come in a resealable bag instead of individually wrapped. They also contain vitamin A, retinol and collagen which the other manufacturers do not have listed in their products.Cost Per Unit Complete Head Care Lotion SPF 25 (2.5 oz) $24.00 $9.60/oz Bald Guyz Sunscreen Gel SPF 30+ (4 oz) $9.99 $2.50/oz HeadLube Matte SPF 30 (8 oz) $11.97 $1.50/oz ------------------------------------- Antioxidant Shave Gel (2.5 oz) $16.00 $6.40/oz Bald Guyz Ultimate Shave Gel (5.4 oz) $5.99 $1.11/oz HeadSlick Shave Cream (8 oz) $8.97 $1.12/oz ------------------------------------- Antioxidant Daily Facial Cleanser (6.5 oz) $22.00 $3.38/oz Bald Guyz Daily Wash & Shampoo (4 oz) $6.99 $1.75/oz HeadWash (8 oz) $8.97 $1.12/oz ------------------------------------- Complete Cleansing Cloths (30 count) $16.00 $.53/ea Bald Guyz Head Wipes (16 count) $4.99 $.31/ea HeadWipes (12 count) $8.97 $.75/ea ------------------------------------- Man Powder (10.5 oz) $22.00 $2.10/oz Gold Bond Ultimate Comfort Body Powder (10 oz) $5.99 $.60/oz -
#1 by BaldBear on 17 Aug, 2009 15:49
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WOW, thanks for that in-depth breakdown and review. I actually LIKE the shiny look, and use the HeadLube GLOSSY stuff. I got the 8 ounce bottles of it at Walgreens for under $3 bucks. I bought 4 of them!
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#2 by Antimidas on 17 Aug, 2009 16:45
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Wow! Great price! I like the HeadLube Glossy as well, but wanted to change things up a bit. My head LOOKS smoother with the matte. Seeing that Headblade now has the matte with SPF 30, I think I am going to buy. I bought out my Walgreens of all of the stuff I could find since it was cheap and on clearance.
As an added note, and this will get quite personal and descriptive, I did try the Man Powder this evening.
I learned all too well during Army field training exercises in the woods of Camp Shelby Mississippi that powder is a must when it is hot and humid.
The Man Powder is as comfortable as they claim. Good stuff if keeping dry is your only concern. Nice light manly scent, soothing and cool. Keeps your testicles from sticking to your legs especially if you tend to go commando. It is more comfortable than baby powder like they claim and your testicles don't smell like a fresh diaper. But because it is talc, it still has a tendency to cake with moisture just like baby powder. It is a bit unsightly and could be a turn off if you intend to be intimate with someone. White crust around the head of your penis is never appealing.
Gold Bond makes an Ultimate Comfort Body Powder which is 100% talc-free and less expensive. It also has a faint scent although that would be lavender which some might not consider too manly. Since it is really a light scent, it is not really noticeable and dissipates quickly. As it does not have any talc, it does not cake in the crevices but spreads evenly without leaving a significant white residue everywhere. And it is just as effective at preventing the aforementioned sticking.
Just be careful if you buy the Gold Bond that you do NOT get the medicated powder unless you want some interesting sensations. It is not quite as bad as Icy/Hot on your jock, but still stings a bit. It will work the same, but don't say I didn't warn you. -
#3 by Antimidas on 17 Aug, 2009 16:51
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Quote
What is the SPF on the Matte? I have inconsistent results with the Bald Guyz product; sometimes (like today) it cakes up on my facial hair.
The Matte for Men lotion is SPF 25. Headblade makes a matte finish one with SPF 30 as does Bald Guyz. I don't think Bald Guys is a matte finish though and I have not seen it in my local drug stores.
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#4 by marty22 on 17 Aug, 2009 16:52
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thanks Antimidas!
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#5 by Antimidas on 17 Aug, 2009 16:53
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Not a problem. Sacrificing the disposable income for the greater good.
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#6 by Baldboss on 17 Aug, 2009 17:42
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My order arrived today, too, but I haven't used it. Will shave in the AM with the Antioxidant Gel and follow with the Head Care Lotion. My biggest shock was the tiny size of the tubes! Like Antimidas, I'll be shocked if I get more than a month from a tube...this better be good stuff!
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#7 by Antimidas on 17 Aug, 2009 17:53
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It's good, but it ain't that good! I will be hitting the face wash, shaving gel, et al tomorrow. I will report more back then. I would be interested to hear your thoughts after trying it Baldboss.
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#8 by BaldBear on 18 Aug, 2009 03:30
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My order arrived today, too, but I haven't used it.
I don't want to see any of that powder all over the floor in October!!!!
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#9 by Baldboss on 18 Aug, 2009 09:01
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I don't want to see any of that powder all over the floor in October!!!
I only ordered the Shave Gel and Head Care Lotion - no powder.
I like the Head Care Lotion - moisturizes, matte finish, and absolutley no greasy or sticky feel. It's a good product, but if it's a good value or not depends on how long the tube lasts.
I hope the "Antioxidant Shave Gel" has some skin care benefits, because I didn't like it as much as my regular - which BTW is Nioxin shampoo. I use Neutrogena Shave Cream on my face and tried it on my head and didn't care for it. One morning, I forgot to put it in the shower and having to choose between Irish Spring and Nioxin, I opted for the Nioxin. Suprisingly, it kept my head slick after repeated passes...even moreso than M4M Shave Gel.
I'll use the M4M for shaving until it's gone, but after that, will switch back to the Nioxin. -
#10 by Antimidas on 18 Aug, 2009 09:40
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I used the face wash this morning and I do have to admit that I like this much better than any of the other products I have used so far. Until now, I have used the Neutrogena face scrub and hte Nivea face wash. The Matte for Men face wash leaves my skin feeling smoother than anything I have ever used. I used it to scrub everything above the shoulders. If it exfoliates, it seems to do it without all of the scrubbing sand that everyone else seems to put in their products. Definitely a keeper for a product! I will try out other brands though to see how they compare. Who knows? Maybe I am missing out on the same great feeling from competitive products. Definitely no skin tightening or dry feeling like I get with the Nivea products.
The shave gel was interesting. It was extrememly thick like a paste and reminded me of the medicine we used to give our cats for hairballs. Not trying to be negative on the product because of that. Just calling it like I see it. It stayed on my entire head throughout the shave. With most products, I have had to lather the head a couple times or rewet. This stayed well lubricated throughout the shave. I also generally have to lather my beard and neck separately, but with this product I did not.
I am on day 8 of a blade, so maybe that plays a part in my next statement. The razor did not seem to glide as well, but definitely no nicks. It felt like it grabbed the hair much better and required a bit more pull on the razor. The shave is as close as I have gotten with any other product. I needed fewer strokes to accomplish the same task. That could have been just this product or a combination of both. It gave me more problems on my neck around the adam's apple, but everything I have tried has that issue. Just a really difficult spot for me to shave smooth.
I did use the moisturizer again today and have to say I like the longevity of the nice cool feeling. There is no menthol that I can detect in the product, but it just feels more moist and cool. I am still wrestling with the cost for such a small tube, but it does feel really good on my head.
I forgot to bring the Matte for Men wipes with me to work today, so I will have to report on those later. -
#11 by Bald Kahuna on 18 Aug, 2009 12:50
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Fantastic, thorough discussion-thks so much Antimidas. I will certainly refer to the list & comments before shopping.
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#12 by MikeM on 18 Aug, 2009 13:28
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Matte for Men products are available at *some* Sephora stores. I think the prices in store may be higher than ordering online, but you're not paying a shipping charge.
I love the shave gel. -
#13 by Antimidas on 18 Aug, 2009 14:26
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There is no shipping if the order is over $50. Not too hard to hit that price point.
MikeM - You say you like the gel. Do you find that it glides better for you that HeadLube? Trying to figure out if my issue was more with the razor than the product. I guess a truer test would be a new blade with each on separate halves of my head and see which ends up the best.
I shaved at 7:30 and it is now 3:24. I just now have a head that feels like felt on top, so it was a longer lasting result. Sides are still relatively slick. And it still feels nice and cool without any reapplication of moisturizer or anything else.
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#14 by MikeM on 18 Aug, 2009 14:45
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MikeM - You say you like the gel. Do you find that it glides better for you that HeadLube? Trying to figure out if my issue was more with the razor than the product.
You mean HeadSlick? I've never liked any Head* product and it's been several years since I last tried their stuff, so I don't remember.
I think you said you didn't have to rewet with the M4M shave gel. I find the opposite is true for me: I get the best results if I constantly rewet.
One other thing: I know there's a raging debate on this point, but there are some indications that talc might be a carcinogen.