Product Review- STMNT Fiber Pomade

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Reviewed at 4.4/5 on Amazon (237 rating/ reviews) this product offers incredible hold for even the most stubborn of hair and a fresh scent that stands apart from other products you've tried before. The STMNT Fiber Pomade could be the product designed just for you, but can it really do it all?

Simple Review

Pros

Firm hold
Fresh fruity/citrusy scent
Washes out instantly with water

Cons

Hardens (not reworkable throughout the day)
Requires water for reactivation

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Long Review

My Experience

In my previous post, I shared the reasons why I was wrong about pomades and how I've come to use them more regularly as my go-to hair product. As a result, I've been searching around in the past few weeks to see if I can find a pomade I really enjoy and can recommend to my clients.

This is how I came across the Fiber Pomade from STMNT.

STMNT is a product line that is created as a collaboration between 3 of the biggest barbers in the industry, with separate sub-product lines within the main brand. The Fiber Pomade is under Sofie "Stay Gold" Pok, who is a multi-award-winning barber/stylist [1].

The hype around STMNT was pretty big for me as someone who works in the industry. However, what really drew me to the Fiber Pomade wasn't the big name attached to it, but what it can do for my hair.

Sofie herself states that the fiber pomade was designed for straight, coarse, Asian hair [2]. And as I've shared multiple times on this blog, that's exactly the type of hair that lives on my head and it comes with its own unique challenges.

To recap, Asian hair typically:

stays stubbornly straight
aggressively sticks out of the head
requires more intentional styling to achieve specific looks

So when I heard that a product was designed to address these issues, I knew I had to give it a try myself!

Positives

The first thing I really liked about the Fiber Pomade was the fresh scent that came with it. It is definitely noticeable, but because it's more on the citrusy side, it doesn't hit me as hard as other fragrances (like the vanilla of the Layrite Matte Cream or the floral of the MoroccanOil line).

Application is super easy with the Fiber Pomade as it pretty much melts in your palms as you rub them together and goes through the hair quite effortlessly. Then at the end of the day, when you're all done with the product, it washes out of the hair instantly. I don't think I've noticed a product wash out as easily as I have the Fiber Pomade, it is that seamless!

While in the hair, the product firms up and creates a strong hold and provides a great amount of separation in the hair which allows for more texture to show through. The semi-matte finish of the product has just enough of a gloss that reflects light softly and provides a subtle definition, boosting the appearance of texture.

With the hold that it provides, my straight, coarse hair definitely stays in place and remains tamed throughout the day, with maybe only a little fall near the end of the day. Overall I am quite impressed with the product and it delivers on the promise of controlling my stubborn, Asian hair.

Among the 5-star reviews (172 out of 237) on Amazon, similar comments were made about the reliable hold and the amazing smell. Additional comments from those with finer hair have mentioned that the product is able to provide more body and fullness to the appearance of their hair! This is a great benefit for those who may be noticing their hair is starting to thin out in certain spots and want to disguise it a bit without having to put in too much effort.

Negatives

The one thing about this product that has me feeling a bit disappointed is that although it is marketed as a pomade, I find it lacks the key feature that makes them so great: reworkability.

This key factor means that no matter what you go through in your day, you hair can easily be restyled back into place, so you can always look polished and put together.

I found that the Fiber Pomade would harden a bit. Not to the degree of hair gel which becomes stiff and crunchy, but enough to make it difficult to freshen up the style and make it good as new.

That being said, you can still fix your hair back into place throughout the day while it is in this state, but I felt that the more I did that, the more I was breaking up the hold of the product and the more frequently it would come undone.

The Fiber Pomade instructions on the STMNT website say that you can reactivate the product adding water into the product. However, a true pomade would not dry out in the first place and can be reworked without having to do that extra step.

Plus, I've found in past experiences that the moment my hair gets even a little wet, the style comes undone since water will reset all the hard work I did from blow drying, regardless of whatever product I have in my hair.

I've tried pomades where I could feel the product was still active throughout the day, and I was hoping that the Fiber Pomade would have this quality as well, but unfortunately it is missing that one thing that could make it a true winner in its product category.

Based on the 1 and 2 star reviews on Amazon (10 and 6 out of the 237, respectively), the main complaint about this product is that the smell is too powerful and unpleasant.

This is definitely up to personal preference, and hopefully you get a chance to smell the product yourself before making any purchasing decisions.

Another negative review showcased a defective product that had not been properly mixed well in the container. That would be very upsetting to receive, so please keep in mind that it is possible just in case you need to return the product.

How to Use

With pomades, I find that I still need to blow dry to get the shape and direction of the hair to sit right. To get the most out of the product I follow these simple steps:

1- Starting with damp hair, I spray in texture tonic and spread a tiny amount of matte paste.

2- I will blow dry and style my hair into the desired shape, focusing on volume and direction of hair.

3- After blow drying, I take a double pea-sized amount of pomade and gently spread it throughout my hair.

4- With the STMNT Fiber Pomade, I focus on my parting and the front of my hair. These are the areas where I want the most hold.

5- I then spread the remaining product to the rest of my hair to create an even gloss throughout.

And that’s all there is to it!

Please note that my current styling process involves using multiple products for different purposes, so that I can get a solid end result.

There are two reasons why I finish with the pomade, instead of just using more matte paste:

The last product I use will determine the degree of shine in my hair, and the pomade has a semi-matte/subtle gloss to it. You can always add more shine, but you can't take it away (without having to start over).
The pomade's consistency is so much easier to spread through dry hair than the matte paste (which feels sticky and uncomfortable).

By following these steps, I haven't had any issue with my hair falling out of place, even after long days of running around, or really hot days where I would sweat a ton. It may be a little bit of extra work, but the results speak for themselves!

Fiber Pomade working it’s magic in my hair.

Summary

Although the Fiber Pomade by STMNT does not behave as a true pomade and hardens in the hair after it is applied, I find it to be an exceptional product as it provides a strong hold that lasts all the way until you need to wash it out. Once you get to that point, it will wash out without any resistance or residue leftover.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a reliable product that they can set in their hair and forget it. However, if you're looking for a classic pomade that has the added ability to be reworked throughout the day without a fuss, then you may want to try something else.

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