Product Review- VERB Forming Fiber
VERB Forming Fiber
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Reviewed at 4.2 out of 5 stars (from 30 Reviews) on Sephora, this product offers a strong, flexible hold that feels light in the hair.
Simple Review
Pros:
Solid hold for natural styles
Light fragrance, and not too heavy in the hair
Washes out with just water
Affordable
Cons:
Sticky application
Hit or miss on how well it lasts throughout the day, depending on hair length.
Long Review
My Experience
After seeing how well the VERB Curl Cream works for my wavy-haired clients and personally trying out the VERB Sea Spray, I wanted to see what else the brand had for men's hairstyling products and how well they performed. That's when I got my hands on the VERB Forming Fiber. Described as a long-lasting, matte styling balm with flexible hold, this product seemed like a good staple product to have in the hair product arsenal. I've been using this quite a lot in the past few months as a daily product, and I have played around in terms of different methods and different styles.
Positives
A big thing to look for in any styling product is whether the hold of the product matches what it says on the packaging or advertising. Now, the Forming Fiber is meant to be a strong hold product, which means that the hair should be kept in place with very little to no falling, not just once applied but also throughout the day. For more natural styles, the product works well in controlling the hair into the style I wanted while still allowing the hair to be played with and move around. So this product is great for natural, messy looks!
However, it doesn't feel like a strong hold product in terms of its consistency and when it is in the hair. I find that the product is quite soft and emulsifies in the hands easily enough (not as easy as styling creams though). Once in the hair, I don't really feel like I have much product in it, but the hold is still there. I would say these are all very positive features of the Forming Fiber, as I am not a fan of heavy-feeling products since I like to run my hands through my hair at times and not have to feel the need to wash my hands right away. It should be no surprise then, that the Forming Fiber also washes out of hair very easily with just water.
The scent of this product is also very light and neutral, similar to the smell of sunscreen lotion. This is a big positive for me, as strong fragrances can be overpowering and also very irritating to my skin. If you have sensitive skin or an overall sensitivity to fragrances, you might enjoy this product!
Finally, just like any other VERB product, the Forming Fiber retails for around $22, a very fair price for a quality hair product with the hold you want. I've mentioned in other VERB product reviews how this is one of the biggest positives that the brand has across all its products, and is meant to make it more approachable for consumers to get quality hair products.
Negatives
You may think that all those positives mean this is the perfect product on the market and everyone should rush to get it! Not so fast. Although I enjoy this product, there are a few things that may avert you from it in favour of other similar products.
The first is that the Forming Fiber doesn't apply to the hair very smoothly and has a sticky feel to it when going into dry hair with a bit of tugging as you run your hands through it. This product is wax-based, and I find that most waxes will have that issue when applied. I prefer products that have a smooth application on wet or dry hair as it makes the overall styling experience more efficient and pleasant. This may seem like a nitpicky detail (and to some, it could be) but I want to spend as little time as possible on my hair when I am getting ready for the day and don't enjoy having to fight with products if I can avoid it.
Another issue that I have with the VERB Forming Fiber is that I found it did very little for short hair. For styles, like crewcuts or textured crops, I found that this product didn't provide great texture or hold my hair the way I wanted it to hold. Now, this could be because I have straight, stiff, Asian hair that just does whatever it wants when it's cut short (around 2 inches or shorter), so maybe you'll find it works better if you have a finer/softer hair type. My observation was mirrored by one of the 1-star reviews for the product that mentioned no hold at all for a short pixie hairstyle. Additionally, among the 1 and 2-star reviews (2 & 3 reviews out of 31, respectively), there were mentions of leaving the hair greasy and feeling too sticky. Recently I have also noticed that within weeks after a haircut when my hair begins to get unruly, the product started to lose its ability to hold things in place throughout the day. I’d experience my hairstyle becoming undone, having to switch to using a stronger clay to keep things managed. The VERB Forming Fiber is great but I think if you want something really strong that can defy gravity or keep the hair from moving at all throughout the day, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Despite the claim of being strong-hold, I feel this product is more of a medium-hold which only works for certain hairstyles.
How to use
Currently, my hair is around 4-5 inches on top, and so I can bend and manipulate it much easier than when my hair was short. I still require blow-drying my hair to get it to do what I want it to do, regardless of the product I put in it. I am also styling my hair in more natural ways that do not require a lot of volume or an aggressive hold, and so I find that this is enough for my needs. That being said, I find that I prefer using this product by applying it to damp hair as opposed to dry and will blow-dry from there. This is my way of avoiding that sticky feel when applying the Forming Fiber to dry hair and it is a way to get your hair to appear more matte and natural while still having the hold of the product.
I will actually pair this with the VERB Sea Spray in damp hair as I find the combination of the Forming Fiber's medium hold and the Sea Sprays' lightweight texture gives my hair a very soft and natural finish. Though, I'm sure any salt spray will be able to give the same effect if not better, as I think the VERB Sea Spray isn't the best out there in that category.
Summary
Overall, I am quite satisfied with the Forming Fiber and I feel it is pretty much what I want out of an everyday product. I enjoy the fact that it does not have a particularly strong scent and that it doesn't feel like there is anything in my hair after styling. This was a big reason why I didn’t enjoy the Layrite Natural Matte Cream. The hold is definitely not as strong as I would hope, but it still is decent enough for natural styles.
However, there have been reviews of the product feeling greasy when in the hair and the product can be quite sticky as you apply it to dry hair. I address both issues by applying it to wet hair and blow-drying it after for easier application and more of a natural finish.
I would definitely recommend this product and I feel it can be quite versatile, except maybe if one's hair is on the really short side or if someone wants a really, really strong hold product.
Hope you found this helpful!
My name is Wesley, I am a Barber located in the city of Calgary helping my clients become more confident with all things related to their hair by providing customized haircuts that suit them best while demystifying all the complicated hair information out there!
