Challenger Blue | Matte Styling Cream

Design

Blue, black, and white themed. Nothing extraordinary, but nothing tacky either. Very simple and straight to the point. Sticker labeling with a plastic 3 oz. jar, which is a standard presentation. 

Scent

For me, it reminds me of a salon. Nothing overpowering, but nothing distinct either. I want to define it as a neutral-to-fresh scent.

Consistency

Creamy, wet, and buttery. You get very soft and moist product that in my mind, is the definition of a cream. 

Application

With the moistness, the product is very easy to apply onto completely dry hair. There's no tugging or resistance once you start finger-combing, and then using a comb. 

Shine

Challenger Blue Matte Styling Cream is advertised to have a natural-matte finish, and it does. 

Slickness

With many style creams, you do not get slickness. What you get is more of a natural finish, meaning it's matte (which in this case it is), and loose or textured. There is no doubt that strays will be existent, but if you are aiming for a loose pomp or pullback or combover, this is ideal for that. If you're aiming for a slicked back, or "clean and proper" style, this isn't the product to use. 

Strength

The strength of the Challenger Blue Matte Styling Cream is advertised as a medium-firm hold. For my type of hair (thick, long, and wavy), it provides a solid medium hold. For those with shorter hairstyles, this would be ideal because it'd be able to support the weight and style easily. 

Control

I'd reiterate what I wrote for the strength. For me, it's a fair amount of control. For those with shorter hair, this would be ideal and lean towards a greater amount of control. 

Endurance

As a styling cream, the endurance for me is not an all-day kind of thing. It's lasted amazingly well for about a 3-4 hour portion of the day before needing to be restyled. This is for a more relaxed and casual type of day. For a more active day, this did not survive for me. 

Restyling

My hair at this point was dry. There's no more wetness, and the presence of the product is essentially gone. What you're left with is a very dry hairstyle, meaning, it's easily restylable. You may experience even more frizziness, but at that point, all you would need is that product's ability to hold your hair up. And you get that. 

Hardness

None.

Rinsing

Washes out completely in one shower.

Conclusion

Am I impressed with this styling cream? Yes. Why? Challenger Blue Matte Styling Cream has proven to me that there's hope for my type of hair in this realm of the product world. I tend to stay away from salon products because:

1) They're too weak. My hair literally falls over once I leave the restroom.

2) They require you to blow-dry. 

3) I love the oiliness of pomades. 

However, it's time to be a bit more open-minded in trying new products, whether they fit in the pomade category or not. Although Challenger Blue Matte Styling Cream isn't ideal for my type of hair, it's something to consider if you're rocking shorter hair than I am. Anything 3 inches and under on the top would be an ideal situation for this cream. 

Overall, I'm surprised with how well it did for me.