American Crew Pomade comes in a short, plastic tub shaped like a cylinder. The product itself is clear and gooey, with a wet, slick texture. A glob about the size of my fingertip is needed to style my hair how I like it.

The product makes many claims:

“Medium hold with high shine. Extremely versatile water-based formula rinses clean and offers smooth control with shine. Works well for curly hair and provides a modern, flexible alternative to styling gels.”

I personally would describe the hold as flexible rather than medium. A medium strength product should be able to keep my hair (generally wavy, curly in damp conditions) from springing up on a humid day.

While it is unable to control the curls, the pomade is able to complement them with a wet look and a soft hold. On humid and rainy days, I can still style my hair how I’d like it.

Describing it as having a “high shine” is an accurate statement, if underselling it a bit: pomade products are the modern version of what the Mad Men characters use in their hair.

American Crew Pomade is water soluble, which is a blessing and a curse; it washes out easily in the shower, but it comes out in rain or mist.

As for American Crew Fiber, it comes in a container exactly like the pomade’s container. It’s opaque, eggshell and considerably harder than the pomade (in my experience, pressure is needed to get it onto your finger).

American Crew says quite a few things about the product’s features:

“High hold with low shine. Fiber-like, resinous product helps thicken, texturize and increase fullness to hair. Provides a strong, pliable hold with a matte finish. Works well in shorter hair, 1-3 inches in length.”

The product works for the most time as intended. The hold is strong enough to tame curls and stop gravity from foiling my plan, and there is no noticeable added shine.

I haven’t noticed my hair being any thicker or fuller with the fiber in it, but it’s much taller when using fiber than when using pomade, and the texture is very different than my natural hair.

My hair is about 3 inches long, and I’ve found the product very effective, but I can’t speak for longer hair.

Like American Crew Pomade, American Crew Fiber is water soluble.