Here's the bottle itself:
And here is the back for directions, ingredients, etc. :
Yes, that says 15 pumps. More on that is a bit.
I'm not entirely certain how long this product has been out, but my local Wal-Mart started stocking it fairly recently, so I'm thinking it's fairly new.
I'd like to preface my review with this- To be honest this is one of maybe two or three leave-in conditioners specifically marketed towards men that major retailers carry. Sure, hair care shops, salons, and the internet will yield other options. However, if you're looking to pick some men's LIC up quick at your local chain department store, this is probably the option that will be presented to you. Quite honestly, I've been using a unisex (although clearly marketed to women) LIC up until I picked this up. You can find at least a dozen women's LIC products at most stores, and yes, they'll work the same on men's hair. However, the scent of this product is definitley why it's marketed toward men. More on that once I get into the meat of the review.
Ok, so- the product comes in a 4.5 ounce bottle, with 4.2 ounces of product contained, and a solidly made pump-top. It has a sort of strange pump cover/lock that I believe is supposed to be reused, but I threw it out- it was kind of a pain to get off in the first place; it wasn't going back on my bottle. The pump works well, and dispenses an even ammount of product with each pump. The bottle is actually a bit clumsy to handle given its hour-glass figure, so I suggest putting it on a counter when pumping, lest it slip mid-pump.
Now, as far as useage- it's going to depend largely on your grooming habits. If you shower in the morning, towel dry your hair so it's damp, not soaking wet. Now, since I'm talking to the morning-shower folk, this is the key part. This product can be layered- meaning it can be used in conjunction with your other hair products. However; You're going to want to let it absorb into your hair at least a bit, before applying anything else, lest you rub/comb/brush 75% of the conditioner out of your hair. My advice: Apply to your hair, and go about the rest of your morning routine. By the time you've eaten, dressed, etc. it will be sufficiently absorbed into your hair. Lightly re-dampen your hair with hands, and apply your standard gel/pomade/what have you. If you usually apply your product with dry hair, all the better, as you won't be wiping away any remnant tonic.
If you shower at night, obviously the same application procsess applies. This is probably the best scenario with this product, as the product will be able to completely absorb into your hair/scalp overnight. By morning, if you dampen your hair for product, you really don't notice anything has been sitting in your hair overnight.
The instructions for this tonic says to use 15 pumps worth of product. Now, 15 pumps is probably a bit much if you have fairly short hair, and way too much if you're rocking a buzz, crew cut, or high & tight/top-short fade. For that, I'd recommend 8-12. It's all about finding what properly coats every bit of your hair. Remember- you can always add more. Anyways, I have a short-medium style cut, basically a slightly longer version of John Hamm's (Don Draper) Mad Men cut, as seen below.
Image courtesy of MensHairForum.com
So, for me, the suggested 15 pumps was perfect. With most product, you'd place it into your hands, rub together, then spread. If you're using less than, I'd guesstimate, 10 pumps, that'll work. However, anything more than that, and you should use my method to ensure an even coating. I use 15 pumps, so 8 pumps go directly on the top/front of my hair in various spots, 2 on each side, and the last 3 on the back of my hair. I wet my hands lightly reduce the surface tension of my hands, so the tonic won't stick too much to my hands. The tonic itself has the viscosity of a slightly watered-down skin lotion. It spreads evenly nicely.
As to it's performance...
With no other products added, and after about 3 weeks of useage my hair was noticeably thicker, was easier to control, and it's shine was noticeably improved. In fact, the shine improved within one or two uses, but after 3 weeks, it definitley had a (noticed by others) nice glow to it. I wasn't impressed with the softness of my hair, however it has some softness imparted by the tonic. I'd say it's equivilant to how your hair feels immediately after using a conditioned in the shower, once it's dried. Nothing spectacular, and nothing permanent. However, that healthy-looking sheen it imparted stuck around for a good two to three weeks after ceasing use of the tonic.
As for thickness and fullness (it's in the name of the product!) I wasn't overly impressed, but I was moderately noticeable. My girlfriend actually stated that she enjoyed running her hands through my hair more, as it felt thicker. Now, I already have medium-thick hair, so it definitley works in that regard. The thickness stuck around for about a week after cessation, and slowly faded to normal over the following week.
It's alcohol and water-based, with denatured alcohol being the primary ingredient. Most likely methylated denatured, as it is a very slight mintiness in it's scent. The smell itself is very light and clean. I wouldn't describe it as masculine, but it's not "girly" or sweet either. Just a nice, fresh fragrance. Again, it's light, so no one will notice but you or your significant other.
Being alcohol-based, it'll also burn a bit when you put it on- not so burn as perhaps a slight tingle. Also, as alcohol is fairly drying, it probably accounts for the limited softness provided by the tonic. No, it won't dry your hair or your scalp out, but it'll tingle a bit.
Something that is a bit neat about this product is it's ability to provide some hold to your hair. For example; I placed the product in my hair in the morning, and then styled my hair. I usually style it, again, à la Don Draper, and, right from the get go, that wasn't happening. It does not give you that firm, precise hold pomade, or even gel can give you. It does however, give you a nice "natural" looking hold. Here are a couple of pictures of my hair after a light work day-
Again, it really doesn't give that much hold, as evidenced by all the fly-away hairs. Keep in mind, though, that it's after an entire work day, having to take a cover (hat) on and off throughout.
Another thing to consider here is price. Now, Wal-Mart lists it online for $9.93, and I'm fairly certain I picked it up in-store for $8-$9. Here's a link to Wal-Mart for it (mobile URL):
http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Head-Shoulders-for-Men-Full-Thick-Advanced-Thickening-Tonic-4.2-fl-oz/34202147
However, looking to purchase online? Yeah...prepare to virtually plunk down anywhere between $18 and $22. Yep. Check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/B00FIZGLB4/ref=olp_tab_all
So, considering price only, Wal-Mart is the way to go by far. This is a solid product, that is not worth any more than $10. In fact, even that price point is a bit much. I'd be more comfortable with a $6 or $7 mark, but $10 is a bit much. You're looking at just about 40 cents per use.
Ok, so- final thoughts. Basically, the biggest pro to this product is the thickening ability. It provides a good to excellent boost in fullness. As evidenced in the last two photos, it'll impart a moderate to good shine. It gave my medium-darkness brown hair a healthy-looking golden shine. Also, that shine will stick around quite awhile (2-3 weeks) after you quit using the product or take a break from it, so that's a plus.
It's price point is a bit high even at Wal-Mart ($9.93) and fairly outrageous online, as evidenced by merchants on Amazon ($18-23). Do not pay any more than $10-$12 for this. Do yourself a favor, and find a unisex (again, often marketed more towards women/placed in women's hair care aisles) LIC that will run you $4-$10. It does offer about 30 uses (at 15 pumps each use), so a months worth if used daily. Personally, Wal-Mart's price point of $9.93 becomes fairly reasonable if you use this tonic every other day, therefore stretching it's useage to two months. Use it any less than that, however, and the tonic doesn't have the chance to build on it's previous day's repairs, and it's benefits become less noticeable.
The tonic imparts very little softness to your hair, but your hair will be softer with it than without it. I will say that increased softness isn't one of the selling points touted by Procter & Gamble for this stuff, so I can't knock them too much for that. However, it's sort of a given with LICs and tonics that your hair will grow softer with useage.
Anyways, brass tax:
Do purchase if your looking for something to truly thicken up your hair, give this stuff a try, guys and gals alike. It'll really benefit the thin (or thinnING) hair crowd. Plus, your hair gets a nice sheen. Especially nice if you don't put any other products in your hair, and want to show off a natural glossiness. Speaking of no other products, as I mentioned earlier in this post, this tonic can be used to impart some hold to your hair- not much -but enough if you want the look of natural, light hold, with the added benefit of conditioning action. That alone might be enough for me to pick up another bottle. On days off, or if I'm feeling lazy/don't have time to "do my Don Draper hairdo", I can get a nice, (very) casual looking 'do out of it. Too casual, in my opinion, for everyday use, but I'm sure it'll look okay on others.
Don't purchase this product if you already have medium to very thick hair. The added thickness isn't quite worth $10 (and again, definitley not Amazon's $20). Nor is the shine alone worth $10. You can pick up some instant-shine spray for a buck or two if that's what you're after. Also, don't pick it up just for that "light, casual hold" I've mentioned a couple times in this post. A dab of light gel or half a dab of medium gel will do that- and be a lot cheaper, too.
So, to recap:
Hold- Very light to light (However, bear in mind that it is not the intended use of this product)
Shine- Moderate (But, again, the shine lasts, even after stopping use)
Softness- Low to low-moderate
Thickness/Fullness- Moderate to moderately-high
Pricing- Ranges from $10 (Wal-Mart) to $18-$22 (online); Ten dollars is on the high-end for performance and amount of product, anything more than that is way too much- at $10 and using it as per the directions it works out to roughly 40 cents per use
