Product Review: Paul Mitchell's Mitch Reformer Strong Hold Matte Finish Texturizer

As you may know, the Mitch brand is Paul Mitchell's attempt to really break into the men's hair care category. Reformer is marketed as a strong-hold, gritty, matte-type texturizer that helps make fine hair appear thicker. Although it does do a great job with initial styling, I feel that the overall promoted effects of this product fall a bit short of spectacular after a good 4-6 hours. I would say that if you are looking for 1 single styling product with great control, this may not be the one.

In my experience with Reformer, I have noticed that the style just doesn't stay as long as I would like it to. If you really want a style that will hold, it will most likely require a good layer of hairspray (which I do recommend anyway). One concern that I have is that although this product is definitely not a high-shine finish, it really does not look or feel completely matte either. I find that a bit strange since this product is pretty heavily marketed as Mitch's matte-type styling product. Reformer has a slickness to it; not the grittiness that is mentioned on the official website. I really feel that this somehow contributes to the fact that the product doesn't hold all that well. Matte products do tend to work wonders for people with fine hair, but like I said, Reformer is not entirely matte. If you want that REALLY matte finish, I would steer away, but if you're trying to stay within the Mitch brand of products, this will be your best bet.

All of my test subjects and peers do agree that the consistency of Reformer is spot-on! It resembles a thick cream and makes it really easy to apply. I don't think anyone appreciates a styling product that causes so much friction that it creates a yanking effect on your hair while you're applying it. Reformer doesn't have this problem whatsoever. For most men, you'll only need a dime to nickel sized amount of product for styling. That is a nice incentive for those who don't care to use much, if any, hair products at all.

Mitch products seem to have a pretty universal fragrance. This one smells quite good actually. I wouldn't entirely consider it a neutral scent, but it definitely smells clean. The last point that I would like to take note of is that Reformer washes out pretty well. I find it rather unlikely that you would have to wash your hair more than once to break down any product build-up. Certainly no complaints about that! This review may come across a bit negative, but I believe that Mitch's Reformer is an overall solid choice for those that are looking for a pliable product with a semi-strong hold and a slight matte effect.

+Pros
+Clean and fresh fragrance
+Semi-strong hold
+Outstanding creamy consistency
+Easy to apply evenly and allows for great control
+Requires little product for most styles
+Semi-matte effect
+Washes out easily and doesn't appear to cause product build-up

-Cons
-Doesn't feel or appear fully matte
-Doesn't always have a lasting hold
-Will most likely require hairspray for a lasting hold
-Can end up feeling slightly oily throughout the day

This product was rated on:

Fragrance:  4
Product consistency:  5
Finish:  3
Strength of hold:  3
Durability of style:  3

Averaged rating:  3.6

Available in 85g/3oz. Find your local retailer HERE