CLUTCH XL Matte Styling Clay - EXTREME Hold

First to give you guys some background: I have coarse wavy hair that needs to be blow dried to straighten it out and give it good shape with good volume. If my hair gets any moisture or oils in it, it will become nappy and look like I didn’t even blow dry or style it. I used Claymation for years do to its high hold and dry finish, but they recently changed their formula. Now it’s wet and oily and has way less hold. That made my hair look like a complete mess. I called them to see if I got a bad batch but they said that’s the new formula they are now using. So I bought Quicksand to cocktail with Claymation due to its “dry formula”. That things is oilier than Claymation. I called them again and they said they changed the formula on it too to make it easier to apply. So then I bought Bluuman Cavalier Clay. It initially had god hold but a few hours later, I had lost all texture and volume and my hair was super oily. The worst thing about it was that it doesn’t wash out. I washed my hair several times and even had to get dish washing soap and washed my hair twice with it to get that stuff out. I then used Pacinos Matte Clay which does go on dry and has good hold, but after running my fingers in it during the day, it lost all structure and my hair was all over the place. I was cocktailing Pacinos with Claymation to get a decent result but I had to use the right amount of each or else it would be a disaster. Then I found some videos on Clutch XL.. man this stuff is awesome. First off, I ordered it Friday the 7th and got it Monday the 9th! Super fast shipping. My next impression was the smell which is great. Then using it, I noticed that it scoops out and breaks down super easy which made me think the hold wasn’t gonna be that great. But man was I wrong. It has a great hold but it still allows me to restyle during the day. I like to run my hands through my hair, that’s one of the perks of having long hair. When I would do this with other products, all the texture and volume would be gone by mid day. Not with Clutch XL. I can restyle my hair all day and I still have great texture and it keeps the volume. The next day I used it as a pre-styler and post-styler and it works even better. It is a matte finish but has very suttle shine which I now like because it gives my hair that healthy natural look. Finally when I showered, it came right out with shampoo which surprised me because I use some organic shampoo my wife makes me use which doesn’t have hardcore chemicals. That should give you an idea of how easy Clutch XL is to wash out. I have been using it for about a week and everyday has been a good hair day. This is now my new and only hair product. Please Stephen (and team), don’t change the formula or ingredients. This stuff is perfect the way it is.

clutch xl is such a great hair product the texture and hold is so much better compared to cavalier clay thumbs up from me

I recently purchased this product and have been pleasantly surprised, not only with the product's performance, but it's versatility. As a post-styler, it applies easily into my fine hair, although it does dry a tad quickly with a slight tug, though I think this is contributes to the hold. I can easily create my desired style and the hold is fantastic, although I do want to test it further as my hair grows out a little. After talking with Stephen, he suggested I try it as a pre-styler, as well. While not as good as a dedicated pre-styler like a mouse or sea salt spray, it actually performed decently well and provided some volume and texture when applied to damp hair followed by a blow dryer. All in all, I am very pleased with the product and this might be my new go-to post-styler, depending on the results after my hair grows out a little. Great job, Stephen. Can't wait to check out more products in your line.

So I had originally bought Clutch and thought it was amazing; the only thing it was missing was a higher hold because of my hair, which is about 5.5 to 6.5 inches long, so in turn the hairstyle wouldn't last all day. Clutch XL is exactly what I needed for an all day hold with the same Matte finish that the original clutch has, everything from the smell to the smooth breakdown in the hands is going to meet the needs of someone who is looking for a high hold-matte finish clay that will last all day and smell amazing.

Here's a picture to convey how great the product is :)

So, you've probably noticed most brands best seller is typical their medium hold items . This is mainly due to it being easier to create a medium hold yet still have excellent texture, scoop, and pliability. With many firm hold products (esp Clays) you see the latter diminish. Most firm products have high hold but lack texture because so many brands think the main goal is to essentially freeze the hair only. This firm hold clay probably has the best texture I've seen so far, which most firm clays lack (from my experience) and I've experienced zero tug & pull. I've used many home brews, which I love, but you can tell this was made by an experianed chemist and Stephens knowledge of what's benefitial to the hair. Dope product! It's the complete firm hold, great texture & pliable clay!

Without question one of the, if not THE best water based clay this clay freak has tried. Great hold, great workability thoughout the day, and one of the best scents this side of Apothecary 87. It now heads my rotation for my water based clay portion of the week. GREAT stuff!!

Amazing!!!!

It has a really good hold that isn’t too heavy, I have really thick hair so most products don’t work for me but this one will keep my hair in place almost all day and I can even run my hand through my it easily. Great product a great value for the money.

Great gold and scent but, the only takeaway at least for my hair was alot of tug and pull while applying it to dry hair.

Ive always had an issue finding a strong hold while yet still being light and pliable, this is the perfect product for the both of those, great strong hold and feels like nothing is in there. Ive been a long user of traditional heavy clays such as blumaan and claymation great products just you can definitely feel them in you hair alot and it is much less pliable Overall best product ive used

Before getting to the review, great customer service! I was sent a new product immediately after I reported a missing package. Stephen was very responsive and communicated to me when I had a problem with my order. Onto the review: Clutch XL has a very strong hold with great texture for my typical Asian stiff hair. At first the top layer of the product is solid, but once you break it down with your finger, it becomes very soft and creamy-like. The application process is like any other hair product that requires emulsification. Once it's in your hair it holds the hairs in place while being very malleable at the same time so that you can run your hands through to reshape throughout the day. Clutch XL is truly matte with no shine. What I love about this product is that it didn't feel heavy or greasy/oily when it's in my hair. It felt featherweight compared to what I used to use, which was the Cavalier Clay by Blumaan. Moreover, it's water soluble! Meaning that it's super easy to wash out/

Great product man.. I am comparing it to Kevin Murphy night rider, but what I like about clutch XL even more, is that it's easier to apply to dry hair, and it doesn't get shinier by the next morning.. Like.. Ő wake up and can run my hands through my hair, and it'll be matte like when I freshly did my hair. Hold is really nice too! I've never tried the regular Clutch, but this one has a nice hold that lasts all day. I like the smell a lot too, not too overpowering, and yet, smells nice! A hint of vanilla /tobacco / whisky! It also doesn't make my hair feel oily or heavy at all, very easy to re-shape / restyle the hair even after it sets,.. And it's very easy to wash off the hands and wash out of your hair. Really AWESOME product! Steven, quick question.. I have medium length hair, medium thick, and the style is like Ian Somerhalder, in vampire diaries.. How much extra hold do you think the XL has over the regular Clutch..? Kinda curious to see the difference between the regular and the XL. Tamas

Tldr: Great product with a really great hold that can last all day! Especially if you have medium long, thick hair. This product is really amazing. This was my first time using a clay and I didn't know what to expect. When this product says hold, it does not like. I have medium long thick hair, and it's been a terrible struggle finding a strong product, but this is it! I experienced strong winds, rain, and snow while testing, and this product stayed pretty well. The wind would slightly drop my hair, but only because it was super strong (25+ mph). I found that using it on slightly damp hair gave best pliability and best hold.

Almost Perfect So far I have enjoyed this product. I love the hold that lasts all day with this product. The scent (though very strong) is also quite nice. The only issue that I have with this product is the "tug" it has when applying it to your hair. Perhaps I should try the regular clutch too since this is my first salon guy product and I opted for the stronger hold of the two, but it really does tug when applying it to your hair and is very hard to work in. Once it is worked into the hair, it is very pliable and easy to restyle with the same great hold all day long. Without that tugging, this is no doubt a 5 star product.

Game Changing Product My hair is difficult..very difficult. I have thin hair which is insanely unruly so trying to grow my hair into a long slick back (think Jax Teller SOA) had been very difficult until I came across this product. I apply it into my damp hair every morning and then comb it into place and couldn't be happier with the results. I have tried SO many products and none compare to the hold and style options CLUTCH XL provides. 100% recommend picking this product up if you have annoying, difficult hair that you want to finally have control of.

Good but not quite there yet I have thick straight asian hair and have been looking for a clay/wax that would tame the sides, give good volume, and texture. I also would've preferred a complete matte finish (this product gives a natural shine for my hair). Scent 5/5: Personally, I enjoy the smell Application 3/5: 'Apply on damp or dry hair' - Applying on hair with wet hands will not emulsify this clay so hands must be completely dry. Application for me is a bit sticky on my hair and a bit of tug and pull but I've had worse. Washability 5/5: Washes out with water easily Performance: 4/5: It falls short here. XL was supposed to give that extra hold but it failed to do that for my hair. After 2 or 3 hours, my hair began to fall which was a bit disappointing but can be easily restyled - but that's why I got XL no so I don't have to do so? Furthermore, it performed more like a pomade in some areas more than a clay for me. The volume provided from this clay is average at best. Price 4/5: Not expensive but not cheap but wished packaging was more premium. Verdict 4/5: It is a decent product. Just really wished there was more hold and less shine for black hair in particular.

Good but not perfect I watched TDM's review video on both clutch and clutch XL and since I have thick coarse hair, I know my hair needs that extra strong hold so I went for the XL. When I first received the product, the top layer of the product after I first opened the jar is extremely hard, I had to use hairdryer to warm it up to scoop out. But once I remove the top layer, the actual product is much better but still not that easy to scoop out. Expect some tug and pull when applying it but the hold is definitely top notch. It is able to hold my hair all day with just a little bit of hairspray which is very rare for my hair type. But I find it's a little even after a whole day. To me it doesn't wash out with just water like some review said which is to be expected because through 20+ water based products I used, none of them fully wash out with just water for my hair type. Overall very solid product and I could see myself using it more than most products.

4/5 This is a great hair product, I bought it due to all the hype from others. Is it worth it? Yes it is. It has a great hold and can be reworked throughout the day which is sch a great thing since I'm always out. I noticed it also made my hair very soft and wasn't difficult to wash out. I've slept with it still on and in the second day it still looked great! The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because it gave me a medium shine and I expected it to have a matte or natural finish. However, I think this might just be my new favorite :)

4/5 This is a great hair product, I bought it due to all the hype from others. Is it worth it? Yes it is. It has a great hold and can be reworked throughout the day which is sch a great thing since I'm always out. I noticed it also made my hair very soft and wasn't difficult to wash out. I've slept with it still on and in the second day it still looked great! The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because it gave me a medium shine and I expected it to have a matte or natural finish. However, I think this might just be my new favorite :)