A Review of TOWELDRY Grooming Products

I love simplicity -- especially when it comes to styling products. Do you really have clue what Mineral Cream does? I don't either, but that's an actual product name from a major manufacturer's "mens" line. For simplicity's sake, that's why I'm really diggin' the new Towel Dry line of products. There's just one shampoo and styling product each for guys with either fine hair, medium hair, or thick hair. Easy. I hope TOWELDRY sticks to the basics and doesn't get bloated like some of the other popular men's lines. Are you listening American Crew? What follows is my review of each Towel Dry product.

For fine hair, TOWELDRY offers Thickening Shampoo and Creme Styler. The shampoo contains pro-vitamin B5 that helps thicken the hair and add shine. The shampoo performed well and rinsed away clean -- important for guys with fine hair as you don't want a heavy conditioner weighing the hair down. The hair also felt thicker and fuller after using the shampoo. The companion styling product, Cream Styler, also performed well. It provides a light, natural finish and (when used very sparingly) won't weigh the hair down. I thought both products smelled pleasant (although the shampoo had a bit of a candy smell).

For guys with medium hair, TOWELDRY offers Hydrating Shampoo and Firm Hold Gel Styler. The shampoo is somewhat of a 2-in-1 product with a conditioner built in. I admit that I don't really like most shampoo and conditioner combos, but I thought the product performed well and it rinsed away completely without leaving a residue. The shampoo smells somewhat medicinal, but it's pleasant. The accompanying gel performed well and has a bit of flexibility so it won't flake. I'm not a big fan of crunchy, wet-looking gel, but you can also use this to set the style and comb it out after your hair is dry for a more natural look.

Guys with thick hair are offered TOWELDRY Conditioning Shampoo and Paste Styler. Like the Hydrating Shampoo, their Conditioning Shampoo has a conditioner built in. The product cleaned well, but it did take a bit more time to rinse out (although it did rinse away completely). It also left the hair feeling conditioned and more manageable. The one thing I really didn't like about their Conditioning Shampoo was the smell -- when I first lathered up, I thought I'd stepped into a tire shop. The product really didn't smell great, in my opinion, but the fragrance goes away after it's rinsed out so it's not a big issue for me. The companion product, Paste Styler, is really fabulous. It offers strong, pliable hold and nice shine -- this is a pretty aggressive product, so just don't get carried away with how much you use. The fragrance of the Paste Styler is very light and pleasant.

Update: The manufacturer has updated the fragrance of the Conditioning Shampoo. I've received a new sample and the revised fragrance is quite pleasant. Good stuff!

TOWELDRY did a fine job putting together a high performance line of products geared toward men who simply want to towel dry, throw in bit of product and go. Life's complicated enough, so I try to patronize companies who create products to streamline everyday tasks. I also like that this is built from the ground up for men only -- even the packaging is very masculine. I'm not sure if that's enough to keep your wife or girlfriend from grabbing it, but we can be optimistic, right? The biggest drawbacks to the Towel Dry product line are that, for some guys (at $18 each) the products may be a bit pricey and it's a brand new line so it may be hard to find. That said, with the Towel Dry shampoos, there's no need for a separate conditioner and they're fairly concentrated, so I think the products are a good value. The products are sold only to barbershops and salons, so you'll have to ask the person who cuts your hair about it's availability.