Hair care has improved significantly for us male folk since the "Wet-look gel" craze of the 1990s. No longer is it good enough for us to scoop a hand full of coagulated gunk and slick it through our hair in the hope that having oleaginous follicles would somehow make us popular and attractive to the opposite sex. That the fashion of the time also dictated we males had to wear over-sized, neon Ben Sherman shirts makes the whole era somewhat of a nadir for Western aesthetics.

   Fast forward to today and we're almost spoilt for choice - wet-look gel is a thing of the past but now, as we preen and groom ourselves ready to face the world, we have an assortment of waxes, creams, oils, gels, sprays, putties and untold miscellany we can apply to our hair.

   This post features a small array of items from the brand  Fish  - a near thirty year old institution which has grown out of an old sex shop (and fishmongers) in Soho. Still at the forefront of personal grooming, Fish provide not only a number of items specifically for styling one's follicles but also, pleasingly, products for dealing with the often sticky aftermath of daily grooming. The items below constitute a selection of those currently available in stock at Ocado (and currently on sale with up to a third off of their suggested price):


  The first item to be featured in this post is their  Fishpaste Putty .

   For those used to more traditional product, gel for example, the rather solid feel to the Fishpaste can be disorienting - the application actually does feel like a putty, or even plasticine, when one scoops a small amount with one's fingers to use. Our natural inclination is to keep substances like this away from our hair and the temptation, for the first couple of uses at least, is to apply an incorrect amount of putty. Whether the temptation is too little or too much, it may take a few attempts to master an appropriate balance.


   At this point I should note that on my first attempt at using the Fishpaste Putty, I ended up accidentally giving myself the  There's Something About Mary look . I learned my lesson quickly and was soon able to spread the substance around more accurately and evenly, ultimately benefiting from the "hardcore hold" promised on the product's labeling.

   Due to the strength and "matt effect" which one gains from applying the putty, I would recommend this primarily for males with shorter hair. For those with mid-length or longer hair, the "matt" finish may give a lank appearance (as is the case with all grooming products with a similar style finish).

   As such, for those who prefer a neat trim, the Fishpaste Putty is an ideal, super-strong holding product which, should one wish, allows the wearer to easily re-style his hair with little effort too. I would suggest this is of most use to those who have a particularly stylised look and need a sturdy hold to achieve it.


   The second grooming substance in today's post comes in the form of  Superfish Stiffish Moulding Cream - a more orthodox solution for men's follicle woes than the putty.

   To be concise, this is a rather excellent choice and more ideally suited to my own hair-style than the previous example. The Cream doesn't require an extravagant amount to provide a decent hold - and, on top of this, provides a pleasant, "clean" aroma.


   Unlike the putty, this is a product which doesn't "set" the hair per se. As noted on the packaging, the moulding cream is "durable without drying hard" - its best suited to those who like to have a "scruffed up" style for shorter locks or, like myself, men who like to shape our follicles into a certain style without fixing them static it to said position.

   Furthermore, and as noted once again on the labeling, this is a more "subtle" product than many. Copious amounts don't have to be rubbed deep into our cranium for the cream to function with full efficacy and the result is a head of hair which may not look as lank or as oleaginous as when compared to utilising alternative styling substances. That a little can go a long way, and can keep one's hair in place for a full working day (or night out - I'm a thorough journalist so tested both), is testament to the quality of the cream.


   Yet, as we all know, the unfortunate aspect with applying product to one's hair on a daily basis is that one will need to employ a rather strong hair-washing treatment every night. (Those who have ever worn a significant amount of styling product in one's hair and slept with it still in will be able to testify how unpleasant this can feel the next morning. This may have happened to this intrepid reporter who drank too many beers whilst investigating the permanence of these products and headed straight to bed without the proper hair maintenance an adult should undertake. Consider this a precautionary tale.)

   As such,  Superfish FierceFish De-Gunk Shampoo comes highly recommended. It does indeed "de-gunk" quite effectively and leaves the hair rather soft to the touch post-wash. This is a highly thorough shampoo aimed, almost exclusively, at purifying the hair and returning it to an appropriate state of tabula rasa from which we can re-apply product and re-style our hair without concerning ourselves with potential "bass notes" provided by lingering products from days gone by. That the product is full of Vitamin E , is an added bonus which leaves us with re-vitalised and strengthened follicles after use too. A win-win!

   So, in conclusion, when looking to choose the right products for you and your hair, it is essential you match up the style you want, the length of your hair too, with an appropriate styling substance. For my needs, the cream was much more suitable whilst for others, no doubt, the putty here could constitute a better choice. Whatever your decision, make certain to invest in some cleansing products for afterwards too. The De-gunk shampoo represents a great investment in my eyes.