Reuzel, the Rotterdam Barbershop Pomade Line

Reuzel comes from two Rotterdam barbers, Leen and Bertus, who worked behind the Schorem barbershop chair. On the brand's own about page, they describe making the first Red and Green pomades through trial and error and countless reformulations, plus one encounter that nearly burned down the shop. The name is Dutch for lard, and a pomade shop explains it points back to when styling products were made from animal fat. The pig on the tin is a joke about that, and the brand says it also celebrates pigs being free from harm.

I like that the line is organized the way a barber would explain it. Tin color tells you the hold, the shine and whether it is oil or water based. Blue is the water-based one with strong hold and high shine. Green is oil-based with medium hold. Founding dates online disagree, so I will not give you a year, only the barbershop.

If you searched reuzel, you probably want one of two things: a pomade that holds, or something softer for short hair that should not look wet. This edit has both.

The first grid is Reuzel itself, from pomades and a paste to a cream and a sea salt spray. The second grid is salon pomades, creams, waxes and gels I compared them with. My tip: start with a pea-sized amount, warm it between your palms until it goes clear, and add more only after the first pass.

Start with finish, because that is how REUZEL sorts its own line. For a dry look, Clay Matte Pomade is a lightweight clay pomade with a true matte finish that rinses out easily, and Extreme Hold Matte Pomade is the strongest of the matte tins, water-based with no shine. Fiber Pomade is the one in between, firm but flexible, with a low-shine finish and some separation. It is the one I would hand to someone who has never used pomade.

For shine, Blue Water Based Pomade is the classic slick-back, strong hold and high shine, and it rinses without residue. Green Pomade Oil-Based Medium Hold is the old-school grease, made with beeswax. It glides through without clumping and leaves a classic slick finish. Oil-based tins need real shampoo to come out, so expect a second wash.

Lighter hair gets lighter products. Fiber Cream is a pliable cream with a low-shine finish that suits fine hair, and Matte Styling Paste is a medium, pliable hold for short to medium hair that washes out easily. Surf Tonic Texturizing Sea Salt Spray is the prep step. Mist it on damp hair for grip and a matte, tousled base, then layer a paste or clay on top.

What I would skip: the Green grease if you want to rinse clean at night and restyle in the morning. The water-based tins are easier on a routine.

These are the salon alternatives, and they behave differently from a barber tin. Moroccanoil Strong Hold High Shine Sculpting Pomade is the closest to a blue tin, with argan oil, strong hold and shine, and it washes out easily. Bumble and bumble Semisumo Hi-Shine Pomade is a subtler version, with beeswax and microcrystalline wax for hold and a polished finish that tames frizz on medium and thick hair.

For something drier, shu uemura Ishi Sculpt is a cream pomade that gives a demi-matte finish with a piecey, workable hold. Bumble and bumble Sumotech is part wax, part paste and part cream, with low shine, and it works on fine to thick hair. Kérastase Genesis Homme is a light-hold wax pomade made for weakened or thinning hair, with a sleek matte finish that is not sticky or greasy.

Then the softer end. Chris McMillan The Hair Gel has a buildable, strong hold that brushes out with no residue, so it suits slick or structured looks. Crown Affair's gel-cream is lighter, with flexible hold and shine that you can brush out without washing. Bumble and bumble Grooming Hair Styling Cream is a conditioning cream with a satin finish, best on fine to medium hair that tends to run dry.

What I would skip: the gels if you want grit. Both are polishers, not texturizers, and a clay or the Ishi Sculpt will give you more bite.

I think the easiest way to choose is to decide whether you want shine, matte or just some grip, then find the tin that says so. Reuzel makes that simple because the color tells you most of it. If your hair is fine, begin with the cream or the paste. If it is thick and you like a clean part, go to the blue tin. And whichever you buy, wash it out properly at night, because buildup is what makes pomade feel like a mistake. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Verb Shampoo, From an Austin Barbershop to the Ghost Line and Hair Wax, Pomade or Clay.