With Forte Series ' completely new collection coming (pre-order here at a discount), we thought it would be a great time to write something about the Forte Series Texture Clay. Forte Series' first product has been available for several months now and has gone through the ceiling since then. We were surprised with the enormous popularity the product has gained in our store in a short time. So is the product really that good?
Forte Series is, of course, the brand of well-known influencer Alex Costa. He is known for his amazing hairstyles to which he takes great care. He himself often uses the Texture clay in his videos. This of course contributes enormously to brand awareness. But to test whether the product is really that good, we actually have to put it up against a similar product that has been proven for a long time. Then, of course, we end up with Hanz De Fuko's Claymation. The Hanz De Fuko Claymation has been one of the best and most popular clays on the market for years. Therefore, we put them side by side and compare their main features.
Hanz de Fuko
Hanz de Fuko was founded in 2009 by David Alfonso and his best friend Christopher Zent. They wanted to move away from the boring corporate world and create something that would break through current standards. A product that would allow every man to express his own creativity. The traditional way of thinking about men's external care had to change. To do so, men had to have access to products that were more stylish and innovative. Thus was born Hanz de Fuko. They were the first brand to send products to influencers to gain brand awareness. The brand quickly became world famous. Famous stars like David Beckham and Hugh Jackman, for example, use Hanz de Fuko products.
Forte Series
Meanwhile, the world looks completely different. Hanz de Fuko sent their products to influencers, and now influencers themselves come up with their products. This includes Alex Costa, one of the biggest youtubers in the field of all things male grooming. Alex is someone known for his great looks. Therefore, many people always wonder what exactly he does with his hair. He must spend hours in front of the mirror. Well, he doesn't. According to Alex, it's all about using the right product and how you use it. It inspired Alex to have his own products developed. He built a complete community around Forte Series and had the product completely developed based on the needs of the people in his community. The result was the Texture clay. A clay that provides lots of hold, texture and also conditions the hair. Here you can see the clay in action.
Claymation vs Texture Clay
Hanz de Fuko's Claymation is one of the most acclaimed hair styling products in the world and definitely Hanz de Fuko's best seller. Forte Series' Texture Clay has really only just begun to exist. Let's see how it holds up.
Ingredients
Interestingly, the ingredient list of the texture clay is a lot longer. It contains a little more conditioning ingredients and a little more ingredients for staying power. They are both made from natural ingredients. Looking at the active ingredients, both products are very similar. They both contain a lot of beeswax and bentonite. That's a good sign. Bentonite is a type of clay that gives the hair a lot of volume. Both products are actually not that different from each other on paper. Only the proportions are a bit different. Score: 0 - 0
Scent
If you are really a fetishist when it comes to fragrances, we have to disappoint you. In fact, both products contain no perfume and thus have a neutral scent. The only thing you might pick up in terms of smell are the ingredients themselves. Of course, the advantage is that this makes the product less flavor sensitive and also less likely to cause allergic reactions. Score 0 - 0
Structure and application in the hair
At first glance, both products look the same in the jar. But appearances can be deceiving. You are going to notice the difference when you want to take the product out of the jar. The Texture clay is a lot thicker and harder than the Claymation. The claymation is easy to take out of the jar with your fingertip and you spread it quite easily on your hand.
With the Texture clay you really have to press your fingertip into the product to get some of it out. It takes a bit of rubbing in your hand to spread the product. Eventually the product warms up and it goes a lot easier.
Applying the product
You notice the same difference when applying the product. The claymation is smooth and divides effortlessly through your hair. The Texture clay feels a little stickier and is sometimes a bit stiff. Not so much that it is annoying, but more so than the claymation. Once distributed in the hair, the Texture clay does give much more control than the claymation. Still, the claymation's ease of use is better here. Score: 0 - 1 for Claymation
Hold
The Texture Clay may be slightly stiffer than the Claymation, but in terms of Hold, the Texture Clay absolutely blows the Claymation away. The Claymation has a good flexible hold and is definitely not bad. Still one of the best. But you just have more control over your hair and it just stays in place longer. It's also easy to reshape the hair. You don't notice that stiffness much after application. We are positively surprised! This point goes to Forte Series. Score: 1 -1
Shine
Gloss or Shine is of course very personal. Some want a little natural shine and others really matte. Hanz de Fuko's Claymation is supposed to give a matte finish. In our opinion, this is not quite true. It has a little bit of natural shine, but not full matte. The Texture Clay does really give a matte effect. As such, it is a bit drier than the Claymation. We think a clay should be matte. Therefore, this one goes to the Texture Clay. Score: 2-1 for Forte Series.
Wash out
Both products contain a lot of beeswax. So both are not completely water-based. You notice this with washing out both products. With just water it does not really work. Just a little shampoo is enough to get them out of your hair. This is where both products score equally. Score still: 2-1
Price:
This is where it gets really interesting. both products are about the same price. The difference is exactly one euro. The Claymation comes in a 56-gram jar. The Texture Clay comes in a jar of yes, 100 ml! So the Texture Clay is pretty well priced. Therefore, this point also goes to the Texture Clay. Score: 3-1
And the winner is.....
Looking at the score, the Texture Clay is clearly the winner between these two. Still, it is very personal. It's just what you're looking for in a product. Do you want your hair to stay put and have a lot of control? Then the Texture Clay clearly wins. If you go purely for ease of use and a more flexible hold then the Claymation is your product. It is a somewhat more flexible product. Also, the shine is the deciding factor for some men. Some want matte and others still want a little shine.
So is Forte Series' Texture Clay a hype from the world of influencers? Absolutely not. It can compete with the best clays on the market. It's a keeper as far as we're concerned.