CHI Pliable Polish vs. Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty

This is going to be a very interesting face-off, since it pits two of my all-time favorite products against each other.  Both of these products are in my "travel kit" which I take with me to photoshoots and runway shows, but alas, there can be only one winner in this battle of the lightweight styling pastes.

Here's a look at the contestants:

CHI Pliable Polish Weightless Styling Paste is designed for style definition, enabling you to easily mold hair into the desired shape and style.  Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty is the Rolls Royce of styling products, found only in high-end salons.  Can trendy CHI Pliable Polish outperform its sophisticated rival?  Let's find out.

Each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in the following areas: Performance, Ingredients, Sensory Appeal (fragrance and packaging), and Value.  Let the battle begin!

Performance: Both products are ideal for achieving highly-textured styles while adding a natural shine that doesn't look greasy.  Both products are applied in the same manner, by emulsifying a very small dab in the palm of your hand and applying the product to dry hair as a finishing touch.  Neither product has an exceptionally strong hold, but that's the whole point.  Ultimately, the only area where Davines outperformed CHI was in the shine department, providing a slightly higher level of shine.  Hard to pick a winner, but the edge goes to Davines Glossy Modeling Putty. (Davines:10  CHI:9)

Ingredients: The difference in ingredients is marginal.  CHI Pliable Polish derives its silky texture from mineral oil, while Davines uses castor oil.  When it comes to shine, CHI depends on mica and Davines depends on silica.  Both products contain propylene glycol, acrylamides and propylparabens.  Since this is like comparing Coke to Pepsi, I have to call it a draw, though both lose points for lack of organic ingredients.  (Davines:7  CHI:7) 

Sensory Appeal: The fragrance of the Davines product is absolutely delightful.  In fact, it may be the best darn thing I ever smelled in my life.  It brings back fond memories of my childhood that I can't quite put a finger on (if you can identify that smell, let me know!).  CHI Pliable Polish smells alright, it's not strong or unpleasant.  When it comes to packaging, the Davines product looks elegant and classy, but the design of the cap makes it impossible for the tube to stand up.  CHI's bottle, on the other hand, has a larger cap which allows it to stand upright.  Because the Davines product looks and smells great (but can't stand up), and the CHI product stands up but doesn't look or smell as good, this round is also a draw. (Davines:9  CHI:9)

Value: You get 3.3 ounces of product with Davines, and 3.0 ounces with CHI.  Does that extra 0.3 ounces justify the price?  Let's see.  Surprisingly, CHI Pliable Polish retails for around 15.00, while Davines Glossy Modeling Putty sells for around 19.00-22.00, depending on the source, which isn't much of a price differential as you might expect since Davines tends to be found only in snooty upscale salons.  Since CHI Pliable Polish is roughly seventy-five cents cheaper per ounce, it wins this round. (CHI:9 Davines:8)

And the winner is....

It's a tie!  Well, that must explain why I love both of these products.  Both are nearly identical when it comes to ingredients and performance, but the Davines product smells better and adds a little more shine, while the CHI product represents a better value.  Davines Glossy Modeling Putty and CHI Pliable Polish both end up with 34 points, battling their way to the first tie in the history of Haircare Face-Off.