Joico ICE Spiker vs. Paul Mitchell Lab XTG (Extreme Thickening Glue)

Today's Face-Off features styling glues designed to provide maximum hold to high-performance hairstyles like mohawks, fauxhawks, and any other style which demands a heavy-duty product. Both products are popular with younger clients, and both have been on the market for several years. Let's take a look at the competitors:

Joico ICE Spiker Water-Resistant Styling Glue boasts the ability to mold any shape and was designed to deliver the firmest and fiercest hold possible, while protecting the hair with vitamins and sea kelp. Paul Mitchell Lab XTG Extreme Thickening Glue is a similar glue designed to offer extreme hold in a quick-drying formula, for maximum results in a minimal amount of time.

As always, each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in the following categories: performance, ingredients, sensory appeal/packaging, and value. Let the battle begin!

Performance: Although both products are labeled as styling glues, each one had decidedly different characteristics. Joico ICE Spiker's hold was every bit as fierce as advertised, drying rock-hard and holding even medium-length hair up in a mohawk with ease. Paul Mitchell's styling glue dried faster than its competitor, but the hold wasn't as solid, producing a sticky feel. It worked well on short styles, but wasn't powerful enough to spike up longer hair. Unfortunately, the Paul Mitchell Lab XTG glue left a white-ish residue on dark colored hair, while the ICE Spiker did not. This round goes to ICE Spiker. (Joico:10 Paul Mitchell:8)

Ingredients: Neither product claims to be brimming with organic or natural ingredients, but Joico ICE Spiker does contain a fair amount of beneficial ingredients like vitamins and sea kelp, unlike Paul Mitchell XTG. Another round for ICE Spiker. (Joico:7 Paul Mitchell:5)

Sensory Appeal: There's no mistaking Paul Mitchell XTG, since its packaging is identical to a bottle of Elmer's glue. This is a great idea, since a user can easily tell what the product is designed to do. The nozzle also allows precise application to smaller sections of hair. Unfortunately, it smells lousy and it's difficult to dispense large quantities of the product without unscrewing the nozzle. On the other hand, Joico ICE Spike smells wonderful, with an aroma reminiscent of milk and honey. It is easy to dispense large quantities of product with little effort. On the down side, the updated Spiker packaging isn't as nearly visually pleasing than their old packaging. This round is a tie. (Joico:8 Paul Mitchell:8)

Value: Neither product is expensive, and both glues will fit into anyone's budget. A 5.1- ounce tube of ICE Spiker retails for around $13.95, or roughly 2.73 per ounce. Paul Mitchell Lab XTG retails for around $16.49 for a 3.4-ounce bottle, which translates into 4.85 per ounce, which is a significant difference. Joico breezes past Paul Mitchell in this round. (Joico:9 Paul Mitchell:4)

And the winner is....

Joico ICE Spiker Water-Resistant Styling Glue, in a cakewalk. Joico had the edge in value, performance, and ingredients. It also smells much better than its rival. One other advantage is that ICE Spiker is available in a variety of cool and funky colors (as well as uncolored), allowing a user to temporarily add a fun splash of color to their hair. Paul Mitchell Lab XTG isn't a bad product for short hair, but it is definitely over-priced. However, if you can find this product on sale or clearance, it's not a bad purchase. (Final Score: Joico ICE Spiker-34 Paul Mitchell Lab XTG-15)