Every now and then a product comes along that helped redefine modern texture-focused hair styling. Not incrementally — not a marginal improvement on what already exists — but a real shift in what men expect from a hair styling product. Slick Gorilla's Hair Styling Powder is one of those products. And the brand built around it is worth knowing in full.
Born in Leeds, 2016
Slick Gorilla was founded in 2016 by brothers Ari and Ash Farbod, emerging from the streets and barbershops of Leeds with a product that was a fresh take on texture-focused styling products and a brand identity that didn't look like anything else in men's grooming.
The founding philosophy was direct: embrace individuality, champion creativity, build products for people who actually care how they look without taking themselves too seriously. That identity resonated immediately in the barbershop community, where Slick Gorilla found its first and most committed audience. Barbers tried the products, liked what they found, and the word spread the way it always does in that world — chair to chair, shop to shop, city to city.
The Product That Changed Everything
The Hair Styling Powder is the product that put Slick Gorilla on the map, and it's worth understanding what it does and why it matters.
Most hair styling products add weight. Pomades, waxes, clays — they all deposit product onto the hair shaft. For men with fine hair, or men who want volume and texture rather than sleekness, this is a fundamental limitation.
The Hair Styling Powder works differently. Applied to dry hair by rubbing a small amount between the palms and working it through, the powder adds texture and grip at the root without the heavier feel associated with traditional waxes or pomades. The result is volume, natural-looking texture, and matte finish — the kind of effortless, lived-in style that looks like it just happened rather than like it was constructed. It's particularly popular among men with fine or thinner-looking hair, where heavier products can sometimes reduce volume..
A little goes a very long way. Start with a small pinch, work it in thoroughly, and build if needed.
The Core Range
Hair Styling Powder
The original and still the flagship. Matte finish, texture and volume, zero weight. The Hair Styling Powder is a go-to for fine hair, textured styles, and any look where natural movement is the goal.
Clay Pomade
Medium to strong hold with a matte finish — a water-based clay that gives definition and control without shine. The Clay Pomade works across hair types and lengths, applies to damp or dry hair, and washes out cleanly.
Lightwork Clay
A lighter version of the Clay Pomade for men who want texture and movement rather than hold and definition. The Lightwork is better suited to longer hair and more relaxed styles.
Sea Salt Spray
Spritzed onto damp hair before drying, it adds texture, separation, and a natural beachy finish. The Sea Salt Spray is useful as a mid-day refresh on dry hair when a style needs resetting without a full wash.
Hairspray
A finishing spray that locks styles in place designed to avoid excessive stiffness or visible residue. Humidity-resistant, invisible once dry, and genuinely useful for men whose styles need to survive a full day without touching up.
Hair and Scalp Scrub
A scalp scrub formulated with exfoliating sea salt and sweet almond oil that helps remove build-up and refresh the scalp, and provides the clean foundation that makes every styling product work better.
Skincare
Slick Gorilla has launched a streamlined skincare range — daily face wash, moisturiser, and face scrubber — that brings the same clean, straightforward philosophy to skin. Products that do what they say, priced accessibly, designed for men who want their routine to work without becoming a project.
The Slick Gorilla Approach
What distinguishes Slick Gorilla from the many brands that have tried to follow its lead is consistency of identity. The brand has grown significantly since 2016 — into Boots stores across the UK, onto ASOS, into markets worldwide — without softening the edge that made it interesting in the first place. Ari and Ash Farbod built something with a clear point of view, and they've maintained it through growth that would have diluted a less certain brand.
Why Slick Gorilla Belongs at Gentleman & Son
Slick Gorilla fills a specific gap in the range: the brand for men who want modern, texture-forward styling without the heritage coding that dominates much of the premium grooming market. It sits alongside the classics without trying to be one — confident in its own identity, built on product performance rather than borrowed credibility.
Start with the Hair Styling Powder. It will change how you think about your hair.
