Pomade

[Succotash]

Light hair, like mine, which is very very very fine needs a light hair dressing with a dab of a strong-hold pomade mixed in.

Since your hair is thick, use a thick, string pomade.

 

[Bert]

Hello out there

It's my first post here, so I'll try to be like the wonderfull new guy with answers to life questions.
I'm really an oldschool "pomade fan" '(that's one of the reasons I arrived around here), so I think that I understand your problem... You may need to use two products : your regular Brylcreem if you like it and are used to dress you hair with, and something else, stronger, to hold the "key places" of your hair cut (for exemple the part).
Murray's superior is really thick, so, well, you should try something like Nunile. When you dress your hair, start by placing the part and solidifying it on both sides with Nunile, and then slick the rest of the hair with your loved brylcreem. Like this, you'll be able to wear a hat without messing your part.
Or else, yes, try one of the products that guys often talk about around here. In my case, I use Black and white, Royal Crown, Murrays, Nunile and Sweet G. Brown Red.
Black and white is really great : good hold and shine, soft and easy to use and remove. I always mix it with a top of Royal Crown for the obsene shine of it. As I've thick curly "Nelly Olsen style" hair, the Royal crown isn't strong enough to control it. Mixing the two give great results, quite "groomed but relaxed" style.
Sweet G. Brown is one of my favorite. Its properties are quite close to the B&W, but with more shine and formal elegance. I mix it with some Nunile for an extra hold...
I hope it helped.

Regards from Bordeaux, Bert.

 

[swanky_frankie]

I use Geo F. Trumper pomade. its been apart of London's gentlemens daily lives since 1875. Though it is a bit pricey ($37 on mens groominglounge.com) it gives you a great wet shine just like Rudolph Valentino's hair. Also it is easy to wash out unlike some other pomades.

 

[rikrdo]

I, too, have tried about every type of grooming product available and, depending on the cut, use a combination of things.

I have relatively thick hair and have had good results with the Murrays pomade by applying it to dry hair followed by hot air (blow drying) styling.
Add a bit more for sheen and extra hold.

I've just recently acquired some of the Layrite Extra hold pomade and have been using it in tandem with VO5 (for grey hair :eusa_doh: ).
Rub the Vo5 into dry hair and then blow dry. Rub in the pomade and style with brush / hands.

Holds well but is not stiff or sticky.

 

[RainLikeGravel]

nice couple

These two are hard to beat - and very nice in fragrance:
first:

then:

 

[PADDY]

Sweet Georgia Brown...

SGB (Red Tin as above) thanks to our member Salv in here, I am now a convert to this pomade. I then add a light super gloss on top with Murray's 1925 Hair - Glo.

 

[Bert]

I use Geo F. Trumper pomade. its been apart of London's gentlemens daily lives since 1875. Though it is a bit pricey ($37 on mens groominglounge.com) it gives you a great wet shine just like Rudolph Valentino's hair. Also it is easy to wash out unlike some other pomades.

I don't know this one. Usually, I don't like the washables pomades. However, I used to use Layrite when I learned how to dress my hair. As you can wash them out, you can experiment without taking the risk to build a bulletproff grease cake on your hair.
But, well, I now find it less efficient than the real oldschool pomades : less hold, nearly no shine, very chemical smell. And not being able to completly wash the stuff is part of the game / pleasure to grease your hair. A washable pomade is like a modest french guy or a sober Irish man : it doesn't really fit to what you are used to .

 

[Guttersnipe]

Probably should have mentioned this initially, as it defeats most of your replies.

My hair is thick, very much so. This is the reason why Brylcreem doesn't work so well for me. The hairs that are shorter by the part are what get messed up.

To me that sounds like I need a heavier pomade, no?

In that case, I suggest Dax Wax in the red tin. It's definitely a heavier pomade then Royal Crown, Tres Flores, or Brylcreem but it's not quite as extreme as Murray's.

I have thick wavy hair and have found it to work whether I want to do a 50's pomp, and 40's flip, or a 30's slick back w/. a part.

Also, it's a strong enough hold that I can wear a hat without messing up my hair any more than a quick smooth with the hand won't fix

 

[billyk]

Like some of the guys here, I have thick and wavy hair. I like to keep a pomp/quiff, so I need something that keeps my hair in check.

For a while, I used Tres Flores Brilliantine. In my opinion, it's like putting Vaseline in your hair, and it's just as hard to get it out. The good part is that it kept my hair shiny; the bad part is that it couldn't hold my hair in place, so my quiff would usually shift throughout the day (and eventually collapse). I suppose you could use hair-spray to keep it in position, but I often used wax for the hold. I eventually stopped using Tres Flores because I take showers daily, and like Royal Crown, it's not easy to clean out. I also didn't like staining my pillows and/or vintage clothes.

Because I needed something to hold my quiff but also wash out easily, I started to use wax. Redken Water Wax (03) is pretty good. I've also used a variety of "moussing waxes" from Pantene, Tigi, etc. They also did the trick, but the hold was just OK.

I recently started using Layrite (Super Hold), which is also a wax, albeit beeswax (?), and it certainly holds the hair in place while washing out very easily. The only complaint I have is that it can leave your hair looking "matte," which can probably be solved by using a tiny bit of Royal Crown or Tres Flores. I also tend to pull my hair out while I'm styling because it's a lot stickier than the other waxes that I've used.

Just my opinion. I hope it helps.

Will

PS: I meant to add, Layrite can be a little expensive.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"Dirty Trix" by matrix is incredible it thickens your hair and holds it in place, and is non oily!!!(we dont like oil, its a hair product not a salad dressing!!!)

Ignore the "messy" on the package, you can still have a smooth look with it

 

[Macheath]

Sorry if this post is a bit long--

For everyday use, I like the texture and shine of Royal Crown. It doesn't have a lot of hold though, so for the sides and the front (which are susceptible to the effects of gravity and being disturbed by a hat's sweatband) I use Murray's Original.

Murray's is great because it holds like pitch, but working with it is also like working pitch into your hair, and anything short of a blowtorch won't do if you don't want clumps of it to sit in your hair all day. What I've found recently is that mixing 1 part Royal Crown and 2 parts Murray's (on a stovetop, with the Murray's tin in half an inch of simmering water), creates a more workable pomade, and basically retains the hold of Murray's on its own. I imagine Murray's Light would be something like this, but it isn't available where I live.

My only problem with Murray's and Royal Crown is that they wreak havok on my scalp, and if a lot of it stays on my head for over 48hrs, I get a little pomade acne.

So, for when my scalp needs a break, I use this "Brilliantine", by Garnier:

Same hold as Royal Crown, and it doesn't smell like your gramps' pomade(which may be a good/bad thing, depending on your tastes), but since it's water-based, the shine fades a little as the day wears on.

 

[Geesie]

I would try something before Murray's. As many have said here before, the stuff is unbelievably thick. I put a bit on my hand and tried to work it into my hair and ended up with the wax still on my hand and my hair stuck to the wax.

 

[berwynguy]

My favorites

My daily routine is to use brylcreem. I like the the wet look and control it gives. I usually wear it parted on the side, and having hair wet with brylcreem makes it easy to get a super straight side part that I like.

I've also found that if you want stronger, tighter hold, pomade works better. I use American Greaser Supply 40wt which really makes hair glossy and slick. The only downside is the same as its benefit - it really keeps hair held strong. You really have to use a strong shampoo to get it all out easily. I found that Prell works best for this. Dawn dish detergent will also do the trick, but Dawn really strips hair of all oil and can give you hair like hay. So, I'd stick with Prell.

I found that sometimes a combination of 2 products works better than just one. For instance, adding a dab of Groom&Cleam to pomaded or brylcreemed hair makes hair even more wet looking, and makes washing the pomade or brylcreem out easier. Vitalis and a little Groom&Clean will make hair very wet looking but also much better hold than with Vitalis alone. The Groom&Clean also helps tone down the heavy aroma of Vitalis. Lucky Tiger Hair Tonic is very similar to vitalis, but harder to find.

I've tried, but usually stay away from American Crew - it is much more expensive than alternatives and is really more like a very thick gel than a classic pomade. I prefer the old school stuff.

One other option I've used is unsented vaseline with a dab of groom&clean. This combo works wonders. You get a nice wet look with good hold. I prefer the unsented vaseline over the regular vaseline because I don't want my hair smelling like baby powder.

 

[Chrome]

I have thick hair also and without any pomade it has Beatles effect, straight down in mushy way

Sweet georgia is also available in blue can which is thicker. I use both when available (not in sale at Finland), also red dax is good with little add with blue for that slick look.

And for wash, I have noticed that my pomades don't leave my hair until it meets pillow and I have tried multiple brands, even Black and white which is supposed to wash away pomade. Maybe that is my secret for such babyface look, well greased skin without any hint of dryness Even the doctors say that little oil in the scalp is good, it it would be bad body wouldn't do it naturally. I'm just helping out.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Quaint as it may seem using Vintage Pomades does not work in this Century. you need products that contain "fibres" and "Laminates" vintage products just used axel grease, and animal by products in a Stylish tin.

 

[Luke 42]

Quaint as it may seem using Vintage Pomades does not work in this Century. you need products that contain "fibres" and "Laminates" vintage products just used axel grease, and animal by products in a Stylish tin.

Why would you say that? I've been using traditional pomades for quite a while and now a lot of people who do as well. Seems to work perfectly well. Traditional pomades usually just contain petroleum jelly, wax, castor oil (sometimes). Nothing wrong with that. I can't stand modern gels and stuff.

 

[brylcreem boy]

Like some of the guys here, I have thick and wavy hair. I like to keep a pomp/quiff, so I need something that keeps my hair in check.

For a while, I used Tres Flores Brilliantine. In my opinion, it's like putting Vaseline in your hair, and it's just as hard to get it out. The good part is that it kept my hair shiny; the bad part is that it couldn't hold my hair in place, so my quiff would usually shift throughout the day (and eventually collapse). I suppose you could use hair-spray to keep it in position, but I often used wax for the hold. I eventually stopped using Tres Flores because I take showers daily, and like Royal Crown, it's not easy to clean out. I also didn't like staining my pillows and/or vintage clothes.



Will

PS: I meant to add, Layrite can be a little expensive.

Yeah Will, I used Tres Flores for quite awhile as I like to have alot of shine, I had the same problem-eventually it falls. I think your on to an idea there, I just got a can of the Superhold Layrite and think I will get another can of Tres Flores and try just using it as a top coat on the layrite for shine, I think it smells better than Royal Crown, there's got to be a good combo for hold and that high greasy shine

 

[volatile]

Royal Crown for the sides, and a heavier pomade for the top. I use either Dax or, preferably, Black & White for the shape, finished off with Tigi Bed Head Masterpiece High-Shine Hair Laquer to hold everything in place. Best hairspray ever, and keeps everything really wet-looking.

Some might sniff at hairspray, but I find that keeping a relatively proud crown is really hard without it, especially under a hat.

 

[brylcreem boy]

Royal Crown for the sides, and a heavier pomade for the top. I use either Dax or, preferably, Black & White for the shape, finished off with Tigi Bed Head Masterpiece High-Shine Hair Laquer to hold everything in place. Best hairspray ever, and keeps everything really wet-looking.

Some might sniff at hairspray, but I find that keeping a relatively proud crown is really hard without it, especially under a hat.

Yeah, I must admit, I sometimes finish it off with hairspray... so this Tigi Bedhead High-Shine hair laquer doesn't dryout the look.. that's awesome.
Is it hard to get a comb thru it later if you need to?? I guess you wouldn't need it if it holds like laquer!! I'll have to look for it, I'm noticing that Walgreens is carrying some of the Bedhead products now

 

[volatile]

Yeah, I must admit, I sometimes finish it off with hairspray... so this Tigi Bedhead High-Shine hair laquer doesn't dryout the look.. that's awesome.
Is it hard to get a comb thru it later if you need to?? I guess you wouldn't need it if it holds like laquer!! I'll have to look for it, I'm noticing that Walgreens is carrying some of the Bedhead products now

Yeah, do try it. You're right that you can't comb it so well, but you're right, you don't usually need to. It's in a blue can, called Tigi Bedhead Masterpiece.