THE COMPANY
Nostalgic grooming (formerly: Nostalgic handmade) is an American brand that receives wide acclaim internationally. The company was founded in 2016 by couple Dave and Janelle Leslie out of Arizona and their goal was to create high quality products with that old school, nostalgic retro flair. Their pomades are noted for their (novelty) scents, easy to use and wash off plus eye-catching designs. But there’s more, take a look at their website.
More info – https://www.nostalgicgrooming.com/
POMADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Pomade I’m going to be talking about is: ‘stronger things’. This name was derived from the series ‘Stranger things’. Stranger things was the first petrolatum base they made, being a medium hold. The firm then became the ‘Stronger things’.
Comes in a 4 oz (113 g) blue plastic jar with black plastic screw top lid. Labels were redone and look more mature than the former ones. I prefer these. Like the overall design: old school with nice color patterns, clean. Stickers are used. Pomade has a light yellowish petro/vaseline hue.
INGREDIENTS
Petroleum, beeswax, microcrystalline wax, mango butter, castor oil, coconut oil, fragrance, vitamin E.
Dave and Janelle give the old school pomade a twist by adding mango butter. Latter gives it a smoother touch and provides extra nourishment for both hair and skin.
SCENT
White pepper-bergamot. Fresh, manly, cologne alike: not overwhelming in the jar or in the hair. Got soft breezes of it during the day. Dig the balance of this agreeable smell! Handy thing: scent’s name is mentioned on the lid, makes it easier to grab out of a big collection.
STYLING PROCESS
My hair: I’ve medium thick, wavy hair. I wear a side part with a contour.
My styling equipment: at the moment, I’m using a boar hair brush, a Denman plus a detangler (Tangle teezer). During styling, I use brushes most.
Application: on damp hair, not overly damp for me + 3 average licks.
Scooping: pomade comes out really easy.
Breakdown: easy as well. You notice a smooth, rather greasy, slight waxy, sticky texture.
Working in: goes in easy. Spreading evenly is peanuts.
Combing back: combing back and changing the hair’s direction to create a part: tugs slightly and has some good grip.
Control: it lays down the hairs in a second and keeps them there too. Sides were slicked down well. My cowlick area was tamed immediately and lifting my front went well too. My waves were not gone but handled in a clean and neat manner. The pomade works comfortable and is slick which provides you with a non-straying hair do.
SHINE
NG calls it a neutral one, I second that. Shine did not change throughout the day: no more nor less. Shine was more prominent on the second day.
HOLD
Firm hold according to Dave and Janelle. In my hair: a medium on the stronger side.
ENDURANCE
I tested it doing some strenuous chores with some good sweating but the hair survived. Slightly sag, a few loose hairs that were easy to fix. Temperatures around 75° F (24° C), sunny, with a slight wind. Endurance is okay for my hair. I only wished it had more hold.
RESTYLING
A breeze: no tug. The hair’s hold decreased a tad: more of a medium hold with more waves but aside from that, everything was held together well.
BUILD UP
Workable. Better hold and wave management on the next day but still not enough to tame my mop the way I want it. A heavy version would be welcome.
WASH OUT
3-4 washes for me. Hair feels healthy, soft, clean due to the conditioning oils and butter they put in.
Interested in oil based pomades only? You can join our ‘Oil Based Pomade Enthusiasts’ Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/OilBasedPomadeEnthusiasts/
POMADE IN WORDS 