High life – medium oil based pomade

~ Bertold Roux
High Life Medium Pomade | Mijn Baard

THE COMPANY

High life started off as an American brand with hand made pomades. Brewer Adam Dorsett, also a tattooist didn’t have time to brew anymore and he sold it to Imperial Dax. The pomade formulas are now lab made and have changed somewhat. I can’t compare them because I never used the original HL pomades.

More info:

Check out my other review on High life pomades:

POMADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Today’s review will focus on the medium hold from the High life line. Comes in a 3.5 oz (99 g) silver tin with slip lid. Design is simple and vintage. The red color stands for the medium hold. Love the design. Information on the lid: high quality hair dressing, the brand and hold, best used by. Tin’s info: the brand, medium hold, website, content, warning, made in the USA, bar code and manufacture data. No ingredients or directions. You can check these out on the websites. The pomade is off-white.

INGREDIENTS

White microwax, petrolatum, emu oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, avocado oil, fragrance.

  • Great row of conditioning, nourishing content.
  • Emu oil: is made from the fat of an emu. The emu is a flightless bird, native to Australia, that looks similar to the ostrich. This oil strengthens and rejuvenates the hair

SCENT

Coconut. Too basic for many people. I can appreciate it if it’s no chemical, artificial coconut. The coconut in here is agreeable. Tart in the tin and noticeable in a subtle way in the hair. If you want to top off the medium with the light for more shine, you don’t experience the problem with scents clashing as they all are coconut.

STYLING PROCESS

My hair type: medium thick, wavy, somewhat unruly hair, medium length. I wear a contour.

My styling equipment: Denman brush D3, Bixby comb and a boar brush.

Application: 3 proper scoops on damp hair. Damp facilitates styling and reduces the waves.

Scooping: you can penetrate the top layer without any problems. The first time I scooped it, I thought: no, this won’t work, that sticky, so thick. But … .

Breakdown: sticky (less sticky than when scooped) and waxy. I notice a slight dryness + slight oiliness as well.

Working in: there’s some tug and pull. But, didn’t hurt or pulled out hairs nor break them. Evenly distributing goes well. If there are hairs on your comb, that’s normal, people lose about a 100 hairs daily.

Combing back: took a wide tooth comb, that went through super easy. With the Denman, I experienced more resistance since this takes more hair at once and lays it back tidy. But no struggle here. Switching the mop’s direction aside: process with some resistance.

Control: this medium does a good job taming the hair in a pretty comfortable way, given its waxy and sticky consistency. It tamed my cowlick area and waves very well. My sides were slicked down after a few recombs and they were kept neat. Although being waxy: no hairs jumping out of model, no loose strays. The stickiness kept the hair together well. The oils help as well. Height of my lifted front: good. No flyaways. This pomade surprised me positively: it’s tacky and sturdy and solid with decent slickness for a heavy medium. Reminds me a lot of Pomps not dead, fuel for the hare game which is labeled a firm hold.

SHINE

Medium shine according to HL. Around a medium in my mane. Sheen remains.

HOLD

Medium according to HL. Firm hold for me. Makes me think of the Pomps not dead firm holds such as fuel for the hare game. Take in account HL’s hold levels: they are stronger than indicated: the light is more of a light medium, the medium: a firm, the heavy: a super heavy. Comparing to voodoo island (more of medium-firm): the medium is stickier, has more hold and less shiny.

ENDURANCE

Temperatures: 61° F (16° C), cold, sun from time to time, a couple of walks, no heavy-duty. My hair held up greatly, didn’t nearly changed a thing: no sag, no strays, no splits. HL medium will do a great job in warmer weather and more strenuous circumstances. It also works with thicker, curly and wavy bangs. Can be used for a pompadour.

RESTYLING

Restyling is key when using an oil based. But I didn’t need to, kept my mane in place. Trying out to rework: restyles well.

BUILD UP

Don’t wash my hair on a daily base. Build up for me: water, tonic and 2 scoops to revive everything. Build up is workable: not that waxy and clean.

WASH OUT

Ease of wash-ability is different for everybody. A few washes, it’s gone.

SIMILAR POMADE(S)

  • Pomps not dead, fuel for the hare game.
  • Ominous, embalmers grease medium.
  • Ghost town, louche pomade.
  • Big slick firm.
  • Big slick, devil’s punch heavy.

Interested in oil based pomades only? You can join our ‘Oil Based Pomade Enthusiasts’ Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/OilBasedPomadeEnthusiasts/

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  1. Pingback: High life, voodoo island – medium oil based pomade – POMADE IN WORDS

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