Something I Can’t Travel Without — Or I’ll Lose My Mind

It must have been around 2018 or 2019.
Fresh out of the military, I walked into a salon with my short, regulation haircut and said, “I want a pompadour.”
They refused me for a month straight. But ever since then, there’s one thing I’ve always carried with me, everywhere.

Reuzel Pomade Oil.

Sure, some people can style their hair without it. I can’t. Without it, my hairline collapses. Every morning, I run a comb along the edge, blow-dry it up, and it feels… annoyingly satisfying. Because it looks right.

A big tin lasts me a year. Sometimes I wonder what’s even in this stuff. Whenever I use it at a foreign salon, the stylists always poke around, curious. They’ve never seen it before.

The Reuzel Hair Wax I use with it is still the strongest I’ve ever tried. I used to go for cheaper waxes — but they all had cola scents, bubblegum scents, whatever. Mixed with hairspray, they’d turn into a chemical disaster. Reuzel’s pretty much scentless. That’s the point. Think about it — who uses hair wax without also wearing perfume? Mixed scents never smell good.

These days, I’m also using a Doors wax a friend brought me from Japan. Great hold, smooth application, and unscented. Works perfectly with hairspray.

Sometimes, a small item like this makes me realize how much time has passed. It’s already August. I’m not even sure if I’ve kept my goals for the year. I’m still thinking about the people who left last year, still haven’t found anyone to fill that space.

When I run out, I want to try one of those limited-edition Brosh tins next. They’re a little pricey, but the designs are beautiful. Maybe it’ll be disappointing. Probably will be. But that’s taste, isn’t it? That’s aesthetic judgment. Maybe even interior design.

Using things like this, experiencing them, thinking about them — it’s part of finding your taste. Excavating it. People should evolve. There’s nothing more pathetic than just getting older.

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