MEMORIES:

They might have advertised that "A little dab'll do ya," but you needed more than a dab of Brylcreem to get that shiny, perfect pompadour. But a good dollop would have your coif nicely slicked back into a neat ducktail.

 

Brylcreem was created in 1929 and marketed as the first hair product for men. It was a greasy cream that could be run through the hair, slicking it back into perfection. It gained popularity with teenagers who combed their hair into pompadour ducktails, which earned them the nickname “greasers.” Without the addition of the Brylcreem grease, grooming just wasn’t complete.

 

It was the Beatles who killed the Brylcreem look in the early ‘60s. With their long and messy fringe cuts hanging loose around their faces, the sleek pompadour cuts suddenly looked dated. Hair got longer and shaggier as the ‘60’s progressed, and Brylcreem was replaced with less greasy hair gels like Dep, and hairspray for the more structured styles.

 

Brylcreem saw a resurgence in the ‘70’s with the 1978 movie Grease featuring John Travolta’s Danny Zuko in a ‘50’s style, slicked-back pompadour. It appeared again in the 1990’s with the Rockabilly movement and the retro lounge lizard look. Each moment of popularity was a look back at ‘50’s fashion.

 

And as a quick trivia bonus – Fred Flintsone’s signature yell of “Yabba dabba do!" came from that Brylcreem slogan, "A little dab'll do ya."