In New Jersey we love to go big (even at home) so it's no surprise to find a pretty radical assortment of high-hair producing, pomp-ifiers here in the Garden State. One of the latest and greatest handmakers of hair raising brew is Big Slick Pomade Co. out of Freehold, NJ. This dynamic duo features a husband and wife team, Magdalena O'Connell and Vincent Minervino, who's California~inspired pomade beginnings bring a little West Coast/Vegas culture to East Coast living. We just knew you wouldn't be able to resist the classic clean and cool scents of Big Slick's oil based concoctions, so we added them to the Sourpuss site, just for you. We recently took a minute to catch up with this multi-tasking couple to find out how Big Slick began and what's coming next!
So tell us your birth story, how did Big Slick begin?
It’s funny when we think about the start of the company…we just wanted a craft to work on together. How the company has grown has been incredibly exciting for us! Vincent started to wear his hair in a more traditional classic style, and was introduced to pomade while we were on our honeymoon in Santa Barbara/Santa Monica one year ago. We are always coming up with ideas for side projects and fun things we can do together, and after a lot of research we decided try it out. We threw out countless batches developing our first product, Big Slick Original Hold, but finally wound up with a formula we were proud of releasing to the public. The term “Big Slick” is used in poker, when you have a pocket Ace & King. It’s one of the strongest starting hands in the game. We even have a song called “Big Slick”, but we’ll save that for another day. The name ties into a culture of classic cars, barber shops, Vegas, and a lifestyle and look that we really love.
As a husband and wife team, what's the best part about working together?
The best part about working as a team it’s something fun that we get to do together. It really is a true collaborative effort, everything from scent testing, color mixing and actually trying out the products. We have learned to laugh at our mistakes; there was this one batch that we made with a new color, and in order to make it bold we may have gone a little overboard… It was bright red on our hands, and Vincent still decided to put it in his hair, and then his hair turned bright red!! So, that was amusing. We laugh a lot and also sing a lot. Music is a big part of our lives, so we wind up getting to listen to some of our favorites, and discover new albums along the way.
What's your favorite product you make that you now can't live without?
Since the warmer weather has arrived our Heavy Hold has been one we’ve been reaching for often. We recently released a kustom firm hold for a NJ based car club, Dead Rodz Revival, called Piston Grease that might be our new favorite product in the line-up. It’s an almond scent with a touch of smoke - love it! That won’t go anywhere any time soon.
What pomade and comb would you recommend for fellas just getting into the hair game who haven't quite perfected their pomp?
Vincent swears by his Kent combs, and never leaves home without his Kent pocket comb. Big Slick teamed up with American Comb Co., also out of New Jersey, to produce a custom 7” dresser comb which we just released. We also both use Denman brushes and boar bristle brushes for styling. Even a hair pick to add a little height, and for rounding/shaping the pomp! A great pomade to start out with is our Original Hold, easy to work with and gets better with build-up over a few days. This pomade can easily be restyled, feels light in the hair, doesn’t harden like gel and water based pomades, and can be washed out over a day or two!
What can we expect to see next from Big Slick?
We have a bunch of new products that we are very excited about! Next up is the release of our line for the ladies to use - Lady Luck Brand - which will consist of hair and beauty products. We also have a few collaborations in the works. Some with international brewers and pomade shops, as well as a recently announced collaboration with The Pomp (thepomp.com, Pomade Reviewer). Lastly, we are developing a private label pomade for a California lifestyle brand. We are always putting out limited brews and new products, so keep an eye on our Facebook (Big Slick Pomade Co.) and Instagram (@bigslickpomadeco / @ladyluckbrand) for more announcements! Thanks for having us! We are very excited to be a part of the Sourpuss Family.
Check out products from Big Slick on the Sourpuss site and stay tuned for Lady Luck products coming this Fall.
In New Jersey we love to go big (even at home) so it's no surprise to find a pretty radical assortment of high-hair producing, pomp-ifiers here in the Garden State. One of the latest and greatest handmakers of hair raising brew is Big Slick Pomade Co. out of Freehold, NJ. This dynamic duo features a husband and wife team, Magdalena O'Connell and Vincent Minervino, who's California~inspired pomade beginnings bring a little West Coast/Vegas culture to East Coast living. We just knew you wouldn't be able to resist the classic clean and cool scents of Big Slick's oil based concoctions, so we added them to the Sourpuss site, just for you. We recently took a minute to catch up with this multi-tasking couple to find out how Big Slick began and what's coming next!
So tell us your birth story, how did Big Slick begin?
It’s funny when we think about the start of the company…we just wanted a craft to work on together. How the company has grown has been incredibly exciting for us! Vincent started to wear his hair in a more traditional classic style, and was introduced to pomade while we were on our honeymoon in Santa Barbara/Santa Monica one year ago. We are always coming up with ideas for side projects and fun things we can do together, and after a lot of research we decided try it out. We threw out countless batches developing our first product, Big Slick Original Hold, but finally wound up with a formula we were proud of releasing to the public. The term “Big Slick” is used in poker, when you have a pocket Ace & King. It’s one of the strongest starting hands in the game. We even have a song called “Big Slick”, but we’ll save that for another day. The name ties into a culture of classic cars, barber shops, Vegas, and a lifestyle and look that we really love.
As a husband and wife team, what's the best part about working together?
The best part about working as a team it’s something fun that we get to do together. It really is a true collaborative effort, everything from scent testing, color mixing and actually trying out the products. We have learned to laugh at our mistakes; there was this one batch that we made with a new color, and in order to make it bold we may have gone a little overboard… It was bright red on our hands, and Vincent still decided to put it in his hair, and then his hair turned bright red!! So, that was amusing. We laugh a lot and also sing a lot. Music is a big part of our lives, so we wind up getting to listen to some of our favorites, and discover new albums along the way.
What's your favorite product you make that you now can't live without?
Since the warmer weather has arrived our Heavy Hold has been one we’ve been reaching for often. We recently released a kustom firm hold for a NJ based car club, Dead Rodz Revival, called Piston Grease that might be our new favorite product in the line-up. It’s an almond scent with a touch of smoke - love it! That won’t go anywhere any time soon.
What pomade and comb would you recommend for fellas just getting into the hair game who haven't quite perfected their pomp?
Vincent swears by his Kent combs, and never leaves home without his Kent pocket comb. Big Slick teamed up with American Comb Co., also out of New Jersey, to produce a custom 7” dresser comb which we just released. We also both use Denman brushes and boar bristle brushes for styling. Even a hair pick to add a little height, and for rounding/shaping the pomp! A great pomade to start out with is our Original Hold, easy to work with and gets better with build-up over a few days. This pomade can easily be restyled, feels light in the hair, doesn’t harden like gel and water based pomades, and can be washed out over a day or two!
What can we expect to see next from Big Slick?
We have a bunch of new products that we are very excited about! Next up is the release of our line for the ladies to use - Lady Luck Brand - which will consist of hair and beauty products. We also have a few collaborations in the works. Some with international brewers and pomade shops, as well as a recently announced collaboration with The Pomp (thepomp.com, Pomade Reviewer). Lastly, we are developing a private label pomade for a California lifestyle brand. We are always putting out limited brews and new products, so keep an eye on our Facebook (Big Slick Pomade Co.) and Instagram (@bigslickpomadeco / @ladyluckbrand) for more announcements! Thanks for having us! We are very excited to be a part of the Sourpuss Family.
Check out products from Big Slick on the Sourpuss site and stay tuned for Lady Luck products coming this Fall.
