After a quick peek at today's Top Shelf, one thing is clear: Catherine Walsh has fantastic hair. Why? The woman gives new meaning to “silver fox.” How? Nivea Creme. Yes, the Coty, Inc. executive (whose career-making moment, she'll tell you, was signing up J.Lo to her first fragrance deal. Remember Glow?! ) relies on the classic, $6 drugstore hand and body cream to achieve piecey perfection.

Walsh explained: “After I wash and towel-dry my hair—I never blow-dry it—I put in Nivea Creme. It doesn’t work on all hair types, but mine is very thick, and it adds a nice sheen and separated texture… After I get out of the shower, I use the cream all over my body, then, I take as much in my hands as if I was just going to moisturize, rub it between my palms, and use it to shape my hair. It doesn’t feel like anything's in your hair—it’s not stiff like other styling products.”

Truth be told, we were a bit skeptical of her method, but a few of us gave it a try (Nick and Elizabeth, specifically), and let us tell you: this is one of the weirder, but most awesome, beauty tricks we've learned in a while. Though Walsh recommends using it on damp hair, we found the cream works just as well, if not better, on dry hair. For Nick, whose hair texture/length/style is strikingly similar to Ms. Walsh's, it added definition without the weight or greasy shine of most pomades. Sure, while applying the white substance, there's a fleeting moment of panic in which you fret that your hair is going to take on a ghostly sheen...but it doesn't.

Another note: this stuff is definitely appropriate for those with long tresses, if you're after that subtly stringy, slightly greased, '90s-grunge hair. On several occasions, Elizabeth's gotten preeettyyy close to Kurt Cobain bed head. Catherine Walsh, our grunge-hair savior. Who would've thought.

Photos by Mathea Millman.