What wet styling technique involves shaping the hair into an S pattern using fingers and styling lotion?

The technique being described is finger waving, which is a method used to create a distinct S-shaped pattern in the hair. This style is achieved through the manipulation of wet hair using the fingers and a styling lotion, which helps to hold the waves in place.

Finger waving is a classic hairstyle that showcases the artist's skill and precision. It involves molding the hair into smooth waves that follow the contours of the head, giving a soft, vintage look that is often associated with early 20th-century styles. This technique requires a good understanding of the hair's texture and the appropriate products to use, making it a staple in barbering and hairstyling.

While other options such as curling involve the use of heated tools to create defined curls, or roller setting which uses rollers to shape and dry the hair, these techniques do not utilize the finger manipulation or the specific S pattern characteristic of finger waving. Braiding, on the other hand, is focused on intertwining sections of hair rather than creating wave patterns, which further distinguishes it from the correct answer.