Once again, the time of year has come around when men’s health issues come to the forefront in the shape of some serious upper lip grooming business.
Many of us, for the first time, are faced with the overbearing task of creating something that doesn’t give John Waters a run for his money, and with the cause gaining increasing momentum annually, more men are finding themselves sporting moustaches for the month of November to do their part.
We’ve compiled some of the most useful information to know before you take the bearded leap.
Getting the look
Select you’re Style
Before bringing blade to face, you’ve got to know what you’re about to create; scour the internet for ideas and inspiration remembering that not every style suits every face shape. If you’re unsure what style will work for you, a visit to a decent barber should help set you on your way.
Prepare you’re face
The best way to start any moustache is from a clean slate. A good shave will give the face a great starting point allowing even growth.
- Start by washing your face in warm water, then trimming any longer hairs.
- Apply a shaving cream / oil liberally and shave the entire face in the direction of the grain.
- Use an after-shave balm to calm the skin and prevent any redness.
Maintain the look
There’s nothing quite as scruffy as an unkempt moustache so maintenance is fundamental. Investing in a decent electric groomer is a great start and will make the month (and possibly beyond) a much easier job – for longer styles, it’s also worth getting decent grooming scissors to trim any strays.
Many men completely forgo the options of using wax products and creams which can definitely make all the difference when it comes to looking the best you can. Shop around to see what products suit your moustache style best.
Find the best products
When it comes to mastering the art of the meticulously maintained mo’, it’s important to have a decent set of products behind you to make the job easier and keep things looking their best. We breakdown a list of some key products you should have at your disposal to prevent the unkept lumberjack aesthetic.
A great trimmer
All facial hair / mo’s will require a sturdy set of trimmers to keep things looking neat and tidy. While there’s many a method to keeping up appearances we found the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler to be up their with the best. With three different options of trimming, shaving and edging, it certainly makes the whole job easier with one simple product. It’s not too expensive either so those unsure of their mo’s longevity won’t feel like it’s too much of an investment to make.
Shaving foam / cream
The difference between using a quality shaving foam or cream as apposed to some of the more affordable options is astounding. While many drugstore options will do the job, they may leave you with redness or irritation; opting for a quality product will always leave you with superior results.
Personally, I find the Sabon for men range to be perfect for my skin; their shaving cream with white tea oil, coconut oil and aloe vera prevents nicks and smells absolutely amazing. You can purchase this on it’s own or in a smart little three pack with aftershave cream and hand lotion which are equally as great.
Aftershave
If you’re to think of shaving products in relation to hair products, think of an aftershave treatment as a conditioner – and we all know how much difference a conditioner makes. Many men neglect this part of the shaving routine and just jump straight in with a regular moisturiser – this is wrong. Aftershave treatments contain special ingredients to soothe, prevent redness, disinfect and generally repair the damage done by dragging multiple steel blades across your face, it’s very important! We found #Rehab London’s Calm Balm to do this exceptionally well. It literally felt like dunking your face in cool water after a burn and it left a lovely smell for hours afterwords.
Other Products
Once you have the above basics you’re pretty much set up for a month (or more!) of smooth sailing on the facial fuzz aversion front, but for those looking to take this to the next level we’ve sourced a few other products that’ll propel you to mo’ master status.
Moustache wax is a great way to, quite literally, keep your mo in shape; acting like any hair styling product they’re applied to your moustache to hold the desired position and leave a subtle fresh scent. Uppercut Deluxe have a great option which comes in a convenient little jar yet still seems to last an eternity.
To reach that perfectly primed look, why not give a little moustache comb a try? Kent Brushes donate £2 of every purchase of their limited edition moustache combs to mens’ health charities so you can look good and feel good for doing it!
Finally, for the guy who’d rather be sitting with a cold beer at the nights ends instead of grooming his tache’ – Carlsberg has you covered. ‘Beer’d Beauty’ consists of a Shaving Gel, Aftershave Cream and Moustache Cream all of which each contain 0.2 litres of freeze-dried beer; seems crazy but it actually smells remarkably fresh and, once again, a portion of proceeds from purchase are donated to mens health charities.
Hood By Air releases official Empire merchandise.
As Empire continues to reign with its second season, it seems the show is having an influence on everyone. Shayne Oliver of Hood By Air is a huge fan of Fox’s hit television series, Empire, particularly it’s leading lady, Taraji P. Henson and her portrayal of Cookie Lyon. “Everyone I know was inspired by that show,” Oliver says. “Cookie’s a boss, doesn’t take shit, doesn’t comply with any sort of male rules.” Oliver even solicited Henson to lend her voice to HBA’s February show, which highlighted numerous pieces that Taraji’s character would be comfortable donning.
Empire has even commissioned Shayne and his Hood By Air imprint to produce the first official merchandise for the show. The collection is set to be released tomorrow and include tees, hoodies, crewnecks, shorts and multiple over-sized pieces featuring the faces of the Lyon family and newspaper print featuring Empire specific headlines. Novelty items such as a champagne flute and a pillow mimicking the one that Cookie used to try to suffocate her ex, Lucious, has also been produced.
Visit Hood By Air tomorrow to shop the capsule.
