Whether or not we’d like to admit it, our choice in beard styles can make or break the aesthetic we’re going for. You can be wearing the latest fashion, but if your facial hair style situation is more 80's than 2018, people will take notice. To help you stay up-to-date with your grooming choices, we’ve highlighted 6 beard styles that are all the rage right now—and the ways you can maintain them.
Popularized by beard expert Eric Bandholz, this facial hair style features a mustache joined to a full beard. While the mustache should be groomed to prevent the hair from passing over the upper lip, and the edges should seamlessly blend into the beard, the rest of the beard should grow freely. The Bandholz Beard which has refined lumberjack vibes and looks particularly awesome on round and oblong faces, requires plenty of patience since it takes at least two months and upwards of one year to reach the length you need. During the growing out process, use a beard oil to condition your facial hair as well as a beard shampoo, like Redken Brews Cleansing Bar, because nobody wants a dirty beard.
Fuller than a regular beard, this sophisticated-yet-rugged type of beard has a short upper part and a long, thick lower part that tapers at the end to look like a duck’s tail. To achieve this beard style, which is flattering on most face shapes except for ones that are long and narrow, grow a full beard that’s about two to four inches long and thick so the beard looks pointy at the end. Then carefully trim the cheek area and shave the upper cheek and neckline until your beard looks symmetrical. Using a beard oil, like Redken Brews Beard Oil, or a wax can help you get your desired tapered shape.
Also known as the Hollywoodian, the Extended Goatee is a hybrid of the goatee and the mustache, with the focus being the hair growth on your chin. Although there is also facial hair on the jawline extending out from the goatee, there are no sideburns, preventing it from entering full beard territory. This facial hair style, which can be grown in just one or two weeks, best suits those with oblong or square face shapes. Once your extended goatee is initially shaped, maintaining this facial hair style is pretty easy. Shave the areas that have already been shaved, ideally using a moisturizing shaving cream like Redken Brews Shave Cream, and then condition your beard hair and the skin below it with some beard oil.
This full beard style is like the Bandholz except that the Garibaldi is shorter, has a wide, round base and takes less time to grow. Named after an Italian General who helped unify Italy in the 1800s, this type of beard, which looks best on those with oval or rectangular face shapes, should be shaped as soon as the beard starts tapering at the bottom of the jawline. The mustache, which should be neatly groomed, can also grow long but should not be longer than the beard. You’ll also want a beard oil to help this style look its best.
This old-school facial hair style—think Abe Lincoln—is a long, full beard that’s connected to the sideburns, flares out with a flat bottom and has no mustache. It’s good for those who want to conceal narrow chins and are going for a lumberjack look. For a variation that flatters more face shapes, the Old Dutch has a square base, covered cheeks and a shaved chin. Maintenance for both kinds involves growing your facial hair until it covers your entire face, nourishing skin and hair with beard oil during the process, and using a trimmer and scissors to get the bottoms perfectly flat, as well as using a beard oil to shape the ends.
This beard style has an upside down T shape and consists of a mustache and hair on the chin with a soul patch. Although this is a shorter beard style, you’ll need to grow a full beard to have enough facial hair to start. Once it’s time to sculpt, use a trimmer to shave your face, and to get the signature Balbo look, leave about ¼ inch of space between your mustache and goatee. The rest of the beard hair should be short and even.
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