Style is such an individual thing, although some style conscious folk might bemoan the prevalence of huge, multinational clothing and accessory stores such as H&M, Zara and Topshop. While these places certainly have a wide range of clothing styles on offer, they can lead to people of a certain age walking the streets of various cities around the world, dressed like carbon copies of each other. Sometimes it seems like the only way a person can retain some individuality is with their face and hair, and also their facial hair. But this is an area fraught with issues. A guy might go to his hairdresser with a photo of the exact haircut he wants, and his hairdresser might be able to replicate it perfectly, only to find that it simply doesn’t work with his face. Thin faces work better with certain hairstyles, just as angular faces work better with others. It’s the same with facial hair. You might attempt to replicate a beard that you’ve seen a celebrity wearing, only to find that the cool look doesn’t translate to your face, meaning you might need to try something else. So what are some of the coolest facial hairstyles around, and which have had their day?
The Pirates Of The Caribbean Look
The Pirates Of The Caribbean Look
With the inexplicable popularity of the Pirates Of The Caribbean film franchise, it became quite common to see photos of Johnny Depp in character as Captain Jack Sparrow, and the facial hair that was remarkably stylish and tidy for a pirate living on a boat in the late 1600’s. Depp effortlessly wore a fairly thick moustache with just a tuft of hair at the base of his chin. His co-star Orlando Bloom had a similar style, albeit with a wispier moustache. This look is good for those lucky few with thin faces and high cheekbones.
The Wolverine Look
The Wolverine Look
With an appearance in all five films based on the X Men comic books (with an additional two films on the way), Hugh Jackman is Wolverine for a generation of film lovers. The character sports some impressive facial hair, with a rugged permanent 5 o’ clock shadow and some huge, bristling sideburns (or mutton chops). The permanent facial hair is fine, but remember that Hugh Jackman is an actor playing a character, and so huge sideburns can look vaguely ridiculous in real life.
The Magnum PI Look
The Magnum PI Look
In the hilarious sitcom 30 Rock, the character of Liz Lemon neglected to follow her usual grooming regime, and so her friend “Tom Selleck” (her words) soon put in an appearance, meaning she grew a moustache. Such is the recognition of Tom Selleck in his guise as Magnum PI in the 1980’s television show, that he is often the final word on moustaches. It’s not a look for everyone, but a full, thick moustache can work well on a variety of different facial types.
The Salvador Dali Look
The Salvador Dali Look
Dali’s style of art was firmly in the surrealist school, and the same could be said of his facial hair. Long and thin, like two rats tails growing out from above his lips, Dali’s look was unique and was achieved by applying a fair amount of wax to the hair, making it far more pliable, allowing him to curl it into a variety of shapes. While this look might work if you’re a world famous surrealist artist, in real life it can look a little arrogant. Twilight star Robert Pattinson once played Dali in a movie, and his attempt at the Dali moustache looked as though it had been drawn on by a child playing dress up.
It can be great to grow and maintain a stylish beard or moustache, but you need to think about what works best for you. Fortunately, if a look simply doesn’t work, you can easily shave it off, wait a few days and then start again!
This is a guest post by contributing author Kate Simmons, currently representing The Art of Shaving. Art of Shaving provides helpful insights and tips into both traditional and modern shaving techniques, as well as a wide array of related products, such as safety razors, shaving kits, after shave balms and so on!
