Movember is coming to an end, and great moustache can be seen all over Manchester. We asked Nick MacLure, who runs of one of the most popular barber shops in the Northern Quarter, MacLure Barbers, to tell us more about “the tash”, why you should grow it and how to groom it.
Why you should keep your Movember moustache?
The moustache, the “mo”, the “tash”, the “cookie duster”, the “top lip rug”, the “crumb catcher” or “Tasharooney”! Call it what you like, THE TASH IS BACK! The beard has been the mainstay of the uber-cool man about town for the last few years, but now we are seeing a rise in the moustache as a stand-alone item for the cool fashionista.
As well as being a fantastic way to raise money for charity during Movember, the moustache can be the outward expression of a man’s inner-most ambitions, dreams and desires, what he believes and lives for and what he stands and dies for, or just a way to stand out from the crowd and look cool. For a few years now, the moustache has been an afterthought to a full beard, but increasingly men are choosing to wear just the moustache as a symbol of masculinity and stylish character.
It is such a pleasure to develop and cut an individual moustache. The secret to a good beard is having it tailored to fit the face and desired fashion expectations of the individual. This is even more important with the moustache. Nothing says individuality, creativity and character like the moustache.
Even the names for various moustache styles show great character, such as The Salvador Dali, English, Fu Manchu, Handlebar, Horseshoe, Imperial, Mexican, Military, Pyramid, Pencil, Chevron, Walrus, Lampshade, Toothbrush and Painters brush (AKA the Ron Burgundy!). The moustache has always been linked to masculinity, the military, sportsmen and stylishness.
Top 4 tips to groom your moustache
Here are some great tips on how to keep your “cookie duster” in lip-top condition that we will share with you. As with beards, every great moustache starts with careful planning and a good grooming regime. General hygiene is the first port of call for any great moustache (and beard), but here are our pointers for the best results:
1. Cleansing
As facial hair tends to be more coarse and dry than the hair on the head. A skin pH balanced gentle moisturising soap is recommended for daily cleansing of the moustache (and beard). Specialist soaps can be purchased for washing the moustache and beard. These soaps are designed specifically for the cleansing requirements that facial hair demands.
2. Moisturising
After cleansing, this is the next key stage in a good moustache or beard regime. A good quality all-purpose facial skin moisturiser can be used, as this helps to keep the skin on the face supple and in good health. Moisturiser helps to alleviate itchiness (and avoids a Brillo pad flannelling for a loved one when being intimate).
3. Beard products
This should then be coupled with a good quality specifically designed moustache wax or beard oil. Oils designed for the beard tend to be liquefied at room temperature, whereas moustache waxes tend to be solid at room temperature. Remaining solid at room temperature gives the moustache wax the ability to hold the moustache in numerous shapes and styles that suit the preference of the individual.
4. Cutting
A professional looking well-tailored moustache begins with the cut, and is dependent on two things, hair growth and individual style preference. A well cut moustache can give an air of masculinity and maturity to a young face, or a touch of playful youthfulness to a more mature face. Both are dependent on style and shape and nothing says cheeky chappy or geezer quicker than a well thought out, well designed, individual moustache.
Moustache cutting
The first cutting technique for the easier to wear moustaches, should always be the enhancement of the “lip line”. This is the hair immediately above the lip and is normally trimmed within a couple of millimetres of the lip line to highlight the shape of the top lip and to define a clean edge. This technique best suits the Pencil, Chevron, Paintbrush, Toothbrush or Horseshoe shaped moustaches. The cleaning of the lip line can also be used with a full beard to enhance the crispiness.
For a fuller moustache or full beard with matching moustache, the lip line of the moustache is allowed to grow long and sweep to the corners of the mouth. To grow this section of the moustache can be quite a time-consuming job, and drinking mugs of thick soup in public are not recommended during the growing period. This technique is best utilised for the Walrus, Imperial, Salvador Dali, English, Fu Manchu, Handlebar, Mexican and Military moustaches.
The next important section of the moustache is the top outline from the tip outside edge of the nostrils to the corner of the mouth. Very rarely does this section grow even or symmetrical but can be adjusted with a well-crafted straight razor (cut throat) or mini-trimmer and safety razor combo. Trimming this section of the moustache is essential for the Lampshade, Paintbrush, Chevron, Pyramid, Toothbrush and Salvador Dali.
The thinning down of the moustache is normally seen on the Chevron, the Paintbrush and the Lampshade. This involves removing thickness from the internal sections of the moustache using either scissors or clippers.
Often moustaches do not match the same colour as the hair on the head, are multi-coloured, or as a surprise end up having a red shade, (the loveable “ginger Tash”.) This is where a good quality colour camouflage dye can come in. Which is much easier to do and much more socially acceptable then a full head colour.
How to style your moustache?
Styling should be done on dry hair and the appropriate styling product selected for the desired style. You should begin by combing the moustache with a moustache comb or a close tooth hair comb (a soft natural bristle brush is useful for beards).
Use the fingers to apply products, gently pulling and twisting the moustache into the desired position. Add small quantities of product to the fingertips then directly to the desired position on the moustache. The secret is to work a small amount of product into a moustache using the fingertips and then add more product with the fingertips if necessary.
The final desired shape can be lightly combed or brushed into place. The final touch is a dab of eau de cologne on the moustache (and beard), which mixes with the product oils and is light yet lingers wonderfully.
To summarise
- Cleanse
- Moisturise
- Regular trims
- Colouring
- Products
- Styling
- Eau de cologne
- …….and perseverance
Then kick back and relax in the knowledge that the legend of your “tash” will live forever.
