Movember: 6 iconic moustache styles and how to grow them
Grooming experts talk through the taches as the charity month begins. By Katie Wright.
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Dedicated to men’s health causes, Movember (movember.com) is the annual event that encourages ‘mo bros and sisters’ to grow a moustache or get involved with other fundraising activities, such as running or walking 60km over the month to represent the 60 men lost to suicide every hour across the world.
The charity focus on three important issues: suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, aiming to fund projects and share knowledge so that more men get the support they need when facing mental health problems or cancer diagnosis.
If you are planning to let your follicles bloom, by the end of the month (with any luck) you’ll be the proud owner of a terrific tache. But first you’ve got to decide how you want to shape your facial fuzz.
We asked two pro barbers to talk through six memorable moustache styles to choose from this Movember…
1. Pencil
As the name suggests, a pencil moustache is a thin line that sits just above the upper lip.
“The style can be grown very quickly as it’s usually short in length and cut to a very thin line, following the shape of the top lip,” says barber Anthony Copeland, owner of the The Golden Scissors (goldenscissors.london) and spokesperson for Wilkinson Sword (wilkinsonsword.com).
“It’s best suited to people with darker hair so that the thin line stands out more.”
To fashion your pencil pattern, he says: “Create the thin shape using clippers or scissors, then finish the fine edges with a straight razor. For the cleanest look possible, use a hydrating shave cream that will help the razor glide effortlessly over the skin, helping the moustache to pop.”
Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Skin Protection Razor, £15.49
2. Handlebar
Reminiscent of the handlebars of a bike, this classic moustache can be long or short, with pointy ends curling up and out at the sides.
“This look is iconic and has been a go-to look throughout history, but has recently grown in popularity again,” says Justin Carr, a Philips (philips.co.uk) OneBlade grooming ambassador.
Copeland explains: “To achieve this look, the hair is grown long and brushed from the centre to the side and twisted at each the ends to create a point. The handles of the moustache are often bulked up using hair from the beard area beside the mouth rather than just relying on the upper lip hair.”
Carr recommends using a moustache wax to coax the curls: “Apply to the longer hairs on the sides and twist the hair into a curl. This can take some practice and some training of the hair to perfect the look!”
3. Horseshoe
“Celebrities like Hulk Hogan and Big Paul from American Choppers sport a horseshoe moustache,” Copeland says. “They are thick over the top lip and run down each side of the mouth usually to the jaw line but in extreme cases, continue down the neck to the neckline.”
Crafting a horseshoe is more about what you shave off, he explains: “The easiest way is to create a full goatee and remove the hair that covers the cheeks and chin. Once completed, leave the sides for the moustache in long, vertical lines.”
4. Dallas
“The name of the Dallas stems from its roots in the US city and was a huge part of historical cowboy culture,” Carr says of the style which is similar to the horseshoe.
“To create, you should shave the face, neck and cheeks so everything is gone, apart from the moustache,” he says. “You must make sure when trimming the moustache that you leave some hair around the corner of the mouth – so not all the way down to the chin like the horseshoe.”
Bushy is best for a classic cowboy vibe, he adds: “Keep it thick and be light with the outline, you don’t want to thin it as this isn’t the desired look.”
5. Walrus
“The walrus moustache is simply an overgrown standard moustache which has grown long enough to cover the bottom lip when the mouth is closed,” says Copeland.
For celebrity inspiration, think Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman), or actor Tom Selleck’s legendary tache – except longer.
Copeland says: “To get the walrus look takes time, but once long enough you can trim the sides in line with the corners of the mouth and cut to the desired length.”
6. Stached stubble
The modern ‘stached’ look means you can grow a mo without having to completely shave the rest of your facial hair.
“It’s something I go for myself because the lighter parts of the stubble keep the face contoured,” says Carr, who recommends using a beard trimmer to create the look.
“You need to trim the facial hair down on the face to a low level but leaving enough for the hair to still be visible, then you need to trim the moustache, making sure it is at least 2mm long.
“Finish the look by shaping around the moustache, shaving away all the little extra hairs on the upper lip and around the top of the moustache to help create definition.”
Philips OneBlade, £19.99 (was £29.99), Boots