Beard Love

That moment when you look up, lock gazes with another bearded man and you both do the nod of approval… Pure hirsute glory.

Beards, Beards, Beards...

Whilst I am not new to the world of beards, having had a beard of one form or another for the past 10 years or so, I am fairly new to the world of specialised beard care products. My interest in beard care products really started over Christmas, my partner bought me a Men Rock Beardy Beloved set as a present, it came in a small black gift box containing oakmoss beard shampoo and conditioner, sandlewood moustache wax and a moustache comb.

Having never waxed my moustache before I tried the shampoo first, when you open the lid of the bottle the first thing that hits you is the fragrance, an earthy woodland smell that I absolutely love. When used the shampoo creates a lovely rich lather and leaves the beard feeling clean and soft, the fragrance lasts for about an hour afterwards before fading. The conditioner is best used in conjunction with the shampoo, however it also works nicely on its own.

The conditioner should be applied to a freshly washed, towel dried beard, only a small amount is required and applied by gently massaging through the beard hair without scrubbing. When used correctly it leaves your beard feeling soft and manageable and smelling absolutely amazing, apply too much however and your beard starts to feel a little greasy. After using the conditioner regularly for a couple of weeks I noticed that my beard looked and felt like it was in really good condition, no split ends, a lot less tangling and much easier to brush and style.

Having always kept my moustache neatly trimmed I had to leave it grow out for a few weeks before it was long enough for me to style with the wax, after a about a month had passed I attempted my first handlebar. The wax is quite stiff so requires a little warming before application, taking a peppercorn size ball of the wax on the end of your finger and allowing it to come up to body temperature will usually soften it enough to apply. Apply it sparingly and evenly through your moustache allows you to curl it into a nice handlebar, the wax has a reasonable hold and if untouched will last for most of the day. Unfortunately the wax is quite susceptible to liquid so care must be taken whilst drinking or the moustache will lose hold and droop. The sandlewood fragrance of the wax is subtle but lasts for a fairly long time, leaving your moustache looking and smelling beautifully manly.

The comb included in the set is a nice extra but isn’t really robust enough for use on a full beard, however is perfectly adequate for a moustache and the teeth are wide enough apart that tangling is not an issue.

Overall I’m impressed with this set and feel it is an excellent introduction into beards and beard care products, it really does make an excellent gift that any hirsute gent would be thrilled to receive.

Being A Man - My Views On Manliness

If I start talking about being a man and the term manliness many people will instantly assume that I’m being chauvinistic or sexist, however if I was female and I started to talk about being a women and the term femininity then no such assumption would be made. The fact that a man talking about what it means to be manly can be construed as being sexist is, in my eyes, blatant sexism.
I am a man and I consider it to be important for men to be manly. Manlyness to me is the ability to be self reliant, by that I mean to have the basic skills required to provide, for yourself, a reasonable standard of living. A man should have a willingness to work and a drive to be the best he possibly can be at what he is doing. A man should have the knowledge and ability to prepare and cook a variety of meals to a standard high enough to provide more than just sustenance, he should have an understanding of the science of cooking and how flavours work together. A mans home should be clean and well maintained, without appearing overly clinical, it is important for a man to have order in his life whilst being comfortable in his own surroundings. A man should be happy with his own company and should never rely on the continued presence of others. He should, however, also be working to maintain healthy relationships with his friends and family as these are often of vital importance in the pursuit of happiness. Most of all a man must always be responsible fot his own actions, no matter what situation he finds himself in.