The Skinny Mustache Is Again—Here is What You Have to Know
What do John Waters, The Weeknd, and Will Smith have in widespread? Right here’s a touch: it’s barely there however when you see it you possibly can’t unsee it, and after some time, it grows on you. Reply: the skinny mustache.
Up till not too long ago, the skinny mustache or “pencil mustache” might hardly be known as an iconic model. Slightly, what boosted its constant, if not feeble reputation was the truth that those that dared to put on it had some excellent (The Weeknd), outrageous (John Waters), or enigmatic (Will Smith) high quality about them. Even its most well-known poster little one, John Waters, has overtly admitted the selection to sport a skinny mustache was simply one other a part of his general—and really intentional—sleazy look. However the pencil stache additionally has a dignified, Golden Age of Hollywood look about it that, just like the fedora and bow tie, has managed to sneak its means into the 20 th and even twenty-first centuries as a novel, timeless model signature.
These days, increasingly male celebs are getting on the bandwagon and adopting an up to date model of the skinny mustache as a delicate, but oh-so-impactful factor of their private look. As barbers Soren Roi and Benny Perez are about to point out us, the brand new skinny mustache generally is a stylish facial hair selection.
Is the Pencil Mustache Proper for You?
Right here are some things to think about earlier than taking the pencil ‘stache plunge:
- Your Private Fashion: “Carrying a pencil mustache can usually be a press release concerning the music you take heed to or a way of life you select to embody,” says Roi. “It lets individuals know that you just’re carefree sufficient to make a daring model selection but additionally meticulous in your grooming. You may be a rough-and-tumble sort of individual however you’re taking self-care significantly.”
- How Your Facial Hair Grows: In the event you’ve been aching to sport some form of facial hair however discover your pure beard solely grows in patches and tufts, going for a skinny mustache offers you a face-defining look that makes the many of the hair you can develop. You may even use an eyebrow pencil so as to add some realistic-looking definition.
- Your Hair Colour: Roi factors out that skinny mustaches are likely to work higher on guys with darker hair, as a pencil-thin light-colored mustache received’t present up as properly and will even look complicated to the attention (is that sweat in your higher lip?). Nevertheless, these with lighter-hued hair might merely develop their pencil mustache a bit wider for an up to date model that works with their pure look.
- Your Curiosity in Stylish Hairstyles: In accordance with Perez, a skinny mustache is a perfect accompaniment to a few of right now’s trendiest retro hairstyles, particularly an undercut with a arduous half or considered one of many trendy variations on a pleasant, tight fade.
The best way to Shave a Pencil Mustache
To realize the right skinny mustache to your face, Roi recommends two issues: a beard/mustache trimmer and a high quality straight razor. “Common razors usually don’t offer you sufficient visibility to attain the skinny strains of a pencil mustache,” he explains. He additionally says utilizing a straight razor will assist make upkeep straightforward, plus it immerses you within the delicate, but rugged essence of the model.
As for the shaving half, begin with a very good, old style shave however depart your high lip for final. Then take the straight razor and gently work your means down towards your lip with temporary, even strokes. Lastly, use your trimmer (or mustache scissors should you’re used to them) to trim hair to about 1/8 inch, or longer should you’re going for a extra trendy model.
To finish the look (or should you unintentionally reduce a bit too low), Roi recommends utilizing an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner in a shade that matches the colour of your facial hair to fill within the stache for a clear line. Apply in high quality, delicate strokes to construct shade beneath the hair so it appears to be like pure.
If in case you have any doubts or questions, Perez recommends searching for the recommendation of your barber to your first few cuts to make sure you’re getting the correct form and doing it within the most secure means attainable. In spite of everything, the important thing to getting a pencil mustache proper is confidence.
Sustaining and Styling a Pencil Mustache
With so little actual property to fret about, sustaining your skinny mustache comes right down to a fast trim each few days utilizing a trimmer or mustache scissors, in addition to working towards diligence whereas shaving. Nevertheless, Roi factors out that guys with darker hair are vulnerable to a extra outstanding 5 o’clock shadow, which can find yourself diluting your pencil mustache or making it look unkempt if the stubble on high grows too lengthy, so time your shaves accordingly.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to experiment. As you’re about to see, there are all kinds of modern-day skinny mustaches making the rounds, so should you’re recreation for the stand-out model afforded by a pencil mustache, mess around till you discover the one which works for you.
10 of Our Favourite Movie star Pencil Mustaches
Little Richard
That is the OG skinny mustache. The right stability of tooty and fruity, Little Richard embodies the extra dapper facet of the pencil mustache. “This pencil mustache makes his smile pop and with stunning tooth like that, it actually works to intensify this characteristic,” says Roi.
John Waters
Maybe probably the most well-known pencil mustache on this planet, Waters’ take is pure kitsch—an ideal match for his artwork and way of life. “He’s darkened his mustache with a make-up pencil, which you’ll be able to inform as a result of his mustache is black however his hair is white,” says Roi. “He additionally has somewhat little bit of a bleed out round his mustache. Whereas it really works for him, this generally is a good instance of what to watch out of in order for you a extra delicate model. Go straightforward on the pencil!”
Sean Combs
Roi says Combs’ manicured goatee and mustache are iconic, however they overly intensify the teardrop form of his head. In the event you’re going for a extra balanced look, he suggests going for a full beard. Nonetheless, props to Puff for rocking such a method.
Milo Ventimiglia
Milo’s wider tackle the skinny stache is paired with a soul patch and a pleasant quantity of stubble for a cool, informal look. “This [stubble] size is definitely good for a skinny pencil mustache, however for this thicker mustache it appears to be like a bit messy and unkempt,” says Roi. To keep away from this stage Roi says it may be higher to develop out a full beard after which go for the mustache as soon as it will get to a size the place the hair begins to put down moderately than stick out.
The Weeknd
May The Weeknd be any extra modern? Right here he’s sporting a pencil mustache in a handlebar form, which Roi says offers off an actual ’70s vibe, particularly when paired with the tinted aviator sun shades and plaid swimsuit. The look might’ve gone overkill, however as a result of the ‘stache ends slightly below his mouth, Roi says it manages to look genuine and never costume-y.
Will Smith
Straight strains and sharp corners make Will Smith’s skinny mustache look not solely jiggy, but additionally high-maintenance. “The sq. form of his goatee matches his hairline so properly they might nearly match collectively like a puzzle,” says Roi. “I’d assume that Will has these strains touched up earlier than any massive occasion the place he needs to look sharp for the digital camera.”
Andre Benjamin
Andre’s skinny mustache-and-goatee combo is just one of three,000 causes we love his model, and Roi says that it really works so properly as a result of it’s the right complement to the remainder of his look: “His tooth have character, his mole has character, his facial hair is simply there to carry down the muse for all the things else.”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Rhys Meyers’s pencil mustache is a bit vast, however nonetheless properly manicured. Roi says that he might’ve even gone a step additional and darkened it in a bit with a mascara brush to present the looks of a thicker stache.
Michael B. Jordan
“Michael’s mustache and goatee work properly to stability out his face on this image,” says Roi. “With out them, his darkish eyebrows would stand out an excessive amount of in distinction to his excessive fade. Most individuals don’t consider eyebrows as a part of our facial hair however it’s good to think about them within the combine.”
Nick Cannon
“From this picture I get the sense that Nick Cannon’s facial hair doesn’t develop in absolutely, apart from the mustache and goatee areas we see right here,” Roi says. Nevertheless, that is truly fairly widespread amongst males and is nothing to be ashamed of. Not everyone grows a full beard—typically Mom Nature picks our selection of facial hair for us, and Nick’s selection of skinny mustache solely helps to intensify his traditional smile.
