No shave life.
I’ve always had an appreciation for men in their naturally hirsute state. Over the years I’ve personally channeled this masculine energy through donning some kind of facial hair. I’ve enjoyed sporting a goatee, a short-cropped beard, sideburns, a bushy stache, and of course the epic long beard. In 2013, I decided to stop shaving all together, and my beard grew to a magnificent length, climaxing in 2015. Since its peak, my beard slowly retreated in various forms, and in 2021 it disappeared in favour of my rediscovered mustached look. Either way I still embrace the no shave life! 🧔🏻👨🏻
During my peak beard years, I was inspired by a few men who certainly solidified the look as a bold and strong style statement of edgy masculinity. The English Ricki Hall, the Scottish Christopher John Millington, and the Australian Chris Perceval. In my view, they helped to drive a resurgent beard trend and it was great to see so many men explore this timeless look. In addition to being genuinely handsome, these three men have donned impeccable beards of various lengths over the years and have a rough-yet-classy tattooed look that I find oh-so-very sexy.
Embrace the stache.
Although a beard dominated my facial hair look for years, I’ve always been intrigued by and attracted to men with mustaches. The are classic, sexy, and represent that quintessential masculine look. Every year, many men even sport a mustache to celebrate Movember, which happens every November and men grow mustaches to encourage donations and support for men’s key health issues. And as you likely know by now, my sexy husband has always sported his iconic stache and it is certainly one of the attributes that attracted me to him in the first place!
After months of repeated lockdowns in the UK in 2020 with barber shops opening and closing, I finally decided to give up the pursuit of trying to adorn a well-sculpted beard and haircut. Instead I reached for the clippers and gave myself a look I hadn’t had since 2011. A simple shaved head and a bushy daddy stache. Needless to say I was rather impressed. 😎 Not only did it resolve my barber complexity, but it made grooming a simple and enjoyable task and conveniently made me look like a bad ass! Ha.
Barbering and grooming and moistuirising oh my.
When I began growing my beard, I decided to grow out the hair on my head as well so it was clear I needed a quality barber. Upon a superb recommendation from a friend, I visited Murdock London in late 2013 and was introduced to the very talented Miles Wood-Smith. Not only is he an extraordinary barber, he’s become an amazing friend. If you’re visiting London and need a fantastic barber I would strongly encourage you to visit him!
As my beard grew — and now following on with the stache — I’ve explored a myriad of different facial hair care products. There are several out there and I've tried many. After years of dabbling, I can suggest a few that I really like. For a beard, I recommend Kalamazoo Beard and Facial Wash by Lush. It doesn't really get foamy or too soapy, instead it cleans using pineapple extracts and smells wonderful. Depending on desired look and texture, I tend to mix up using moisturisers, oils, and balms. I love Murdock’s Beard Moisturiser, which softens my beard and offers great fullness with a matte finish. For a quality sheen, I recommend Apothecary 87’s Original Recipe Beard Oil, which not only does a superb job but also smells so good. If you're looking for something with a lighter scent, go for Murdock's Beard Oil. For a brilliant shine and hold, I enjoy Bedfordshire Beard Company’s Dark Pepper Balm. Of course all of these beard-centric lotions work equally well with a bushy stache, and I love the sheen and scent they provide literally right under my nose!
Beardy attention.
In 2015, when my beard achieved its longest length, I was interviewed for the now-defunct website called Groom Your Beard, which was an informative site discussing various beard styles and care techniques. I was also selected to participate in Lee Vandergrift’s Beard Envy Project, an ongoing curated gallery that features some extraordinary bearded gentlemen. Later that year, I had a revealing photoshoot for Issue 19 of Meat Magazine, and my beard definitely made a bold statement — along with other bits! 😏 I’m still intrigued by the bearded look and lifestyle, and find the brotherhood of other bearded men inspiring. But admittedly I do love the stached-daddy-vibe I’m channeling in 2021. Not to mention, I conveniently ‘match’ my husband’s sexy look now too. Win win!
You can review a collection of beards I find attractive by visiting my Tumblr, where I have a set of images tagged accordingly to showcase some prime examples of my taste in beards and facial hair in general. Much like this website you're reading right now, my Tumblr is best experienced on a desktop platform with a large display, since viewing it in the Tumblr app or through the Tumblr dashboard ruins the layout and visual intention of the site.
Questions about my no shave life? Hit me up. And now on to the final section of this site: my obsession with the most successful musical duo in UK history.