Moustache Styling Guide: Getting You Ready for Movember

Hair, hair and more hair - it’s that time of the year yet again!

Movember or No-Shave November is the annual international event where volunteers grow moustaches to raise awareness of various cancers that affect men. Just because you are in Singapore doesn’t mean you need to feel left out, Movember is an increasingly popular movement in Sin city too!

It’s time to grow, style and flaunt that stache and with some serious pointers from our end, you can really take your statement a notch higher! Psst, we even have a few notes from resident moustache celebrities Actor Paul Foster and Bacardi Trade Brand Ambassador Ricky Pavia to make your journey for that perfect look a little easier.

Patience

It may seem counter intuitive but it does takes quite a long time to grow even a small moustache.  Yes, there will be days when you look like a teenager with a hint of facial hair but the key is to let that hair grow. After the initial embarrassing period, once you have a face full of hair, shave the rest out to make way for the stache of the season! Ricky Pavia, Trade Brand Ambassador for Bacardi in Singapore is well known for his eclectic experimentation in (alcohol and) facial hair too! "Patience is a virtue, just like making cocktails or cooking food, if you put the time in, you get something great!" Have a look at his stache styles and you will know he's onto something great. 

Get the right tools ready

A grooming kit will carry the usual beard trimmer or clippers but while these are great for managing facial hair, they won’t give you the dexterity you need for this job. A pair of scissors and a comb on hand are better tools to invest in. Much like at the barber, you need to comb through facial hair to make sure you cut the right amount; it will even gives you the flexibility to style it as you like. Moustache waxes are also great for taming flyaways - you can also get away with using normal hair wax or just a dab of good old Vaseline.

Maintenance

Even the low maintenance styles will need some amount of TLC. Shampooing your new accessory is essential, at least 2-3 times a week. Hair conditioner while optional is a great way to ensure shine and softness. However, if the look you are going for needs wiry hair or extra volume, skip the conditioning. Dong forget to moisturize under your moustache to prevent unnecessary scaling of skin. Just a swab of your usual moisturizer should do the trick.

Experiment with the Styling

This is where the stuff gets real. Once you think you are ready with enough hair on your upper lip to take the plunge, decide what you are looking for. The internet is the best depository of cool stache styles and there are several look books that can help choose the style that suits you best! 

Walrus, Pencil, Horse Shoe or Super Mario – these could be few of the styles you flaunt this November but do remember that face shape is an essential element you must take into consideration. For square faces try a heavier and longer style. But if you have an oval face, go with medium width. Why, even a fashion savvy Handle Bar would suit you fine! 

You could choose the style or it could choose you! Actor/host Paul Foster spent some time to get the look right for his character in the series 'Mata Mata season 1'. He needed to play the role of a colonial police officer from the 1950's and hence the stashe chose him! Perfectly done with the right amount of gel at the ends, you could well follow Paul's look too!

And Finally, the Cutting

When it comes to finally cutting that hair, water helps tame it down for a close cut. But remember that it also makes you think hair is longer so you may end up with too short a trim. Blow dry your stache after the cut to understand if further closer trims are needed for fly away, moody hair. If you are looking to curl it eventually, use the gel and curl to set in the style. Another reminder though that some gels contain color and can stain beds, so make sure you apply some only when you are not looking at soiling your high thread count sheets!

Lastly - Don’t be scared. Experiment and if it doesn’t work you can always go shorter, or completely shave it off too! It’s only hair after all.

The Movember Foundation is a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising $834 million SGD and funding over 1,000 projects focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide prevention. This year, Skyline celebrates Movember with their 'Stache Bache' event on Saturday, November 5, 2016. For more details about the event, visit their Facebook Page.