There are few manlier pursuits in life than growing and maintaining a lush, full mustache – the kind of mustache that enters the room before you to announce your arrival, but maintains a presence of its own. It certainly helps that the actual, physical process of growing a mustache isn’t terribly difficult to wrap your head around; you just stop shaving your upper lip. However, mustache maintenance can kill or carry your look. A few simple steps and a bit of attention to detail can be the difference between looking like you stepped out of a Mercedes or a windowless van.

The Tools

The concept of tooling up for a mustache grooming, to a newcomer, may seem like the equivalent of equipping for a zombie apocalypse. However, the list is short and attainable, so you can wipe the sweat from your brow and put away your battle ax.

Trimming Scissors

You might be wondering why number one is listed as “trimming scissors” instead of just “scissors”. Any pair of old scissors you have laying around is simply not going to cut the mustard when trimming and shaping a first-class lipwarmer. Simple household scissors are often dull, and can just end up bending and putting kinks in the hairs you’re trying to trim, having the opposite of the desired effect. Trimming scissors can be picked up at several convenience stores; but, if you can’t find them there, a cheap pair from a beauty supply store is a great purchase.

Comb

Unlike scissors, you can be pretty general with a comb, just make sure the comb has relatively fine teeth and is small enough to maneuver through your mustache without feeling like you are going to take your nose off. A great comb for mustache trimming is the Kent folding pocket comb.

That’s it! Those are all the tools required to physically trim your mustache. Simple, huh?

The Procedure

Now that we’re tooled up, it’s time to get down to business. First, if the shape of your mustache has gotten a little out of hand, use the trimming on the edges to get it back to your preferred shape; remember to keep your eyes on the mirror. Next, run your comb slowly through your mustache looking for uneven hairs, and snip them into equal length on the outside of the comb for a longer mustache. For a shorter mustache, run the comb through, and then snip the unequal hairs without the comb. If you’re downsizing your ‘stache, then use the comb in the same way as for a longer mustache, but take off a little length with each pass of the comb. After you’ve made several passes through your mustache, give it a close look in the mirror for any stray hairs you may have missed.

Maintaining and Styling your Mustache

Now that your shapely mustache is perfectly trimmed, it’s time to implement the proper steps to keep that hair soft, fragrant and looking great. Being a man can be taxing on both your body and your mustache, but investing in quality facial hair products can keep it looking like new. Using one of the great-smelling beard oils offered here on beardmanemporium.com will keep your mustache from getting dry and brittle. Beard oil will also add a little bit of shine to your mustache to make it stand out from the crowd. “A reckless, yet refined wild mustang is on your face” they’ll say, to which you can reply: “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, observant passerby, that’s just my mustache.”

In addition to beard oil, another great product for your mustache is wax. Mustache wax is, metaphorically, a cravat for your face: it provides an unparalleled level of elegance and control of the world around you, even if that world only happens to be the one below your nose. Waxing your ‘stache gives it body and allows you to achieve a plethora of different looks. Several men have the reserve that mustache wax is going to leave their face a greasy mess, but mustache wax, applied in non-ludicrous amounts, stays right where you want it to. Beardmanemporium’s mustache waxes come in scented and non-scented varieties that offer a multitude of hold strengths; so, whether you’re just trying to keep your scruff out of your nose or trying to win a regional mustache competition, there’s a wax for you. Try a few different combinations of oil and wax to achieve a look and scent that works for you.