His

The Groomed Man sells a variety of different products that make ideal Christmas gifts. Suitable for men of all ages.

Check out our guide below to give you inspiration or visit the website www.thegroomedman.co.uk

Under £10.00

Our best selling comb.  A small handmade comb from GB Kent and Sons

A wide selection of novelty cufflinks to suit a wide range of interests.  From playing cards, to saxophones, to racing cyclists

A wooden coaster with a fun message

Captain Fawcett beard oil – To help soften the beard and reduce itch.  Available in Cedarwood & Black Pepper (private stock) or honeyed fresh tobacco leaves with mid notes of fresh hops (Booze & Baccy)

£10 - £25

A selection of aftershave balms and lotions. Ideal to soothe and moisturise the skin after shaving

An attractive wooden shaving bowl with luxury shaving soap. Available in a range of fragrances from the classic Sandalwood, to more diverse choices like Almond or Lavender

Abbeyhorn 8" Hand Crafted Genuine Horn Shoe Horn

GB Kent and Sons Men’s military handmade hairbrush. Available in beech or cherry wood

£25 - £50

A wide selection of safety razors, from high quality manufactures. Including Merkur from Solingen Germany.  Merkur is world renowned for their expertise in precision engineering.

A wide selection of pure and best badger hair shaving brushes. WIth a range of manufacturers who produce excellent quality handmade brushes made in England.

Proraso beard shampoo, oil & balm gift set. Available in Azur Lime or Cypress & Vetyver

Abbeyhorn handmade soldiers tankard.

Over £50.00

A selection of manicure sets in a variety of sizes, ranging from 4 pieces to 10  pieces. Including excellent quality manufacturers such as Dovo and Niegeloh

A selection of 3- and 4-piece shaving sets made from high-quality manufacturers, including Merkur from Solingen Germany and Edwin Jagger of Sheffield. Both world-renowned for their expertise in precision engineering.

A selection of cut throat straight razors. Available with a choice of handles, from celluloid, metal and a variety of different woods.

Looking for the best beard style to suit your face?

First, you need to decide on the shape of your face.

Forehead - Measure from the peak of one eyebrow arch across your face to the peak of the other

Cheekbones - Measure across your cheekbones. Start and end at the pointiest part below the outer corner of each eye.

Jaw - Measure from tip of your chin to below your ear at the point at which your jaw angles upwards. Multiply that number by two to get your jawline measurement.

Face length - Measure from the tip of your chin to the centre of your hairline

Now note which is the largest of the four and compare to the profiles below.  This will help describe the shape of your face

Round - The face length and cheekbones have a similar measurement.  The forehead and jawline are less than the face length and are similar.  The jawline is soft and less defined.

Square - All measurements are similar with a sharp angular jaw.

Rectangle/Oblong - The face length is the longest measurement. The other 3 are a similar size.

Diamond - The face length is the longest, then in descending order, cheekbones, forehead and jawline.  The chin is pointed.

Triangular -   The jawline measures greater than the cheekbones, which measures larger than the forehead.

Oval - The face length is greater than the width of your cheekbones. The forehead is greater than the jawline. And the angle of the jaw is rounded.

Heart - The forehead measures greater than both the cheekbones and jawline.  The chin is pointed.

Beard Style

Now you have determined the shape of your face, we can look at which style of beard is best suited.

Round

If you grow a large unkempt beard, then you will end up looking like a bowling ball. What you need is to grow the hair longer on the bottom and shorter on the sides.  So, a triangular shape works well, such as a goatee.

Oval face

With this shape of face, almost all styles will work well.  As the oval face is  the most symmetrical, almost any type of beard will work without it affecting the symmetry.  Just avoid any sharp angles

Rectangle

This is a longer face shape, so you want to avoid have a long beard.  You need to give it some width to take away from the length of your face.  So a beard that is short with fuller sides will add width to your narrow face.

Triangular

With this shape, you need to take attention away from the more prominent chin.

So, try and avoid too much on the checks.  One way to do this is to grow sideburns further down your face.  It is recommended to keep the beard short and squared at the bottom.

Heart

With a heart shape it is often a smaller face, so a full beard will only make your face look smaller.  One suggestion is to go with designer stubble which won’t overpower your natural bone structure.  Also, leave more length in the chin and moustache to add depth to your jawline.

Square

You need to avoid looking too square.  To complement your face shape you need a rounded or triangular shape.  Growing a goatee-style beard will lengthen the chin, which will soften wide jawbones.

Diamond

A diamond face shape is widest at the cheekbones so the idea is to keep hair on the chin to offset them

Keep the beard shorter and avoid it being too pointy.  So, you should either square it off or give it an oval look.

Conclusion

To have a beard that looks good you need to consider the shape of your face, and then choose a style that compliments your face.

The Movember Foundation was set up during 2003 in Australia. It now covers over 20 different countries, including the UK. The aim is to reduce premature deaths from prostate cancer and other men’s related health issues. In the UK, the major beneficiary of the foundation is Prostrate Cancer UK

Men are encouraged to grow a moustache throughout the month while raising money for charity. The idea is to take a photo on 31st October, clean shaven. Grow your moustache throughout November and then take a photo on the 30th November to show the result.

Below you will find tips on how to grow a moustache as quickly as possible.

A clean face

To help your moustache grow quicker you need to keep your face clean and moist, as oil, dirt and dead skin makes it more difficult to grow.

It is recommended that you wash you face twice a day with a facial cleaners. It is also advisable to exfoliate once a week to strip away dead skin cells

After washing use a moisturiser to help keep your skin hydrated

Sleep

You need to make sure you are getting plenty of sleep as this is the time your body regenerates. Your hair growth tends to increase during periods of sleep so 7 – 8 hours sleep in recommended.

Exercise

Regular exercise also helps keep the body performing well, and this also has an impact on hair growth. You need to focus on exercise that improves the blood circulation. This improves the blood flow which carries all the nutrients around the body faster including the hair follicles in your face

Improved circulation

Not only by regular exercise but also by massaging a good quality oil into your face. This will stimulate follicle growth. Or have a facial massage.

Vitamins & Minerals

A diet rich in vitamin, minerals and proteins will also play a role in improving the growth of your moustache. Also make sure you drink plenty of water, as being dehydrated reduces the blood flow to your face

Reduce stress

The effects of stress will thin out your hair making growing a moustache more difficult.

Both mental and physical stress can cripple your immune system, so limiting your ability to grow facial hair. Try and chill out. There are many ways to destress such as taking a walk in the fresh air or quiet mediation. Reducing your stress levels will not only help improve your moustache, but will improve many aspects of your health.

Stay away from the razor.

Although immediately after shaving the hair growth is quicker this is only temporary and hair growth will actually slow. To keep your moustache tidy you can give it a trim, or you a use a moustache wax to help give it shape.

Looking after your moustache

Use a shampoo & conditioner

Your facial hair is different to that on your head. It is often coarse and wiry, which often means the skin underneath feels dry and itchy. Using a shampoo & conditioner will help. Ideally one designed for facial hair.

Comb your moustache

Use a fine-toothed comb to detangle your facial hair and keep it even. You are best to use a comb made from horn.

Reduce the itch

During the first week or so your moustache may start to itch. Scratching is not the answer. Try a hot compress and gently exfoliate to relieve any ingrowing hairs. You can use a beard oil, which helps stop the itch and also keeps the skin hydrated. If itching still persists or you have particularly dry skin, then a balm might work better for you. Beard oil is quickly and easily absorbed. A beard balm will sit on the hair and skin longer giving you an added layer of moisturizer. This will also give the hair a lasting shine making it look stronger and healthy.

Conclusion

To help your moustache grow as fast as possible make sure you keep your face clean. Take regular exercise that increases your heart rate and sleep regularly. Make sure your diet is rich in vitamins and minerals and drink plenty of water

Check out The Groomed Man more all your moustache needs

When considering to buy a shaving brush, the first thing to decide is your budget. Brushes start from under £10 but can vary in price, with the most expensive costing over £100.

Bristle Material

You need to consider what the bristles are made from. You have a choice of boar bristle, badger hair or a synthetic bristle.

Boar Bristle

A brush made from boar hair has the stiffest bristle. This means it can be used to exfoliate the skin at the time of shaving. The problem with boar bristles is that they can be brittle and so, prone to breaking.

The advantage is that they are a cheap option, so are good for a first brush.

Badger Hair

A brush made from badger hair is the most popular type of shaving brush. Badger hair naturally absorbs water, helping to produce a thick, creamy lather.

There are 3 different terms used to specify the quality of the badger hair used in a brush.

Pure Badger Hair - this is made using the most common hair from the underbelly of a badger. This is the economy grade brush.

Best Badger Hair - a good quality badger hair. It is generally darkish in colour. This creates a lather far superior to that resulting from the use of a bristle brush.

Silvertip Badger Hair/ Super Badger Hair - this the most expensive and rarest type of badger hair.

The hair is longer and softer than best badger hair. It is also finer so more hair is needed to fill the brush. Most silvertip badger hair brushes are handmade and filled, no machine trimming is used.

One point to remember with a badger hair shaving brush is that you must allow it to dry between uses. So a drip stand is recommended. This will help prolong the life of your brush.

Synthetic

In most cases, the synthetic brush is suitable for vegans. The bristle can be made of a variety of materials such as nylon or polyester. They are often a cheaper alternative to the natural badger hair brushes. The other advantage is they are more robust and so drip drying is not so important.

They are often not as soft as badger hair, so they may feel uncomfortable to use and they can be floppy.

Handle

The most common type of handle is synthetic. They can be made from a variety of materials such as nylon or plastic. They also come in a variety of colours. The advantages of a synthetic handle is that you are unlikely to break it.

You can also get brushes in horn, wood or pewter

With a wooden handle, they can split without the correct care. To avoid this, drip dry in a "bristle downward" position after use.

Handles come in a variety of different shapes and styles. This is personal preference, but one should also consider the length of the handle.

Manufacturers

There is plenty of choices when choosing a manufacturer.

Edwin Jagger and Simpsons brushes both have a good reputation for producing quality brushes and are British made. Whilst if you want an economy brush then we would recommend the range of brushes made by an Italian company, Omega

Summary

Consider your budget

The type of bristle:-

Boar – entry level brush

Badger hair – Pure, Best or Silvertip. Silvertip being the most expensive

Synthetic – a robust alternative that is vegan-friendly

Handle - Choose a colour that suits and the length of the handle that is most comfortable.

Recommendations

Economy

Omega S-Brush Synthetic Shaving Brush Silver 10081

Mid-price

Edwin Jagger Best Badger Hair Shaving Brush with Drip Stand - Ivory

High end

Simpsons Persian Jar PJ1 Super Badger Hair Shaving Brush Small - Imitation Ivory