Perfect Your Beard with Pure Beauty

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barber, beard, beard line, clean, clippers, coarse, comb, conditioner, Elemis, facial hair, frizz, grooming, hair, haircare, matt, men, moustache, oil, razor, scrub, shampoo, shaping, shave, smooth, tangle, texture, trim, trimming

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Whether your facial hair is just a few millimeters long or a full-grown bush, there’s no ignoring the fact that beards have well and truly made a comeback for men. Just a few years back, beards were the fodder of old, pipe-smoking dudes, but now just about anyone who CAN grow a beard has one. However, having a nice beard is so much more than just letting the hair grow, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the basic steps for maintaining a decent face-warmer.

Keep it Clean

Just like the hair on your hair, your beard will produce oils which need to be washed away on a regular basis, however unlike your head, your beard hair could also harbour traces of food! Keeping your beard clean is really important because otherwise it will start to smell and become unhygienic. You can use a facial scrub to try to care for the skin beneath but using a mild shampoo will also do the trick.

Keep it Trimmed

Unless you’re incredibly lucky, it’s really unlikely that your beard will all grow at exactly the same rate, which means that it could end up uneven and looking ratty. A tidy beard will need to be trimmed and shaped, using either a clipper with a guard or a pair of scissors, depending how dexterous you are. As soon as you start shaping your beard, you’ll notice how much better it looks and wonder how you ever survived without it!

Keep it Soft

Facial hair can have a tendency to he coarser and more bushy than head-hair, which means that it needs a product to soften and tame it. Elemis Smooth Result Shave and Beard Oil will not only help to smooth out wild beard hair, it will also make your beard smell more fragrant and can also be used as a shave oil if the beard gets too much and you decide you want to go bare-faced again.

Keep it Combed

This one may sound bonkers but as soon as your hair gets beyond a certain length you will need to start combing it, unless you want a dreadlock hanging from your face! Because of its texture, facial hair tangles really easily and if you don’t deal with these tangles on a daily basis, you could easily end up with a matted mess in a really short amount of time. Use a wide-toothed comb after you’ve treated with beard oil for a matt-free beard.

Keep it Neat

Keeping your beard trimmed and tidy is all well and good, but if you have stray hairs above your beard line, the whole effect will be ruined. Use a magnifying mirror and get up close and personal with your beard line. Try not to pluck any hairs which are too close to your natural beard line as you could end up ruining the shape, but anything which is growing more than a couple of millimeters above needs to be annihilated!

The Best Ways to Groom Your Eyebrows

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2015, brows, eyebrows, grooming, trend

Never have eyebrows been more of a vital part in your grooming routine than in 2015, and there are several key looks this autumn and winter which incorporate a heavily styled brow. Whether you go for the barely-there look or the more up-to-date thicker styles, eyebrows must be kept neat and well-groomed to look their best, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the best ways to groom your eyebrows, either by yourself or in a salon.

Plucking

Plucking is the most popular ‘go-to’ method as it’s simple, accurate and can be done at home with little effort or expenditure. The key with plucking is to avoid over-plucking as this can make eyebrows look terse and will change the whole shape of your face. Cleanse your face with Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse Wipes, concentrating on the eyebrow area to avoid spots or ingrown hairs.

Waxing

Waxing is a great method for getting a clean shape and slow regrowth, and can be performed both at home and in a salon. Salons tend to use liquid wax for the accuracy, however the easiest way to wax your eyebrows at home is to either use pre-shaped wax strips or use an eyebrow stencil to help you cut a full-size wax strip to the right shape. Apply Decleor Post-Wax Cream for Sensitive Areas once you’re done to help calm any redness.

Threading

Threading is an ancient method of hair removal which originated in Asia and uses a twisted piece of cotton to pluck hairs out quickly. It’s highly accurate and gives fantastic results, and can be used on just about any area of the face. In fact, if you’re a threading newbie and go to a salon, don’t be alarmed if they ask if you’d like your whole face threaded, top lip and all! One downside with threading is that some people find it quite painful, however millions of women do it and love it, so it must be worth the discomfort.

Bleaching

Bleaching facial hair is not quite so common these days as there are other methods available, however it’s good if you don’t want to deal with stubbly regrowth or have hair between your eyebrows that you don’t want to remove. Ensure you don’t damage your skin by leaving the bleach on for the minimum time needed and replenish any moisture you may have stripped away with an application of Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance afterwards.

Shaving

If you’re possessed of a steady hand, you may choose to shave your eyebrows and some people choose to remove theirs altogether, in favour of a drawn-on brow. If we’re honest, shaving our brows is really not our idea of fun, however if you do choose to do so, make sure you use a good barrier, such as Dermalogica Close Shave Oil and apply a post-shave treatment such as Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream to reduce irritation.