Get your ‘mo’ right, bros

This Movember, city youngsters are going for carefully cultivated and meticulously groomed looks to support the international cause in style

With celebrities across the globe sporting cool moustaches and beards to spread awareness about men’s health, youngsters in the city are also looking at Movember to make a fashion statement of their own. This Movember sport the right ‘mo’ that complements your age as well as physique and enhances your over all style.

Riya Vashist, stylist and owner, Riya Vashist Salon and Academy says, “Movember is essentially about creating a new look for yourself, if your usual look is clean shaven. From a light stubble to a heavy beard, they’re all a part of Movember — men need to remember to find a look that works for them, rather than fitting into a standard look and then resembling any not-so-memorable character from The Lord of the Rings.” Adding to her, Jatin Kapoor, hair and makeup expert at Lakme Salon says, “Men between the age group of 20 and 30 are more open to experimenting and they like to sport a beard as it makes them look more mature. If you have the confidence, go for a heavy beard, as it’s a very uncommon look. One could opt for a look like Arjun Kapoor too, sharper at the sides. Even handlebar moustaches like Ranveer Singh’s or Siddharth Malhotra’s stubbled look from Brothers work well for men in their early 30s.

A short stubble brings forth the casual yet dominating side of you while the modish stubble is the best look for those who are unable to maintain a full-blown beard.”Talking about some popular moustaches that are hot this season, Riya puts forth, “The Dad Moustach is one of my favourite looks — a moustache mid-sized in width, but flowing slightly over the lips. It goes very well with a mature face, or for a man wanting to lend maturity to his attitude and actions. The 7 pm look is another good look — it’s a light stubble, but needs to be well maintained. The Pencil is an absolute no-no this season — men may be inspired by Hollywood films and their drug kingpins and assassins, but you need a really sleek face to carry it off — thin faces without an ounce of attitude end up looking like their child cartooned a line across their upper lip.”

Agreeing with Riya, Sangita Singh, PAN India Hair Trainer, MyGlamm adds, “Another latest trend this season is the undercut — with a heavy stubble and full, bushy moustache. This can make young men look suave and goes with almost every look they try. It’s important to remember that side locks and eyebrows must be neat and tidy to bring out the complete look. In fact, the undercut is the new man bun this Movember!”

The craze for the beard has really caught on and while Movember started as a movement to grow the moustache to raise awareness for prostrate cancer among men, the beard is an intrinsic part of it this year. “The lumberjack look is another much sought after look, which is all about letting it grow, maintaining your beard with neat care and regular washing and combing it for smoothness. ‘Smoothness’ is the word — it’s a long lush mane that shows off a man’s grooming skills even when he’s not shaving,” adds Riya.

Thick hair growth lends heavily to a man’s self esteem and the confidence boost that Movember can give a man adds to his energy and productivity. Looking young and suave while sporting the bearded look is something that needs to be meticulously handled. Riya points out, “Just like a sari always adds to a woman’s age vis-a-vis Western outfits while at the same time giving her grace and charm, a moustache or beard, shaped appropriately to a face and well groomed can add a lot to your personality. I would also recommend picking a beard style that matches your face. For instance, men with a round face need a neatly trimmed beard, equal on all sides and squared off near the neck to slim the face. If such a face has a heavy beard tracing the jawline, you’ll look like you’re 40 plus with a drinking problem. A long face requires a heavy beard near the chin, to remove the pointiness that may arise and to give the face a full structure. If the density of the beard will go from light to heavy, it’ll complement the look.

”Hair expert Karishma Mehndiratta suggests, “If you are a little on the heavy side or have a double chin, then opt for sharper sidelocks blending into the hair and also go for a shorter beard. This enhances the jawline and makes the face look tighter and younger. And if you are in your early 40s, sport a full beard like George Clooney or a tighter beard like SRK. It’s best to avoid a heavy beard as it looks scruffy and lazy.”

Karishma concludes, “Often, the use of shampoo can strip the beard and skin of its natural oils which leads to dry and brittle hair, irritated, flakey skin and increased itching. Stick to using a shampoo twice a week for your beard.”