Hirsuit pursuit
They say a man shaves some 2,000 times in a lifetime. Here's how to cut
down on that effort while giving yourself a look that goes with your
personality and chosen line of work even as it keeps up with fashion.
If they see another Indian with a French beard, our hair stylists say they'll scream. "The style does not suit the Indian face or complexion at all. The French beard is meant for men with light skins, like a Brad Pitt," says Christiaan Georgio, the Greco-Australian stylist at Mumbai's Grand Hyatt Hotel. Aalim of Hakim's Aalim, a chain of hair salons, concurs. "The French beard is pass. Even older men in senior corporate positions need to look at alternative styles," he says.
While Indian men have always been open to moustaches, new-age looks like soul patches are still restricted to young, adventurous souls. Even though, in this time of self-expression, a new beard is the easiest way to give yourself a new look. Just remember: don't think of your face as separate from the rest of you. Your beard should be a natural extension of your overall look, taking into account your head shape, hairstyle and body type. It shouldn't be cultivated simply to disguise a weak chin or chubby cheeks (although it can do both).
While there's no such thing as the perfect beard, the idea is to choose a style that goes with your personality and chosen line of work. Side burns visually frame your face while a chinonly beard lengthens the face and makes it look leaner.Full beards take attention away from the rest of the face, and are best avoided. Georgio believes Indians should "opt for the look that is flaunted by Greeks and Southern Italians since their skin type and complexions are similar, as is the weather in those parts of the world."
And how do you define the look? A smattering of facial hair just along the jaw and the mouth or only, barely around the mouth, is the way to go. Sounds suspiciously like a stubble. While a designer stubble is not suited to corporates who have to dress formally to work, it gels well with professionals in their 20s and 30s who can afford to dress more casually for work (think people in the fields of entertainment, advertising or media). A man in a dark-coloured jacket or blazer with a collar that goes sharply along the jawline, for instance, can carry off a fullgrown stubble with lan. For those in the corporate space who can't afford the casual luxury of a stubble but don't want to bare it all, Georgio suggests a neat moustache or a goatee that "makes a statement about their seniority and social standing."
Aalim believes that the clean shaven look is best suited for important meetings, job interviews and presentations in corporate offices but also thinks that "a thin beard touching the jaw line is very hip". Not surprising for a man who created the edgy looks for Fardeen Khan and Ajay Devgn on the sets of the Hindi film, All The Best. For a clean, constant look, Aalim suggests a beard stylist but acknowledges the difficulty of finding good, high-end services.
Whichever look you choose to sport, a beard has to be styled regularly to keep it neat and tidy and free of odour. When trimming the beard and moustache, avoid straight lines that create an unhappy peel-and-stick effect. Also, when styling sideburns, find the natural break where the cheek meets the jaw and trim them off there. If you can't find yourself a good stylist, Aalim has some DIY tips: "Keep your beard clean. The key thing is to nurture the skin underneath. Wash the beard twice a day and use cleansing products from L'occitane for the skin."
A light stubble should be trimmed every three days. Trim a full growth stubble every two days and, for a full beard, trimming has to be a daily routine. Regardless of whether you shave wet or dry, the contours of the beard and the remaining facial hair should be shaved as accurately as possible to lend the beard a concise shape.
Opt for a weekly facial massage and ensure that special attention is paid to your beard. Set aside 30 minutes a week and between ` 500 and ` 800 for these services at salons. Ensure that you do not over-use aftershaves. Georgio's golden rule is: if you can smell the aftershave on your skin after application, you've used too much.
Excessive use of moisturisers and aftershave lotions attracts dirt and pollution in humid conditions, he says. Hairstylist Asif Rajan, who owns a chain of salons in Mumbai and Bangalore, recommends using a moisturiser and an odourless aftershave lotion with high alcohol content. "This ensures that your beard and the skin along your jawline doesn't turn rough or dark when you have a close shave, and your skin doesn't break out," he says.
Although all three refuse to disclose names of existing clients-protecting client privacy is important in this line- they're quick to pick the businessmen they'd like to groom. Georgio names Anil Ambani, Aalim picks Deepak Parekh and Rajan chooses the flamboyant Gautam Singhania.
While Indian men have always been open to moustaches, new-age looks like soul patches are still restricted to young, adventurous souls. Even though, in this time of self-expression, a new beard is the easiest way to give yourself a new look. Just remember: don't think of your face as separate from the rest of you. Your beard should be a natural extension of your overall look, taking into account your head shape, hairstyle and body type. It shouldn't be cultivated simply to disguise a weak chin or chubby cheeks (although it can do both).
While there's no such thing as the perfect beard, the idea is to choose a style that goes with your personality and chosen line of work. Side burns visually frame your face while a chinonly beard lengthens the face and makes it look leaner.Full beards take attention away from the rest of the face, and are best avoided. Georgio believes Indians should "opt for the look that is flaunted by Greeks and Southern Italians since their skin type and complexions are similar, as is the weather in those parts of the world."
And how do you define the look? A smattering of facial hair just along the jaw and the mouth or only, barely around the mouth, is the way to go. Sounds suspiciously like a stubble. While a designer stubble is not suited to corporates who have to dress formally to work, it gels well with professionals in their 20s and 30s who can afford to dress more casually for work (think people in the fields of entertainment, advertising or media). A man in a dark-coloured jacket or blazer with a collar that goes sharply along the jawline, for instance, can carry off a fullgrown stubble with lan. For those in the corporate space who can't afford the casual luxury of a stubble but don't want to bare it all, Georgio suggests a neat moustache or a goatee that "makes a statement about their seniority and social standing."
Aalim believes that the clean shaven look is best suited for important meetings, job interviews and presentations in corporate offices but also thinks that "a thin beard touching the jaw line is very hip". Not surprising for a man who created the edgy looks for Fardeen Khan and Ajay Devgn on the sets of the Hindi film, All The Best. For a clean, constant look, Aalim suggests a beard stylist but acknowledges the difficulty of finding good, high-end services.
Whichever look you choose to sport, a beard has to be styled regularly to keep it neat and tidy and free of odour. When trimming the beard and moustache, avoid straight lines that create an unhappy peel-and-stick effect. Also, when styling sideburns, find the natural break where the cheek meets the jaw and trim them off there. If you can't find yourself a good stylist, Aalim has some DIY tips: "Keep your beard clean. The key thing is to nurture the skin underneath. Wash the beard twice a day and use cleansing products from L'occitane for the skin."
A light stubble should be trimmed every three days. Trim a full growth stubble every two days and, for a full beard, trimming has to be a daily routine. Regardless of whether you shave wet or dry, the contours of the beard and the remaining facial hair should be shaved as accurately as possible to lend the beard a concise shape.
Opt for a weekly facial massage and ensure that special attention is paid to your beard. Set aside 30 minutes a week and between ` 500 and ` 800 for these services at salons. Ensure that you do not over-use aftershaves. Georgio's golden rule is: if you can smell the aftershave on your skin after application, you've used too much.
Excessive use of moisturisers and aftershave lotions attracts dirt and pollution in humid conditions, he says. Hairstylist Asif Rajan, who owns a chain of salons in Mumbai and Bangalore, recommends using a moisturiser and an odourless aftershave lotion with high alcohol content. "This ensures that your beard and the skin along your jawline doesn't turn rough or dark when you have a close shave, and your skin doesn't break out," he says.
Although all three refuse to disclose names of existing clients-protecting client privacy is important in this line- they're quick to pick the businessmen they'd like to groom. Georgio names Anil Ambani, Aalim picks Deepak Parekh and Rajan chooses the flamboyant Gautam Singhania.
