Contest Time!

CONTEST TIME! All you have to do is click this link =>http://bit.ly/1iY1Z43 and submit your email address to enter! 3 Winners will be selected at random and each winner will receive 1 Incredibeard shirt and 1 product of their choice! Don’t forget to like Incredibeard, share, tag and comment. Go to www.incredibeardco.com to figure out which item you want if you win!

Contest Starts NOW and end March 25th at 9pm PST. Winners announced March 26th at 12pm PST. This contest is open to both domestic and international contestants. Full contest rules can be found at the link above.

Pre-Order your Incredibeard Gear Today!

The Incredibeard site is up and ready for pre-orders, go HERE to order your gear today! A portion of the profits go to providing clean water to Children. Items pre-ordered today are set to ship out no later than Dec. 1st. Here’s a quick look at our initial line-up. Be sure to check out the website for more info.

Product Review: The Bearded Bastard’s Woodsman Mustache Wax and Beard Oil!

The beautifully designed Woodsman combo

This week I had the pleasure of reviewing the Woodsman Kit from The Bearded Bastard himself. The kit contains a bottle of Woodsman 1 oz. Beard Oil and a 1 oz. tin of Woodsman Wax.

Upon opening the package sent to me I was immediately impressed by the design and construct of the items. From the simple, yet elegant, laser cut logo and text, to the wood-wrapped bottle, I was swept off my feet from the get go! If that wasn’t enough to get you excited about this product, the wood has a very strong cedar scent! As soon as you open the package, you will smell the amazing goodness!

What astonishes me most about these products is The Bearded Bastard was able to capture that fresh cut wood scent and inject it into these products. After smelling the scent you will be transported back to your childhood camp trips! If you’ve ever had the lucky chance to make it to Lake Tahoe in Northern California then you’ve probably smelled this scent before!

Alright, enough of my raving about the scent, let’s get down to the usability of the product. First, we begin with the Woodsman Beard oil. Other than the scent, what sets this item apart from its competitors is it makes use of eight different types of oil whereas many others companies only use around three. However, when you break down its benefits and/or usability, beard oil is beard oil. Without the wonderful scent, it would be hard to determine how this oil differs from others.

To use, simply pour a dime-sized amount of product into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, and lightly rub into your beard (use a nickel-sized amount for longer beards). And remember, when putting new products in your beard, it is best to do so after a shower. This allows your hair to fully absorb the product and its nutrients.

PLEASE NOTE: when placing oily products into your beard, it is important to know that you should always start mid-shaft and rub down to the tips of the hair. Oily products should not be applied to the root of the hair since that will be the healthiest part of the hair. If desired you may want to blow dry your beard to dry out some of the excess oil.

This product can be used every day, or every few days (depending on your bearded needs). It is also important to understand this is an oil-based liquid and will not aid in keeping fly-aways and curly-q’s down as it doesn’t have enough weight to make your hair lay flat. After a weeks worth of use, I have not noticed any health changes in my beard, but it did aid in keeping my hair untangled.

Next comes the Woodsman Wax. This is a hard wax, much different than soft waxes such as Clubman wax or Fireman’s wax. There are a few ways of applying this product to your mustache. The first way is to use the back of your nail to scrape away small layers of wax and ball them up (about the size of a skittle). Rub the skittle-sized wax between your two index fingers until it becomes fibrous when separating your fingers. Once this is done, slowly spread the wax on one side of the mustache, starting from the center of the lip and moving out to the tip. The other way to scrape the wax out can be seen HERE, from the Bearded Bastard himself. If you have longer fingernails, or soft nails, it may be wise not to use the second method.

The wax holds fairly well. Inevitably you will have to monitor your mustache, as the wax may degrade throughout the day (especially when you eat and drink a lot, or if your body generates a good amount of heat). Still, this wax holds up better than any other that I have tried to date.

So the question is, would I recommend this product? Based on the scent alone, yes! However, at a price point of $35 for the set (soon to be $40), it definitely ranges on the more expensive side of things. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and in this case you get a good quality product that smells good and lasts relatively long. The Bearded Bastard also comes in other scents, Morocco, R.E. Byrd, Simply Vanilla, etc. These products and the Woodsman scented items can be found in the following location:

HERE for Mustache Waxes.

HERE for Beard Oils.

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard ! If you’re interested in me reviewing your product, you can contact me at incredibeard@yahoo.com!

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

The Manly Main Man-Mane!

The Manly Main Man-Mane!

This week’s style is called the Manly Main Man-Mane! The nice thing about this style is it’s pretty easy to replicate.

To achieve this style you will need the following items:

– Hairspray (heavy hold)

– A blow dryer

– A flatiron

As with all of my styles, it is necessary to protect the hair by placing a heat protectant in it before the styling begins. To see which product I use to protect against the heat, view my earlier blog here. Once the product has been spread throughout your beard, proceed to brush out any knots. Your comb/brush should be able to glide through your beard without any major knots.

When styling this look you will need to flatiron the hair first. Since beard hair is naturally curly for most people the flatiron is needed to achieve the straight hair look. Remember to only flatiron small sections of hair at a time (it is difficult to straighten and easier to damage hair if done in large clumps).

FUN FACT: Straightening your beard will show you the true length of your beard.

After your beard has been straightened, all you need is some hairspray! Decide which side you want to start with, then slowly work your way over to the other side. It is best to start with the sideburn areas. Simply pull the hair from the tips into the direction you wish the hair to point and lightly spray it with hairspray. Use the palm of your hands to spread the product through your hair while flattening it at the same time (like flattening a hamburger). Once this is done, spray that section of hair again and hold it out as you lightly blow dry it (blow dryer settings should be set to warm/low). As the hair begins to firm up, let go of the tips, lightly spray them down, and follow up with more blow drying.

Simply perform the same steps on the rest of the beard, slowly moving your way from one side to the other.

Now that the beard portion is done, let’s prepare the mustache! Since we will be using hairspray on the mustache this time, we need to make sure to cover the face/nose/eyes area with tissue or some other form of covering. To achieve this look, take hold of the tips of one side of the mustache and lift up. Spray that section with hairspray. Depending on how much spray you use, you can spread the product through that side of the mustache. Follow this up with a heavy blow dry (blow dryer setting should be set to hot/high) while still holding the tips of the mustache up. This should dry quickly. Let go of the mustache and lightly spray the tips down. Proceed with another quick blow dry. Once one side is done, move on to the other side.

That’s it! You’re done! Another style to add to your repertoire! And always feel free to model the look! If you got it… rock it!

Striking a pose!

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

Product Review: Shu Uemura – Essence Absolue Nourishing Oil-in-Cream

Best leave in conditioner for dry hair!

Today, I will be reviewing Shu Uemura’s Essence Absolue Nourishing Oil-in-Cream product.

I have been using this product for many months now, and I have to say, it is the best leave-in conditioner/creme I have used to date. This product is perfect for beards because it nourishes, hydrates and detangles extremely dry hair.

The key ingredient for this product is Camellia oil (nourishes, adds shine). Mixed with other essential oils and creams, this product is practically tailor-made for beards! It does have a light floral scent but nothing too feminine for your masculine beard (I personally enjoy the smell).

To use, simply squeeze a small amount into the palm of your hand and evenly spread throughout your freshly towel-dried hair (my beard is 6-7″ long and I use a dime-sized amount). You’ll want to make sure to do this after a shower so your recently cleaned hair can fully absorb the oils and creams. Also, it’s good if the hair is still slightly damp. This will allow the product to spread through your beard better.

To get the most out of the product, it is best to follow up with a quick blow dry on medium heat. The heat will help straighten the hair and activate the oil in the product. It also ensures the oil won’t rub off when you touch your beard.

You can use this product every day if you wish, but at a price-point of $45-$50, you may want to max out at 3 days a week. Using this product 3-4 days a week, it will last 2-3 months. When purchasing, make sure you only buy from a salon. Although you can find hair care products like this on Amazon, Ebay or Google shopping, these items will have likely already expired. So be wise when shopping for it!

All-in-all I highly recommend this product for anyone with a beard. The higher quality product you use, the higher quality beard you’ll have!

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

The Evil Cummerbund!

The style I will be talking about this week is The Evil Cummerbund (or Cumberbund).

Giants gear optional! 😉

This design was probably one of the easier styles I created! As with all of my styles, I try to limit the amount of products and/or equipment needed to create the design. For this specific beard I only used hairspray, hot curlers and a flatiron.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember when dealing with heat (i.e. blow dryers, flatirons, hot curlers, etc.), some type of thermal protectant product is needed. The type of product I use can be found in The Flying Gnome post. If you do not protect your hair before styling you run the risk of damaging the hair beyond repair!

It is best to spread the heat protectant throughout your beard after a shower and a quick towel dry. If you shower at night, that is okay. Once the protectant covers the hair, it is okay to use heat on it at a later time. Just make sure not to wash it out before styling.

For this design, if using hot curlers, make sure to give yourself enough time to heat them up thoroughly before use! While those are heating up, I recommend sectioning out the different areas you desire to curl. Doing this will help eliminate any asymmetrical curls. You will also need to decide what size of curler to use for the different sections. The length of your beard will help you determine which size curler is best to use.

I typically work on my beard top down (then finish with the mustache). Working on those pesky side-burn areas first makes styling the rest of the beard much easier. After the heat has dissipated from the side curls, feel free to remove the curlers. Next, lightly spray the curls with hairspray, immediately followed up with a quick blow dry (blow dryer set to warm on low/medium). Make sure to hold the shape of the curl while drying the hair. After the curl is set, lightly spray the inside of it and use a small chopstick-sized item to lay the stray hairs down and shape the inner-circle (Note: Hairspray remains tacky on the skin and can cause major issues if styling hair with your fingers). Follow this up with another quick blow dry.

After curling both side burn areas, separate the chin section of the lower beard. This section needs to be flat ironed. After doing this move back to the jaw area. You will need to make these curls before spraying down the chin. The jaw curls are fairly easy (the bigger the curls, the easier). Follow the same steps as above. Once that is complete, move back to the chin section and lightly spray it down with hairspray. Since you are not creating a specific shape here it is okay to use your fingers to spread the hairspray through this section of the beard. Once this area is thoroughly sprayed down lightly blow dry it while holding the tip. Continue to blow dry until the hairspray dries. Perform touch-ups as needed.

After the beard is complete, use the smallest curlers you have for your mustache. After a basic shape has been created, use a mustache wax of your choice and lightly spread the wax to hold the shape. For extra hold lightly spray the curled mustache with hairspray, followed up with a quick blow dry. However, make sure to cover your nostrils and eyes before doing this.

That’s it! You’re done! Another style under your belt!

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

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Multiple Views

Beard Tips and Tricks: Calming the Fly-aways!

Today I will be offering a pro tip for calming those annoying fly-aways! This tip will be more effective for those with longer beards (3″+ in length) but can still be used by anyone with at least an inch of beard length. The miracle product is Pomade!

A light conditioning pomade, perfect for those pesky fly-aways!

A light conditioning pomade like the one shown here can do wonders for your beard! It will add just enough weight to those fly-away hairs to hold them down. Another benefit to using pomade is one of the main ingredients being Jajoba Jojoba Oil. This liquid wax substance will give your beard a great natural sheen!

Since pomades are water-soluble, you will need to make sure your hair is dry before using this product; otherwise, it will not hold, and those fly-aways will remain.

When applying the pomade, it is important to note that very little is needed to get the desired effect. Using too much can make your beard feel and look super sticky/greasy!

So how much should you use? Only a finger tip is needed. View the picture below, and you will notice a thin layer of pomade on my finger is all I need for my beard (which sits at about 5 1/2″ as of this blog post).

Just a little bit goes a long way!

After you have a finger tip of pomade, rub into the palm of your hands to spread it out (there should be no clumps of pomade left). Now open your hand wide and VERY lightly stroke down your beard with your palms. You should barely even be touching the hair on your beard; in other words, imagine trying to tickle the hair on the back of someone’s neck. Doing this will ensure that you spread the pomade evenly over the problem areas.

Once you notice your fly-aways starting to weigh down, you can softly spread the rest of the pomade residue throughout your beard. It is good to get the pomade residue inside the beard as it helps hold the beard tight throughout the day. After you have finished spreading the pomade, lightly stroke down the outside of your beard once more and shape as desired. You can view my results below.

It’s a beautiful thing to get rid of those fly-aways!

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

Product Review: Dream Beard “The Mechanic” Hand Crafted Oils

Today’s review will be on Dream Beard’s “The Mechanic” Hand Crafted Oils.

Dream Beard’s “The Mechanic” Hand Crafted Oils

Before you read this review, if possible, please allow me to qualify myself as a beard care reviewer. My knowledge and history of facial haircare extends back 15 years. In addition, my wife, who works at a high-end hair salon, has also been an invaluable addition to my understanding of overall haircare. Suffice it to say, I know a couple of things about facial hair and how to take care of it. The goal of my beard care product reviews is to help you understand and determine what products would best suit you on your journey to creating the most amazing luxurious beard you can!

Last week I was fortunate enough to be sent a sample of Dream Beard Essential Oils “The Mechanic” to review. This couldn’t have come at a better time; just that week I had fried a small section of my beard while styling it for Monbeardday! After using this product every day for 1 week, I am now ready to report on it!

Let me begin with the product design. This product comes in a small dark blue glass bottle with a glass dropper. Though the bottle design is not unique, it is quite functional for dispensing oil without making a mess! Depending on your beard length, a quarter to a half dip stick is all you need for a good lathering! Be sure not to use too much as no one wants an extra oily face (this is especially true if your beard is shorter, i.e. 1-3 inches).

This product includes the following ingredients: EVOO, Jojoba, Vitamin E, Bergamot and other essential oils. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) acts like Nature’s hair and skin conditioner. Jojoba oil is special because it is a liquid wax, which is chemically very similar to sebum, the natural oil produced by your skin and scalp. Vitamin E is excellent at repairing damaged hair and preventing split-ends and dryness. Bergamot oil is a good hair stimulant but also acts as a relaxant to minimize frizz and curls. Finally, the essential oils aid in the overall strengthening of your hair.

Normal glass dropper

To use, simply squeeze the desired amount of product into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, and lightly rub into your beard. It is best to do this when your beard is fresh out of the shower, dried and ready to absorb! PLEASE NOTE: when placing oily products into your beard, it is important to know that you should always start mid-shaft and rub down to the tips of the hair. Oily products should not be applied to the root of the hair since that will be the healthiest part of the hair. Also, the natural oils from your skin will be enough for that area. If you apply extra oil to this part of your hair, it will not absorb into the hair well and may eventually irritate the skin or clog pores. To keep the product from being too wet, you can blow dry your beard, making sure to comb it at the same time (do not blow dry more than 3 times a week to keep your beard healthy).

My scent is called “The Mechanic” and is meant to emulate the smell of a manly-man mechanic. I personally do not enjoy the smell very much, but my wive loves it. I have now used the product for a week, and I have not noticed any significant difference in the health of my beard; however, I have noticed the natural sheen and softness of my beard hair has increased. Also, if applied before bed, the product will help keep your beard from tangling while sleeping (a very nice plus for moving sleepers like myself)! This product can be used every day, or every few days (depending on your bearded needs). Perhaps with continued use over a much longer period of time, my hair may heal using this product; however, if it takes that long, it would be wise to simply trim the tips of the damaged area, and let it grow out healthy again.

It is important to understand this is only an oil-based liquid and will not aid in keeping fly-aways and curly-q’s down as it doesn’t have enough weight to make your hair lay flat. So the question finally arises, would I recommend this product? My answer is two-fold. I would not recommend this product as a hair healer, but I would recommend this product if your beard is dry or brittle (as that is a sign of unhealthy hair). This product will definitely plump up your beard and keep it from becoming brittle. At $15 a bottle or $30 for 3, the price point is spot on as the bottle should last quite a while (depending on beard length and usage). All-in-all, Dream Beard’s hand crafted oils would be a great addition to anyone’s list of beard care products because a healthy beard is a happy beard!

You can find Dream Beard and their products on Instagram @dreambeard or on Facebook HERE.

As always, feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

EDITS: Thank you to BeerWarden and /r/beards for the following edits:

– Split-ends cannot be repaired, only prevented.

– Jojoba oil is a liquid wax, not a vegetable oil.

– Dry hair is a sign of unhealthy hair, not coarse hair.

The Queen Mid-Cartwheel!

Another #monbeardday has come and gone! What does that mean? A new beard style is born!

This particular style is called The Queen Mid-Cartwheel!

The Queen Mid-Cartwheel

This was actually my first attempt at curling my beard, and I think it actually worked out quite well. Of course, I did have the help of my beautiful wife who knows a whole lot more about hair than I do! For this style I used the following items:

1) Comb

2) Hot curlers/Mini-curling iron

3) Hair spray

4) Blow dryer

5) Mustache wax

The first and very important thing to know when curling your hair is not to flatiron or blow dry your hair straight before attempting to curl your beard. The natural curli-ness of your beard will lend a hand in curling the hair faster and holding the shape better.  This can drastically cut down your prep work time!

Prior to shaping your beard you need to heat up the hot curlers or mini-curling iron. To start this style, you want to make sure your beard has been combed through to untangle any annoying knots. Next, you will want to use the comb to help section out your beard into your desired curl areas (it’s best to use clips to hold the different sections). Once you have determined where you want your curls located, take the hot curlers (or mini-curling iron) and start curling the different sections. The curls should be rolled tight but not touching the skin directly; don’t worry, you should have enough hair to keep your face from getting burnt (but always practice safe curling – if you’re really afraid, it’s better to curl it further away from your face just to be safe than sorry). If using hot curlers, keep them in until the curlers are no longer warm. If using a mini-curling iron, briefly hold the curl, release and repeat until you have reached your desired curl amount.

Once your curls are ready it’s time to spray ’em down! For this I recommend a hairspray with extra strong hold. Any normal brand will do, but make sure not to get the cheapest one; those usually use a VERY watered down formula, and that just becomes a hassle to deal with!

Initially, you’ll want to lightly spray the outside of the beard curls followed by a quick application of medium blow dryer heat on low. This will give you enough time to help mold the hair the way you want it before it completely dries the hairspray. Once you have blown dry the basic curl structure, apply small amounts of hairspray to the inside of the curls and blow dry again. It would be beneficial to use a long thin metal or plastic bar here to help press the hair down within the curl (to get that nice circular shape). However, if you have to, you can always use your own fingers to do this (make sure to wash your hands each time the hairspray dries on them; this will minimize snagging). Continue to blow dry until all the curls are done.

From about 6-10 inches away, lightly re-spray the entire curled area, following up with a quick blow dry to seal the hold.

Now on to the stache! I started with mustache wax; although, it is not necessary. The simple upward style can be reproduced with hairspray as well… though it can get a little messy! However, using both gives the stache a much stronger hold that lasts the entire day without breaking down. Using both items will really help when you have a stache that extends beyond 2 or 3 inches in either direction.

I started molding the shape of my stache with a small amount of Clubman Mustache Wax (though, as I mentioned in my previous blog, I do NOT recommend using it – I only used it because I had no other option at the time). After I formed the basic structure, I went back and hairprayed the extended stache ends. WARNING: Make sure to cover your mouth, nostrils and eyes before doing this! Once you have finished spraying yourself down, apply medium heat at low setting on your blow dryer.

BOOM! You’re done!

Always feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!

The Flying Gnome!

This style is called “The Flying Gnome!” It is a relatively easy style to reproduce and only requires two different products! It should only take about 30 minutes to produce this look! And it should look a little something like this:

The Flying Gnome!

Let me take you through the quick process:

*As always, having a helper with certain steps greatly speeds up the styling process!

For this style you will need the following products and tools:

1) A hair thermo-protectant product.

2) A flatiron

3) Mustache Wax

For best results, it is recommended to start any beard styling process after a fresh shower or beard wash. Once the beard is clean and still slightly damp (not dripping) squeeze about a half-dime sized amount of Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique onto the palm of your hand (see below).

This product is EXTREMELY useful for any beard type! Although you can use other hair thermo-protectant products, I prefer this one. The purpose of these types of products is to protect the hair from heat damage (heat causes hair to become brittle and leads to splitting and breaking).

Rub the half-dime sized amount of the product into your beard; be sure to start from the middle of your beard length and spread down to the tips (you do not want to rub this into your skin since the hair nearest to your skin is not in need of the product).

Once the product is spread throughout your beard you will need to use a flatiron to help straighten your beard. For those of you who have no clue what a flatiron is, please view the image below:

Typical skinny flatiron

Be sure the flatiron has come to temp before using. Once the flatiron has reached its intended heat (I use mine at the highest heat setting), you will want to section out your beard into approximately 6 sections (Left Front, Center Front, Right Front, Left Back, Center Back, Right Back). It is important to note that even though it may take longer, if you section out your beard into 9 sections, the straightening will look better. Use of a comb, to separate the skin from the flatiron, is very helpful in keeping yourself from getting accidentally burnt.

*BE AWARE: If you are styling after you’ve washed your beard, your hair will start steaming from water moisture as you flatiron it… this is normal.

It should not take any longer than 30 minutes to flatiron your beard (depending on the length of your beard). Once the flatiron process is complete, all you have left is to style the Stache! At the time of this picture I was using Clubman Mustache Wax, but I do not recommend it. It did the job, but the feel, smell and look was not exactly what I was trying to achieve.

You can either use your fingers or a small mustache comb to brush the wax into your stache. The amount of wax to use is up to you; I prefer a slightly stronger hold, so I used more than might be necessary. Once the wax is spread through, you can section the stache out into top/bottom sections. When I did this, I was kind of going for the that old double-wing airplane look. The easiest way to do this is to twirl the hair continuously until the wax dries and holds in the position that you desire.

Well… that’s it! You’re done!

Always feel free to post your questions and comments below!

You can also find me on Instagram/Twitter @incredibeard !

Be Strong and Beard On my friends!