Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette in today's video we're going to share with you
some of our favorite beard grooming products to make sure your beard is always looking its best.
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Now, beards have a reputation for ruggedness, but oftentimes, if you want a trim and sleek beard,
especially of a more classic style, they might need a little bit of pampering, that's why we've put
together this list of our favorite beard grooming products. Many of these products are used by me
and other members of the Gentleman's Gazette team, but, as always, this video is not sponsored. Just our
honest opinions. Grooming is a regular topic here at the Gentleman's Gazette and you can peruse our
existing video library here. For today's video, we want to emphasize that we intentionally limited
this list to the must-haves. If you're interested in a review of the more advanced beard grooming
products, let us know in the comments below. If you don't have facial hair or you're thinking about
growing some, check out this video for some tips and tricks. Go on, watch it, I'll wait right here.
[Kyle pauses to wait, then makes a face]
Ah! You're back! Alright now let's get started. While facial hair is very popular among many modern
gentlemen, it was very scarcely seen among the Golden Age of Men's Fashion. Now, facial hair very
popular during these times consisted of things like a thin mustache, seen here on William Powell,
and here, on Cab Calloway, or close craft beards, like the one sported by Rex Ingram. So, if you're
interested in a beard typical of the classic style, you'll want it to be short, also sleek, and smooth
making owning a quality trimmer a must-have. Although, we're not knocking any of our fans
who perform more wild beard style, like Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight. Now, let's move
into talking about trimming and shaving products. Investing in a trimmer will allow you to shape
your beard and help you to best complement your face shape. It will help you reduce excess volume
and even help you even out patchy areas. It can also help you trim away split ends and rogue whiskers.
Purchasing a high quality trimmer with functions like an adjustable cutting height,
variable speed settings, and a quality blade will make it easier to trim your beard and it will
definitely make your morning routine that much easier. We recommend the Beardscape from Brio. The
Beardscape comes with eight standard attachments. These range from one millimeter to 18 millimeters.
This range will help you catch the perfect length and with five different speed settings,
you can work as quickly or slowly as you want. The blade is ceramic not metal so you don't need
to worry about it quickly going dull or about it getting hot against your skin during extended use.
Brio also offers a two-year warranty on all of their products, so you can enjoy peace of mind
while you're trimming away. I personally own a Brio Beardscape and I really enjoy the long
battery life, the quality manufacturing, and also the ease of being able to interchange the blades.
That simplicity makes me feel very comfortable being able to travel with the product and I know
that it's going to last a very long time. Now, the Beardscape is great because of its versatility
and it can handle every aspect of trimming your beard, but sometimes it pays to get a particular
tool for a particular job, like fine-detailing the edges of your beard especially around the neck
cheeks, and ears. So, to really push your shave to the edge, consider also purchasing an Andis
T-Outliner. Now, the Andis T-Outliner can also be used as a shaver, but it really shines when also
managing fades, or outlining, and cleaning up your beard edges. The high-quality carbon steel blades
can be zero gapped, meaning the cutting and top blades can be made flush. Now, this allows for
an extremely close shave even in tight or hard to reach areas. Just be careful when using zero-gapped
blades. You don't want to accidentally Sweeney Todd yourself. I also own an Andis T-Outliner
and I really enjoy the precision of the cut and how it is able to get a really close, sharp line
across my beard, mustache area, underneath my neck, around the base of the beard as well, too. It keeps
everything nice and sharp and clean. Keeps me from looking like I live under a bridge, which is
quite nice. Trimmers are the best tools for general maintenance and beard styling, but for the neatest
possible look, you also want to clean up with a conventional razor. Now, fans of this channel will
already know that we're really big on the double-edged safety razor. We even created a full shaving
guide which you can find here. We prefer razors to cartridge systems because they give you a closer
shave for considerably less money and with far less negative environmental impact. Now, Raphael
goes into greater detail in this subject here. Now, when managing your beard, you want to make sure
that you shave around your cheeks, your neck, and possibly your chin. Using a razor will make sure
you keep those areas as smooth as possible and in Our Favorite Grooming Products video, Raphael
shares that his favorite safety razor is actually the Merkur Slant Bar Razor. Like Raphael, the Merkur
is made in Germany; but unlike Raphael, it's crafted from cast zinc and brass with an elegant chrome
finish. Now, the weighted body improves control and the three-inch handle is just long enough
to keep your grip but not so long that it gets in the way, with knurling to prevent slippage.
The slanted head keeps the blade tight, which is very efficient for a close shave especially with
coarse hair. If you're new to double edge razor shaving, or you have fine hair, you may not need
such an aggressive shave. So, Merkur features an entire line of quality razors with more
traditional straight bars. But shaping and trimming your beard is just one aspect of keeping your
beard looking neat and tidy. You'll also need to wash it. Now, due to its close proximity to your
mouth and nose, your beard comes into contact with all manners of bodily fluids. And between
eating, drinking, and touching, your face, your beard has multiple opportunities to get dirty. So, it is
paramount that you regularly wash your beard. How often you wash your beard depends on your habits,
beard length, your skin type, and your hair texture. But, most gentlemen will aim to wash their beard
between one and three times a week. As with your hair, you'll first want to use a shampoo that is
also called a beard wash. This will help cleanse your beard hair and remove foreign contaminants.
A quality wash will use natural ingredients to remove dirt and grime without drying out or
damaging your beard and skin. Long-time fans will know that we're all about the best bang for your
buck, which is why our first recommendation is for a bar wash - The Honest Amish Beard and Body Slick.
Just like with body wash soaps, a beard wash bar gives you a more concentrated cleaning power
and it does this for far less money. Honest Amish uses french yellow clay as their soap medium. Now,
this is gentle enough to use on the face, but is strong enough to cleanse out the dirt and grease.
All-natural saponified organic and essential oils like clove, eucalyptus, and cinnamon will
cleanse the hair and skin, and leave beard hairs thoroughly washed. Honest Amish also comes with a
full money-back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied. I guess it makes sense they would make a
quality beard slick; who knows more about beards than the Amish? [Music Video Scene: I'm a man of the land, I'm
into discipline. Got a bible in my hand and a beard on my chin] Now, please note that's a joke. We are aware
that the Amish don't make this product. I'd also like to recommend a beard wash that I personally
use - the Art of Shaving Beard Wash. Art of Shaving is one of the most trusted names in beard care
and it's helpful they offer an entire suite of high-quality beard care products. This makes them
a good and reasonably priced one-stop-shop if you're new to growing your beard and how to take
care of your beard. Naturally, I'm an advanced and highly skilled beard grower as you can see. [Kyle smiles]
But I've still found a lot to love with this beard wash. It offers a rich lather,
and the blend of peppermint, rosemary, and eucalyptus essential oils smell great also
making sure that my skin and hair are not dried out. The oil-based formula is especially ideal
if you find that bar based soaps leave your hair feeling dry or prickly and I also really love the
small form factor of the bottle that this product comes in is making it very easy to travel with,
and throw in a travel bag and not have to worry about it being flagged or having to be thrown out.
Now, let's talk about conditioners. I usually pair this wash with its complementary conditioner
because just like with your hair, you also want to condition after shampooing. This helps restore
natural oil and prevent dryness. Now, like the beard wash, a quality conditioner should also have mostly
natural ingredients because artificial ingredients tend to damage your hair and skin, and honestly
they're just favored by manufacturers because they're cheaper. Now, since I've already sung the
prices of the Art of Shaving, I'll take this time to talk about two different conditioners from
two companies. First, the Zeus beard conditioner. Nothing is worse than an itchy and dried out
beard, so Zeus beard conditioner combines jojoba seed oil and avocado oil to keep your beard hairs
both soft and pliable. Now, this prevents itchiness and keeps your beard looking shiny and vibrant. B5
vitamin extracts, aloe vera, and other proprietary moisturizers help to make sure that the skin below
your beard is happy and healthy, Zeus also offers a range of unique scents that we really enjoy.
There's vanilla rum, Verbena lime, and of course, sandalwood. But, don't worry they're not
overpowering or distracting. I guess it makes sense that he'd make a quality beard conditioner? Who else
knows more about beards than Zeus? Now if you have coarser hair or sizable beard that is more prone
to damage, we recommend this next conditioner - the MY Beard conditioner by Evan Alexander.
Evan Alexander Grooming was originally designed with the hair needs of gentlemen of color in mind,
but their products are also great for anyone with coarse hair or who have beards that are prone to
dryness and breakage. The MY Beard conditioner is designed to smooth rough hairs and encourage
healthy hair growth through a special blend of oils. First, there's castor oil to moisturize and
repair damage to the skin. Next, avocado oil to nourish the hair and increase pliability
and to also reduce breakage, and then sunflower oil to benefit hair follicles by reducing inflammation
and dandruff. We also love the elegant but bold scent of amber and tobacco. And all Evan Alexander
products come with a happiness guarantee. Once you have your beard clean, you want to maintain
it and keep it looking great. Now that's where our next group of products come in. Now, let's
talk about maintaining and styling your beard. As mentioned earlier, classic beard styles tend to be
very well-kempt and expertly coiffed, like most aspects of classic grooming from haircuts
to nail care. So, to keep your beard looking its best, you want to keep it nourished and hydrated.
Now this is easily achieved with moisturizing agents. A moisturizing product is any product
that you apply directly to your beard to keep it soft and healthy as well as keeping your
skin moisturized. You'll want a product that primarily nourishes your hair with natural
ingredients without adding too much shine and definitely without making your beard too stiff,
slimy or even cakey. The two most common moisturizing agents are beard balms and beard oils.
A beard oil can be worn with any beard. It's great to keep the beard well hydrated
and smelling great. It does this while protecting the skin from dryness or chafing. Now, beard balms
are traditionally used if your beard is longer, but they're also ideal if you have drier skin.
The balm is quite thick and viscous, so it sits in your hair and skin and is absorbed slowly.
This means it takes longer to apply, but it can also give it much greater moisturizing properties.
Now, whether you opt for a balm or beard oil is entirely up to your personal preference and your
hair type, so we'll recommend two companies known for their exceptional beard balms and oils. First,
the Captain Fawcett Beard Oil. Now, Captain Fawcett is a UK-based shaving emporium and they've gone to
humorous lengths to build a narrative around their fictional frontman, the retired Captain Peabody
Fawcett of Her majesty's Royal Navy. How many grooming products do you know that have their own
lore? Cute gimmicks aside, Captain Fawcett's offers an expansive range of facial hair grooming products
and they're very popular with traditional professional barbers. I don't know about you,
but I think that's a pretty good sign. Today, we're highlighting their line of beard oils. They come in
a variety of unique and enticing scents from the Captain's own Private Stock and then onto their
Maharajah with spicy and musky notes of citrus, leather, and cedar. Captain Fawcett's uses a base
of jojoba oils and sweet almond oil reinforced with Vitamin E. These nourish both your skin
and beard hair, and all the oils come in miniature travel sizes for all of your overseas expeditions.
I share more tips for grooming while abroad in this video here. Now, Captain Fawcett also offers a
great line of beard balms but to share more makers with you, we'll highlight a different beard brand -
Beardbrand! Now with a considerable social media presence, it's likely you may have
already heard of Beardbrand. This company was at the forefront of the beard care revolution
in the early 20-teens and they offer an extensive range of products to cater to both the beard
rookie and the facial hair connoisseur. They have a great line of beard oils, too, but today we'll
focus on the beard balms. They are shea-based and they have all the nourishing benefits of an oil
with the added benefit of light hold to tame wild hairs. And Beardbrand also offers a second balm
specially designed for styling and hold. I especially use their utility balm. I love the scent
and how a little bit goes a long way. It also helps that all of Beardbrand products are available in
all of their six unique scents, so you never have to worry about your wash smelling one way and
your conditioner smelling another. Now, my personal favorite fragrance is the Lumber Yard. Finally, we
appreciate that Beardbrand maintains an extensive library of how-to videos on their YouTube channel.
We love seeing companies who want to make sure that customers get the most out of their products!
We've spoken briefly about products that help you shape your beard, but chances are, you'll need the
most help shaping your mustache - mustache wax. The right kind of mustache wax you use is going to
vary depending on what kind of needs you have in mind. A pencil-thin mustache requires a very
different product than a full handlebar of mustache. But in all cases, you'll want a wax
that gives you as much hold as you need but not too much, you'll want one that washes out easily
when desired. Now, because we're just covering the basics today, we'll share with you one mustache wax
which is great for simple jobs; one that offers light hold and keeps hairs out of your mouth -
the Clubman Mustache Wax. Now definitely an "old school" selection, the Clubman Mustache Wax
is great for all hair types and low maintenance styles. This product is designed to be layered on,
so apply as much as you need for your desired look. Clubman also comes in a variety of colors
for slight color correction if desired. Having access to the right tools will definitely help
you apply your beard care products. So, let's turn our attention to brushes and combs. A beard brush
is one of the most useful tools a gentleman with a beard can have. It helps to strengthen
and straighten by gently redistributing oils over your hair, all while wicking away dead skin cells
from under the beard. It can also be used to evenly apply a product. Now, a quality brush will be made from
horn, wood, bamboo, or acetate. The bristles should be made from natural hair, preferably boar hair,
hairs that are strong enough to exfoliate, but soft enough not to agitate. Synthetic bristles
often feel rough against the skin and they tend to shed quite easily. The longer and thicker your
beard, the longer you want the bristles to be. And finally, you want a brush that fits nicely in your
hand and one that is easy to use. And, for me, that brush comes courtesy of The Art of Shaving - The Art
of Shaving Kent Beard Brush. And when it comes to high quality brushes Kent Beard brushes of England
have been making the best since 1777. Now this brush designed in collaboration with The Art of
Shaving has everything one could desire. The pure bore bristles have been machine sewn directly
into the cherry wood base. This helps prevent shedding and they're trimmed to variable lengths.
The uneven bristles help to penetrate through the beard to the skin below. The satin wood back
is slightly curved to help improve grip and the entire brush has been sealed to
prevent water damage. In addition to a brush, you might also find it useful to have a beard comb,
especially if your beard is longer. A quality beard comb will allow you to detangle and shape
your beard, or even help you apply product. If you have long or thick growth, a brush in conjunction
with a comb will be essential to helping make sure you have all of your hairs in place. It will
generally be larger than a comb for your hair. It is usually made out of wood, acetate, metal, or horn.
Now, regarding the comb teeth, rough beard should have wider spacing between the teeth of the comb.
Now, this helps to gently pass through the hair while softer beards require narrower teeth to help
shape and smooth the hair. If your beard is prone to tangling, consider using a double-sided comb
with both wide and narrow teeth. You should carefully detangle with the wide side and
then gently smooth with the narrow. If you prefer to trim your beard with scissors, you can use the
comb to help maintain an even length. Several of the brands we've already mentioned in this video
like Beardbrand and Kent make high-quality beard combs, but to close we'd like to share with you
a different company, one with an unforgettable name - Hornvarefabrikken Comb. Hornvarefabrikken Comb
is a Danish company that specializes in making household items out of animal horn. Animal horn
is an excellent material for combs. This is because it is lightweight while also being very durable.
They are beautiful and have a unique appearance. Horn and hair are also both made from keratin
so horn combs tend to pass more smoothly through the hair than other combs. At Fort Belvedere, we use
100% water buffalo horn for our luxurious line of shoe horns and tidbit tray, so we already know what
a great material it is. Hornvarefabrikken combs come in a variety of tooth widths to perfectly
suit your beard and you can choose from versions with or without handles. Handles will allow you to
apply more force when detangling and they are much better for longer beards. I guess it makes sense
that they make a quality beard comb. Who knows more about beards than the Danes? Wait, I can't make that
same joke again. Danes really are involved in making this product. We hope that the products
we shared will help you make your beard look its best. Let us know if you'd like to see a similar
video about shaving products and be sure to like and share this video so we can show Preston and
Raphael just how popular facial hair has become in the classic community. Today, I'm wearing a
blue and white striped dress shirt with green trousers, a brown belt, brown dress shoes, and my
Fort Belvedere socks in brown as well. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop here for socks like these.
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