The Bearded Journey

You may think we’re all about shaving here at manlystuff.ie, although we do place an emphasis on shaving and it’s why the company was founded, we also have a strong love of beards and supplying great beard care products. Over the Christmas period, I (Seán – founder) decided to let the aul facial follicles grow long and put the razor away for a while. I grew a decent (very ginger) beard quite quickly and became attached to it equally quickly. It was itchy at first, unruly at second but as it bedded down and I got it trimmed and tidied up, it quickly became a feature I liked. It got a bit too unruly at one stage so when getting a hair cut, I went for a Beard Trim in Sam’s Barbers – and loved it! It looked way tidier and wasn’t itchy anymore, Sam’s are the creators of Pomp & Co so obviously they used the beard Balm and it was awesome – we’ve started stocking it since.

Beard Oil’s & Beard Balm’s are absolutely key for keeping your stubble and beard itch free. The skin beneath the beard can get really dry and flaky (think Dandruff on the face – not a great look), Beard Oil or Beard Balm keeps the stubble and beard softer and provides much needed moisture to the skin underneath. Any of ours are all natural and smell fantastic.

The Bearded Mishap

One day, whilst doing the aul weekly shop in Lidl, I came upon a Hair/Beard trimmer. ‘Great! I’ll be able to trim my own beard,’ I thought with glee.

How wrong I was.

Now, I’m not saying that just because I got the trimmer in Lidl that it was pure horse shit but well, it could well be a factor. On a Saturday, just before I was due to meet some friends with my wife, I decided to give the beard a bit of a trim – it was a bit unruly and needed some tidying. Usually I’d just edge it off with a shavette or DE Safety Razor, but tonight I said I’d give it a ‘2’ all over and have it looking trim.

How wrong I was.

What started as a trim went horribly wrong, I clearly got the angle wrong and took a chunk out of my chin. I called in my wife to assess the damage and she started laughing hysterically. Ah it can’t be that bad I though?

How wrong I was.

I looked like a pubescent man child who can’t grow a full beard, you know the look – a patchy attempt at a beard that should never have been a beard.

I tried to even it out a bit, a little here, a little there and as my wife laughed harder and harder, it dawned on me. I just shaved my own f*cking beard off! I left the moustache for 20 seconds before divorce was brought up in conversation. I used the trimmer to finish the hatchet job I started then proceeded out for a few pints. I’d like to say I took the accident on the chin (HA) and didn’t mention it but well, that didn’t happen – I didn’t shut up the whole night about my poor beard.

The Conclusion

Growing a beard is definitely cool, Beard products are definitely cool and key to a good beard. Getting a beard trim from a professional is the best thing to do in this situation.

Lidl beard trimmers are NOT the answer, should have practiced on a less visible area first…

If you want to shape your beard, I recommend a shavette/barber razor or a DE Safety Razor – You get a really clean cut line without the fear of ruining your beard.

The Professional Option of a Beard Trim/Hot Towel Shave

If you need to say goodbye to the beard for whatever reason, treat your beard, and your face with some respect and go for a nice Hot Towel Shave – it’ll be the best hour you’ve spent on yourself in a longtime. If you’re in Dublin, we strongly recommend Sams’ Barbers!