Do you ever feel like you just need a friendly voice to tell you which products to buy, to help restore your hair to its natural glory?

Instead of searching, testing, wasting money, wouldn’t it be awesome if someone had already done the work and could point you to some no-fail choices for essential hair care and hair styling?

Groom+Style are that friendly voice, and these are our top 10 essential hair care products for men.

Essential Shampoos for Men Based on Hair Type

Choosing the right shampoo depends on your hair type. If you have thin hair, or thick hair, if your hair is oily or dry, there’s a shampoo to suit. Choose the right one for you, and you’re off to a great start.

Great Shampoo for Oily Hair

If you suffer from dandruff and you have oily hair, it can be difficult to find a suitable shampoo, but T-Gel is the best way to go, in our opinion.

Great Shampoo for Dry Hair

For dry and colored hair, argan and macadamia oils are fantastic. They’re rich and lasting, and can help to restore life and elasticity to hair.

Great Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Argan oil once again, this stuff is incredible for quickly and effectively repairing damaged hair.

Essential Conditioners for Men – All Hair Types!

A good conditioner helps to repair damaged hair and lock in moisture. Even if your hair is oily, using a quality conditioner is a good idea. Oily hair can sometimes still benefit from conditioning.

Groom+Style’s Favorite Conditioners for Men

Coconut oil on its own is a wonderful conditioner whatever type of hair you have. This Calily Coconut Oil mask is another great way of reaping the benefits of natural coconut oil.

Pair Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Conditioner with the T-Gel for hair that’s dandruff-free and healthy looking.

Moroccan Oil conditioner is designed specifically for use on oily hair, to help prevent any build up on your scalp, making it ideal for preventing dandruff, too.

Essential Styling Products for Men Based on Hair Type

Just like shampoo, choosing the right kind of styling product for your hair type is essential. Not all hair is created equally, and what works for thick hair, will not work for thin hair.

Great Styling Product for Thick Hair

There’s no beating American Crew. This styling fiber smells great, washes out easily and will hold the thickest hair in place all day.

Another winner, just a little more pricey than the American Crew, Redken is known for its 10/10 performance styling products.

Great Styling Product for Fine Hair

Redken working wax is strong stuff, so you’ll only need to use a little. With fine hair, the problem can be adding enough weight, and Redken’s Working Wax is great because it holds without making hair greasy.

This little miracle, American Crew Boost Powder, doubles as both a styling product and a volumizer. Work it through your hair to give texture and lift.

For more on hair care and styling from Groom+Style, visit our Art of Hair section.

Some guys choose a beard to help make them look more rugged, others to make them look more sophisticated, more grown-up.

Whatever the reason, there are as many styles of beard as there are face shapes, and finding the right fuzz for you can mean the difference between a beard that rocks and a beard that sucks.

It’s not super difficult, either. Finding the right kind of beard for you depends somewhat on your hairstyle (if you have any hair), and largely on the shape of your face. Presuming that you want to balance out your face and either highlight or tone down particularly strong features, then following Groom+Style’s simple tips for choosing the right beard for your face shape, will ensure that you look good no matter what.

Choosing The Right Beard Requires Common Sense

When it comes down to it, choosing the right beard is easy. As long as you don’t fight what nature’s given you, you can’t go far wrong. As with everything else in life, trying to be something you’re not, will only lead to disappointment in the end.

Be true to the face you have, to the hair you have, and the right beard will find you.

We really can’t hammer this point home hard enough: you don’t really need to choose the right beard for your face, you just have to accept the one that’s right for you. There will be one that’s right for you, and finding it is easy once you understand how that facial hair is related to the shape of your face, and the size of your head.

Identify Your Face Shape, Get The Right Tools Then Style On

Start by identifying the shape of your face (see below) then grow (or continue growing) and shape your beard as you desire – don’t take the process to seriously remember to have fun.

Additional Notes and Pointers

If you want to get really specific with identifying the shape of your face then get a tape measure and write down the following length:

• The length of your forehead
• The length across your cheekbones
• The length of your jawline
• The vertical length of your face – top of your forehead to your chin

If your beard still needs some work then check out Groom+Style’s 10 Tips on how to grow a full beard fast!

Once you have identified your face shape and want to get styling then you will need the right tools (if you do not already have them):

The Right Beard Trimmer

If you are ready to get styling but need some help finding the right lines then we can highly recommend the Cut Buddy which you can find on Amazon.  This compact little tool will give you all the options you need to shape, groom, trim or cut your beard along your desired  lines.

1. Square Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin

Square Face – The length of your forehead, cheekbones and jawline (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) are roughly the same.

Guys with square faces, you’re going to want to bring the facial hair down to the chin. Grow the hair out more on the chin and keep it shorter on the sides and around the cheeks. This will help to create length in your face, while retaining your naturally strong jawline.

2. Round Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin

Round Face – The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is roughly the same as the length of your face (vertical length).

Just like your square-faced friends, if you’re a guy with a rounder face, then shaping your beard to be longer at the chin and shorter on the sides, can help to elongate your face and make it appear more balanced. Keeping it neat around the edges will also help to strengthen your jawline.

3. Rectangular or Oblong Face: Beard Style, Experiment with Side Length

Rectangular or Oblong Face: The length across your forehead, cheekbones and jawline are roughly the same (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) is longer that the horizontal lengths.

Note – an oblong is effectively a rectangle where all the sides are not of equal length.

The oblong face can be a tough one to stick a beard onto, since your jawline is likely rounded and sweeping, giving you no real feedback about where to go longer or shorter. Our advice, is to keep the beard fairly short all over, and experiment with a length which brings the overall shape into more of a rounded form.

4. Oval Face: Go for Broke, You Lucky Sausage

Oval Face: The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is less than the length of the face (vertical length).  The length of the forehead is larger than the length of the jawline, and the angle of the jaw is rounded.  Think of an American football, which has less pointy ends.

If you have an oval-shaped face, you’re pretty much good to go on any beard. Your jawline sweeps down from wide to a point at the chin, and your bare face is pretty symmetrical and balanced as it is. If you want to find the perfect beard for you, then let it grow out quite a bit, then trim away gradually until you find a style which suits you the best.

For the oval-faced lot, a beard which is even all over, tapering into slightly longer on the chin can work really well. Just remember that you’re more likely to be naturally symmetrical in your face, so complement that with your beard. Don’t go for crazy styles and varying lengths, or you’ll lose the effect of having such a versatile face shape.

No matter which stage of the beard growing, designing or shaping process you are at don’t be afraid to talk to everyone about your journey – or at the very least hint that they are free to bestow up you a wide range of beard care gifts! 

Enjoy this journey with your facial hair, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Photoshopped Fashion: How 27 Countries Define Style Today

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only,” as the late, great French fashion designer Coco Chanel once put it. “Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

Every country defines style in its own unique, ever-changing way. Most of us barely even notice our tastes and ideals being inspired by what we see around us.

Here at Groom+Style, we decided to take a closer look at just what those definitions of style are around the world. Specifically, we wondered how people in different countries identify style when they focus solely on a human face.

We shared plain head shots of a woman and man with fashion photographers, designers, and Photoshop experts around the world and asked them to conform their photos to what they felt was the latest fashion trends in their country.

About This Study

We selected two portraits to be retouched. The people in the photos we chose had no expression (as far as that is possible!) and were not wearing any makeup or accessories. We then used freelance job boards to gather designers from around the globe to take part in the project.

Here are the untouched portraits that we sent to the designers:

Designers from 27 countries around the world sent back their stylized headshots, and you can see each one below. Or, scroll to the bottom to see an infographic showing all submissions side-by-side.

1. Albania

Our Albanian designer, Sokol, was openly influenced by digital fashion magazines. His avatar-style adaptation of our models speaks to the phenomenon of virtual fashion models on the international scene. Will style become more universal when virtual models can beam in from catwalk to catwalk? Sokol chose sweet, glowing colors for his models, and a curly bob for the female model to add volume and definition to her look.

2. Australia

The Australian versions of our portraits were designed for a day at the Australian Melbourne Cup races, a glamorous event that has become synonymous with country fashion style . The male model is no-nonsense and simple but sophisticated. His hairstyle is a familiar sight in urban Australia today, as is his ‘designer stubble.’ The woman’s bun was chosen to allow room for her hat since some people consider hat-wearing to be the main (unofficial) competition at the Melbourne Cup!

3. Belarus

For our Belarusian designer (Ilya), a suntan is an emblem of a busy lifestyle. Both portraits exhibit the wealthy look to which modern Belarusians aspire, according to Ilya. The cigar is a kind of accessory for a successful businessman, while the female model has accessorized with earrings and a necklace for the banquet we see in the background.

4. Bosnia

Bosnian designer Ivan considers his style to be “fairy tale sub realism.” He has added details to bring out the inner character of the models, avoided makeup, and exaggerated their skin imperfections to bring out a natural sense of beauty. Recent generations of Bosnians have favored makeup and careful attention to hairstyling, but millennials have reacted against this, preferring the more natural yet sophisticated style that Ivan has conjured.

5. Costa Rica

The Costa Rican versions of our models have been minimally enhanced since the designer preferred to bring out their natural beauty. Their clothing and hair are simple so that the beholder is not distracted from their face, and the female or girl model wears glasses to express intelligence.

6. Croatia

Jakov from Croatia has given his models a timeless, classic look. He added glasses and a bouffant ponytail to the female or girl model to make her look more confident and intelligent. Being just across the Adriatic from Italy, Croatia is not far from the heart of contemporary fashion. While many people play it ‘normcore’ and ‘dress for the weather,’ the country style leaders are busy mixing up cyberpunk and DIY, neon and vinyl.

7. Egypt

Designer Amal chose a “dreamy, classic” Egyptian style. She opted to avoid accessories and focus on human beauty instead. She added a little facial hair to bring out the handsomeness and structure of the male model’s face. Egyptian style is exciting and modern with fashionistas mix-matching traditional North African dress with thrift shop eclecticism.

8. Finland

The Finnish interpretation of our models is natural yet classy, confident, and empowered. Our designer kept things simple, opting for a couple of signature flourishes to add flair: the bold, purple eye makeup and trendy scarf of the female model, and a blue shirt and darker hair and stubble to bring out the male model’s natural coloring.

9. France

The French look is as much about the practicality of day-to-day life as it is about being the most stylish nation on Earth^TM. Our French designer capitalized on this unencumbered everyday look, adding simple modern jewelry and easily maintained hair. Plus, nothing says “man” more bluntly than a beard.

10. Germany

Tiny earrings are a big trend in Germany right now, and our German model’s hair is kept tied back to show her ears, face, and makeup. The designer also made the models look more ‘relaxed and friendly’ with some reshaping around the eyes.

11. Hong Kong

For the male model, our Hong Kong designer chose a suit+tee combo – the unofficial uniform of the city’s central business district. Men in Hong Kong don’t tend to wear a collections of accessories apart from a watch. The female model’s hair was styled to match a popular look in the region and is feminine and casual.

12. India

Indian fashion has returned to its roots, as reflected in our designer’s choice of traditional elements. Heritage fabrics, bright colors and Indian craft are big internationally and recognized back home, too. Designer Anurag also points out that vintage allows people to be unique – and that one ‘unseen’ touch he would add is a pocket watch for the gent.

13. Israel

Tanned skin is considered stylish in Israel, and is very popular right now. Our Israeli designer, Rony, suggests that big lips are also thought beautiful – hence the lipstick. Curly hair is both common and aspired to by women in Israel. Men still embrace metrosexuality, and are guided in their choices by celebrity males who exemplify the manly look: lots of hair, carefully managed!

14. Lithuania

Justina, our Lithuanian designer, has chosen looks that combine traditional, stylish, and trendy elements. In fact, she admits she’s not sure where one ends and another begins! The man sports a hair-do known as The Regulation Cut, a classic military look that has been big on the high street for several years now. The models’ Bohemian and traditional Baltic, Prussian, or pagan touches feel fresh and young despite coming from a long and rich heritage.

15. Malaysia

Our Malaysian designer gave the models a stylish, young, modern look. Both models sport black hair with a soft curl for added elegance. The man’s facial hair and woman’s accessories make the models more attractive to the Malaysian eye. Malaysia is a forward-looking, wealthy country, with state-of-the-art architecture and fashion, as reflected in these shots.

16. Mexico

In Mexico, the summer hipster look reigns. Our designer added casual, over-the-shoulder braids for her, and an attractive clean-cut beard and blow-dried comb-over for him. Mexican fashion is currently all about bright patterns, heritage motifs, frilly dresses, and traditional craft. But a crop of exciting young designers is busy working on diverse ideas. From clean lines to dramatic flourishes, you can never second-guess Mexican style.

17. Namibia

Eric, our Namibian designer, gave the models traditional elements that are trending in Africa right now. The female model has a head wrap and facial painting, and the male wears a dashiki (west African-style tunic) and Yoruba hat. He has a beard, like most African men. Eric reflects that fashion knows no race or color, but that beauty is often defined by the culture in which it flourishes.

18. Poland

Natural and youthful makeup is very fashionable in Poland right now, so our Polish designer (Sarah) has added blush to the female model’s cheeks and nose. The bowed scarf has also been big with women and girls in Poland. The male model’s beard reflects facial hair trends of recent years, while his classy and mature look conforms to Sarah’s personal preferences. Sarah says she would not have edited the photos the same way five years ago – fashion and style move pretty quickly.

19. Qatar

Nepalese people account for the second-largest expatriate population in Qatar, and their influence is felt in the country’s evolving culture. Our designer is a Nepali man living in Qatar, and he has included Nepali hats and Tika (Hindi forehead markings) for his models.

20. Russia

Oxana, our Russian designer, added glitter to our female model’s eyes corners and highlighter across her face for a more moisturized look. She sculpted the eyebrows in a Korean style inspired by Ariana Grande, while the earrings add glamour and draw the beholder’s gaze to the model’s eyes. The male was styled to be a bit of a Russian rogue. His hair and stubble were darkened to make him more handsome in Oxana’s eyes.

21. Serbia

Our Serbian designer, Davorin, used his creative license to give the male model a business style and the female model an outdoors look. Davorin admits that he deliberately made the male model clean-shaven because beards have become too trendy in Serbia! Serbian fashion tends to be daring, and Davorin emphasizes the need for experimentation when developing your personal style.

22. South Africa

Lucinda from South Africa looked to The Great Gatsby for inspiration to make her models bold and beautiful. The female model’s gold choker necklace is a statement of confidence, while the male is made more mature with a touch of facial hair. The woman’s fringe is very fashionable in South Africa this year, and it complements the model’s bone structure.

23. Turkey

Brands tend to ask our Turkish Photoshop expert, Mehmet, to keep their models looking natural. Style magazine readers sometimes mistrust overly retouched images. He added a slight tan to the man and brought out the fullness of the woman’s lashes.

24. United Arab Emirates

Our UAE designer, Tetiana, chose to imagine our models as celebrities on the cover of a magazine. But she was keen not to lose their natural beauty beneath artifice since the natural look is regaining popularity globally. Tetiana added detective movie-style accessories for the man, and a diadem crown and earrings for the woman – reflecting how Hollywood ideals reach distant shores.

25. United Kingdom

Our UK designer, Clara, concentrated mostly on the models’ hair. She gave the woman a fashionable bob, and added volume to the man’s hair – since she felt it was sorely lacking substance! British celebrities continue to have international influence on style and fashion. Luckily, a cool umbrella goes with everything…

26. Ukraine

Our Ukrainian images have been made up in a hipster style, which designer Yana believes is highly on-trend at the moment: short, dyed blonde hair for women and a ‘sloppy’ beard and stylized hair for men. The woman’s earrings, however, are more timelessly stylish. Yana makes the good point that men mostly accessorize below the neckline. She would have liked to add collections include a watch, large rings, and tattoos.

27. USA

Our American designer took things to the street, giving the female model an urban, playful look with the wholesome smile and freckles of a grown-up Mickey Mouse Club icon (think Britney and Justin). The male model is given the British dandy look favored by Andre 3000 and Brad Goreski. You can bet there’s an umbrella just out of shot.

Comparing Country Submissions Side-By-Side

Here are all the interpretations of our female portrait at a glance. It is interesting how all over the world, our designers fought with the tension between the trendy, wholesome natural look, and the fun and glamour of playing with accessories and makeup. Long may this battle continue!

They say ‘clothing maketh the man.’ But according to our designers, stubble or a beard are just as important. Here are the male portraits all in one place.

It is rare to see so many national looks and fashion opinions gathered in one place. Our guest designers have shown how style and fashion are a sensitive blend of cultural influence, personal preference, and just how you’re feeling on the day! Which national styles will influence your winter look?

Methodology

We selected two portraits (one man, one woman) to be retouched. We choose an image in which the subjects had no expression and were not wearing any makeup or accessories. Using freelance job boards, we invited designers and fashion photographers from around the globe to take part in the project. Out of hundreds of applicants we selected 27 designers who not only had experience in the fashion industry but could manipulate the images with Photoshop so as to show the latest trends in their country.