Guys won’t admit it, but we are pretty sure they spend just as much time on grooming their beard as a woman would spend doing their make-up. We’re not here to judge, after all, self-care is crucial! Instead, we’re here to offer a few tips and tricks to aid in growing and maintaining that luscious facial hair.
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Patience is a virtue
Just like a fine wine, growing your beard takes time, and the longer you wait, the better it will be for you to work with. Avoid unnecessary trims, shaves and being fidgety – patience is the number one thing that is needed to make it grow. This should take about 4 – 6 weeks, depending on how fast or slow your hair grows.
Necessary tools
A good beard starts with the basic tools. Beard oils to soften the hairs and to avoid irritated skin, a beard brush to comb the oils through and keep your beard tangled-free, and lastly, a set of trimming scissors to cut those stray hairs and keep them in check with the rest of your beard.
TRY: Red Dane Two-Phase Nourishing Oil
Mug wash
A beard is not only about the hair, but the skin underneath as well. Within the early stages of your beard growth plan, wash and condition your beard daily. This means washing it properly with your face wash and then working in that aforementioned oil from root to tip. Also, be sure to include an exfoliant weekly that can help remove the dead skin cells and avoid that awful itchy beard sensation.
TRY: Cowshed Bullocks Refining Facial Scrub
Vitamins & proteins
Yes, seems like a weird tip to include in the list, however, your beard hair relies on the necessary B vitamins which include B5, B3 & B9. A good diet will not only do your health wonders, but your beard too.
Beard-in-training
Regular combing and maintenance are a way of helping the beard hairs stay in place and grow in the direction you need them to. Combing them will ensure the hairs are straightened to some degree, and using a beard wax or oil daily will also ensure the hairs are tamed. Before you know it, your beard will grow exactly how it needs to.
TRY: Hairy Eye Average Joe Beard Balm
By Yashna Balwanth
Feature image: Unsplash
Choosing those little accessories that bring your look together can be a daunting task. You might think you don’t have time to search for bags and belts but…
When you think “wedding day”, you probably think big. Big excitement, big ceremony, and definitely big bank account.
This couple decided to switch things up, opting for a small, lower-than-usual budget wedding ceremony and saving their money for the honeymoon and a car instead.
Wongalethu and Honey Vakala said this is the best decision they have ever made. “My family had big plans, my mom invited all of her friends, colleagues and some of the community members and even booked the wedding venue. I had to stand up for my wife and show her that the man she is marrying has a backbone. I cancelled all the plans my mother had for my wedding day and she didn’t take it well,” Wongalethu told Drum.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. It also meant that they could not invite a number of people that they really wanted to share their day with, including marital counsellors, some relatives, colleagues and close friends. “We don’t have any regrets on how everything turned out however, we regret not inviting the people who we really wanted to be there,” he said.
They managed to save money through people in their community offering to make various contributions, which made the day extra special to them. “A friend of ours in Long street offered to tailor make our wedding attire which was such a blessing,” he added.
The couple got married on Heritage Day, September 24 in a small church in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth, where they are from. The wedding cost them R6 000 and they have no regrets.
They used the rest of their money to put a deposit on their brand-new car and went on a lovely island honeymoon in Thailand.
Picture: Facebook/Wongalethu Vakala
From traditional neutral make-up looks to the outstanding bright lip, here are our top 5 wedding beauty looks we deem as utterly iconic: 1. Priyanka Chopra View…
Across the world, there are many cultural customs and traditions that shape the way people get married and prove that there is no standard way to get married. Some are interesting, some are quirky, and some are strange. Here are some weird and wonderful wedding customs you probably didn’t know about.
Kenya:
Maasai culture sees spitting as a sign of good luck and fortune. As a result, fathers traditionally spit on their daughters’ heads and breasts on their wedding day. They also spit on the couple following the wedding.
French Polynesia:
The Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia have a very interesting wedding custom. Following the ceremony, wedding relatives of the bride must lay face down on the ground alongside each other and the wedding couple walks over them.
China:
Chinese weddings are a feat. Traditionally, Chinese grooms have to prove their worth and perform a number of stunts for bridesmaids before he can get to his bride. Called door games, the stunts include singing a sappy song, doing the limbo, getting every answer right and a Q&A on the bride and their relationship. For every answer the groom gets wrong, he has to complete a number of press-ups or sit-ups. Once he has successfully completed his tasks, the groom must present bridesmaids with red envelopes of money.
Niger:
Wedding receptions in Niger have special guests: camels. The camels entertain guests with a dance to a rhythmic drumbeat.
Armenia:
As Armenian couples enter their wedding reception they break a plate. The mother of the groom then traditionally places lavash flatbread on the shoulders of the bride and groom in a symbol of prosperity and abundance. They are tasked with balancing the bread on their shoulders to ward off evil. They are also fed spoonfuls of honey and walnuts in a bid for happiness.
Mongolia:
Mongolian couples have a checklist of activities to complete before they get married. Firstly, just to set a wedding date includes a rather intense activity: they need to slaughter and gut a baby chicken to locate the liver. If the liver is in good condition, they may set a date. If not, they must start all over until they have a good liver.
Before their wedding, the couple must circle their new home thrice for good luck. They then leap over a pile of burning wood to be blessed by the fire god, signalling that their marriage will be as bright as the flames.
Ireland:
Irish folklore makes dancing at a wedding a little bit difficult for brides. According to tradition, brides must dance with one foot on the ground at all time. If not, the bride might be kidnapped by evil fairies.
Cuba:
In Cuba, weddings often feature a money dance designed to help financially set up the couple for their future. Those that would like to dance with the bride must first pay her by pinning money to her dress.
Borneo:
Malaysia and Indonesia’s Tidong people in Borneo observe an interesting tradition following their wedding ceremony where betrothed couples must be locked in their homes together for three days and are not allowed to leave or use the bathroom at all. Couples who do not observe this tradition are said to be cursed with bad luck in their marriage.
South Korea:
Some South Korean grooms must have the soles of their feet beaten by groomsmen or family members. His feet are bound together with rope and then beaten with a stick or, oddly enough, dried fish. While over quickly, the custom is meant to act as a test of the groom’s strength and character.
Image: Unsplash
Traditionally, when you think wedding you think bright, blossoming buds in beautiful floral arrangements. However, the latest wedding trend is going against the norm. Dried botanicals offer a…
A wax seal stamp is a great way to upgrade your wedding stationery with very little effort. Simply add a wax seal stamp to the envelope of your invitation and your stationery will instantly look more professional and appealing. Here’s how:
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Supplies (find most at your nearest craft shop):
- wedding envelope R87.50/100
- small dried flowers (pick from a garden)
- sealing wax (with wick) R27-30
- brass seal R130-150 (or you can get a custom-made seal)
Steps:
- Put your invitation into the envelope of your choice and turn it over so that the side to seal is facing upwards.
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Place your dried flower at the base of the seal on the envelope.
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Light the wick of the sealing wax and rotate the stick, you will see that it will start to drip quite quickly. Keep the stick tilted towards the dried flower on your envelope. Rotate the wax and let it drip (try to move the stick around so that it drips into a circle).
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Once you have the wax circle on your envelope that is of a similar size to your seal, take the seal stamp and press it into the pool of wax. Once cooled, peel off and you will have your stamp!
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Don’t worry if the stamps don’t all look the same, it is a personal touch and your guests will love it.
TIP: Do a practice round on scrap paper before starting on your envelopes.
Disclaimer: Seal wax beads are used in the video but if you use the beads, you also need to have a melting spoon. To limit the number of supplies needed, the steps have been done using sealing wax with a wick. This way you can drip the wax directly onto your point of seal.
Feature image: Unsplash