Originally published in The Journal.
I’ll kick this off by saying we’ve never been much of a ‘how-to achieve this look’ brand. I’ve worked in the men’s grooming space for 15 years and have found that every single men’s products company markets this way, and if you’re familiar with us, you’ll know we don’t like to follow the stat-quo. Whilst we strive to make the best men’s grooming products on the market, rather than follow the grooming marketing playbook of how to’s and influencers giving us their skincare routine no one asked for, we prefer to make a song and dance about stuff we like outside the industry e.g. fashion, cars, watches, architecture, design, served with a side of product shots too, but easy on the sell.
In saying that, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been inspired by some hairstyles doing the rounds in what I think will be some iconic fashion shoots for years to come, amongst some iso-selfies as well. What makes it even better is we think each of the guys sporting said hairstyle is f*cking rad. This includes the likes of Brad Pitt, fresh off the back of an Oscar nod. Keanu Reeves, a newly-hailed cult fashion figure. Harry Styles, the commercial face of gender-bending fashion, and one of my favourite designers, Rhuigi Villaseñor (designer and founder of RHUDE), sporting an iso-cut that is one-part military, one-part dystopian future (which we’re kind of living in now). So, with these guys in mind, I’m happy to break my self-imposed rule this once and hope those of you who aren’t using our products take something out of this and give our products a try – I promise you won’t regret it.
M3
It wouldn’t be a journal article in our current global climate without a WFH fit, and Rhuigi Villaseñor, does not disappoint – especially when it comes to the hair department. It’s a directional number that is a modern take on a short back and sides with a front fringe, matte finish, and is perfect for M3, our strong hold matte product.
To achieve this, towel or blow-dry your hair until damp. Warm up a small amount of M3 in your palms and begin working the product into your hair from root to tip, starting from the back of your crown to front fringe, working the hair forward as you do it. To get the clean line like Rhuigi, you’ll need a comb to brush the hair down. No comb, no worries. Just use your fingers to push the fringe forward and embrace a messier vibe.
Pro-tip – when I mention this product is strong, I’m not lying. We developed M3 with the active guy in mind, so it can withstand a rigorous lunch-time workout or even a surf, meaning no double application for you. That said, it takes a decent shampoo to remove, so we recommend purchasing this in conjunction with SH2, our deep clean shampoo; it’ll get it right out.
M2
While it’s a bit too early for David Bowie or Prince comparisons (his new album is good, but not that good), Harry’s style evolution into androgyny has been catching the eyes and hearts of fashion followers for all the right reasons, including ours, shining a femme lens on men’s fashion just like his aforementioned predecessors.
That said, and before we go too deep down the tunnel of Harry Styles 2019/20 fits, we have to address what’s flown under the radar – his luscious locks. Previously known for a long do, Harry’s co-opted a shorter, messy quiff which is easily achieved with a little of our M2 – a medium hold, matte finish product that is great for natural looking styles. The best way to get his look is by applying a small amount to wet hair, working it from root to tip, followed by blow drying to create the waves. If you’re not in the presence of a blow dryer, no stress, just use a towel to dry and keep tabs on how your hair is feeling – you’ll lose a bit of product in the process, so you may need to add a little more to get the desired wave throughout towel drying. Word of warning though, don’t use too much product as it will weigh the hair down and kill the wave.
M1
Disclaimer: I didn’t feature Jude Law in this due to his lead role in Contagion, albeit somewhat topical. What gets me with Jude is his ‘I don’t give a f*ck attitude’ when it comes to rocking a hairline that has done some receding, with thinning hair to boot. It takes balls to rock this, especially with the temptation to shave it, and it’s even harder to pull off. Jude nails it every day of the week though, and if we were going to pick a product for him, it would be M1.
M1 was specifically developed for guys with thin, or thinning hair as it immediately adds body, thickening the hair shaft and includes PRC, our formulation of both plant and scientifically engineered compounds that address hair loss and growth. You can check out this link to find out more on PRC, which features in our entire haircare line.
M1 can be used on its own to create natural looks, like Jude in this particular shoot, and can also be used as a pre-styler to add body in conjunction with other products, which I’ll touch on later. To get Jude’s look, simply add a small amount of M1 to damp hair, working the product from root to tip, and mould into shape. Simple as that.
S2
I don’t care what anyone says, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the best film of 2019, period. I’ve watched it 20+ times, in all film formats including a 35mm secret screening and the best part, hands-down, is Brad Pitt and how f*cking cool he is. He’s a god and has been since the early 90s.
He also has god-like hair and this homage to Michael Douglas’ side-part-slick-back look from Wall Street is no exception. It’s super easy to achieve using S2, provided you have the length. Simply add S2 to wet hair, using your fingers to separate the hair a little – a comb is not your friend here – and make sure to use enough product so your hair feels weighed down. Allow the hair to dry out and voilà. Also, if your ‘mullet’ tends to curl out at the back, don’t be afraid to get a straightener involved too. Cigarette optional.
S2 + M1
You’d be living under a fashion-sized rock if you’re not familiar with Keanu Reeves’ rise to cult-fashion-influencer prominence a-la Jonah Hill or John Mayer, and we think his dirt-bag-bob, as I affectionately like to call it, is sick.
Whilst it may look like he hasn’t washed his hair in weeks, you don’t have to go full dirt-bag to achieve this – you just need a pre-styler to add some grit, which M1 is awesome for. To get his look, apply a small amount of M1 to wet hair, leave it to dry until damp or use a blow dryer if you have one. Following this, apply a healthy amount of S2 to hair, starting from the back and working your way forward, then pull your hair back into place. Give the product about half an hour to set and the desired dirt-bag hair will be achieved minus the ‘hair-not-washed-for-2-weeks’ smell. Win, win.
This article was written in collaboration with Patricks.
Discover Patricks skin and haircare range now at Harrolds Online.