Beard Styles
Beardstache: Getting the Stubble-to-Moustache Ratio Right
Short answer: A beardstache is short, even stubble on the cheeks, chin and jaw combined with a moustache left clearly longer and fuller. The look depends on contrast: the moustache should be roughly three to five times the length of the stubble, for example stubble at a No. 1 guard (3 mm) with a moustache of 1 to 1.5 cm. Upkeep is a quick trimmer pass every few days.
Why the ratio is everything
A beardstache only reads as a style when the moustache is obviously the headline. If the stubble and the moustache are within a couple of millimetres of each other, it just looks like a short beard that needs a trim.
Aim for the moustache to be three to five times the length of everything else. At a 3 mm stubble that means a moustache of around 10 to 15 mm, enough to hide most of the upper lip line without covering the mouth. Heavier stubble needs a heavier moustache to keep the contrast.
Trimmer guard settings for each zone
Treat the face as four zones and give each its own setting, because a single guard over everything flattens the shape.
| Zone | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cheeks and jaw | No. 1 (3 mm), or No. 0.5 for a lighter look | The canvas; must be even so the moustache stands out |
| Chin | Same as cheeks, or No. 1.5 (4.5 mm) if the chin grows in thin | A touch longer hides sparse spots without breaking the look |
| Upper neck | Fade from the stubble length down to skin below the neckline | Stops the stubble looking like it runs down to the collar |
| Moustache | No guard over the top: comb out and scissor-trim | Clippers remove too much and leave a blunt, shelf-like edge |
Growing into it
The moustache is the slow part. If you are starting clean-shaven, stop trimming the upper lip entirely and keep the rest of the face at stubble with the trimmer; most people need four to eight weeks before the moustache has enough length and body to carry the look.
Through that period it will poke at the lip. Comb it sideways toward the corners of the mouth rather than cutting it back, and trim only the few hairs that actually cross the lip line. A small amount of moustache wax helps train it once it passes about a centimetre.
Who a beardstache suits
It is a good option for anyone whose moustache grows in thicker than their cheeks, which is common. The stubble hides thin cheek patches that would show in a longer beard, while the dense moustache does the visual work.
It also sits well with longer faces, because the heavy horizontal line across the upper lip breaks up the length. For a moustache-only look with no stubble, browse our moustache styles instead.
- Thick moustache, thin cheeks: ideal candidate.
- Strong jaw: the short stubble keeps the jawline visible.
- Workplaces that frown on full beards but accept stubble: easy to keep neat.
Keeping it sharp through the week
Stubble at 3 mm doubles its length within about a week, so run the trimmer over the cheeks, chin and jaw every three or four days. Always go against the grain slowly with the guard flat to the skin so the length stays even.
Leave the neckline and the cheek line to your barber, and book a Beard Only + Lineup every two weeks or so to have the edges razored. If you want the stubble itself dialled in, our page on the stubble beard goes deeper on lengths.
Beardstache: common questions
Is a beardstache the same as a stubble beard?
No. A stubble beard is one even length everywhere. The beardstache deliberately leaves the moustache much longer than the rest.
Should the moustache cover my lip?
Only slightly at most. We trim it so the hair reaches the lip line when combed down; anything longer gets into food and drinks and starts pulling the look toward a walrus.
What haircut goes with a beardstache?
Short, tidy sides keep the whole look clean, for example a low taper fade. A heavy haircut on top with light stubble can make the moustache look lost.
Can I do the whole thing at home?
The stubble, yes, with an adjustable trimmer. The moustache shape and the neckline are the parts people usually get wrong, so those are worth leaving to the barber.
