The Light Stubble Look: How to Maintain, Guide, Examples, and More!
You’ve given the 5 o’clock shadow a try, so how about upping the ante a bit? The next step in your beard’s “evolution” would be the light stubble, which represents about a week’s worth of facial hair growth.
Like the 5 o’clock shadow, light stubble seems to have a positive effect on women, as well (perhaps even more so).
At least that what’s an Australian study says, i.e., women find men more attractive with facial hair, and light stubble is preferable in her eyes than the just-getting-started growth of the 5 o’clock shadow and the full beard.
OK, so the object of growing beards isn’t just about drawing the affection of someone you find, well, interesting. It’s right up there, but beards come with a lot of benefits.
What Light Stubble Says About You
Wearing stubble shows that you’re all about keeping up with trends and there have been times when it’s seemed as if every third advertisement featured a man with a scruffy stubble look.
It represents a kind of understated confidence, that “Damn, I forgot to shave this morning, but I still look good” attitude. And like the 5 o’clock shadow, it also communicates a bit of a rebellious spirit.
You have to be careful with stubble, though. If not well-maintained, it can look like you’re trying – without much success – to grow a full beard. That’s not quite the look you’re after, men.
What Face Shape Does Light Stubble Fit Best?
First off, let’s take a look at the face shapes that suit light stubble the best:
1. Oval – An oval face is perfectly balanced between length and width and has a rounded chin. This is the ideal face shape, so any kind of facial hair will suit it well.
2. Square – A square face is wide with strong jawlines and equally broad cheekbones (like those of Brad Pitt). Light stubble can help soften these lines by creating the illusion of greater height on your face.
3. Diamond – This face shape is an angular variation of the square—the cheekbones are wide and high, while the forehead and jaw are narrow. If you have this face shape, you may want to go with a slightly longer beard (like Ryan Reynolds’)
Light stubble works well with rounder faces, but also with also with heart-shaped faces that are thinner at the chin than at the brow. If you keep it well-maintained, the stubble look will work for you very well.
How To Maintain Light Stubble
Get a decent stubble trimmer – that’s your first step. Set the trimmer that will leave a slightly longer stubble than the typical 10-day look before gradually trimming it down in small increments (between ¼ inch and 1/8 inch).
Finally, clean up any stray areas, especially around the lower neck. You may want to trim your neck up to your lower jaw line.
Famous People Who Wear Light Stubble
Brad Pitt has sported the light stubble look (perhaps graying a bit these days because of his controversies with Angelina), as has Jake Gyllenhaal.
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