Personally, I grew up without the influence of a father in my life, and while that had it’s difficulties and shortcomings as I’ve grown older, I believe I’m better off in a lot of ways. I’ve learned to be self-sufficient, headstrong and understanding of others, though I am still catching up on trade skills that my mom couldn’t teach me. But something that’s always stuck with me is the fascination of what a ‘real man’ is, and seeing as how that meaning is ever-changing and evolving, what one generation thinks is manly, the next is likely to see things differently.
When I was growing up, manliness was a state of mind and attitude, as well as a lifestyle choice. Some people thought being a ‘real man’ meant that you had to be tough and never cry, while others believed it meant that you take care of your family above all else, and I’ve also heard some simply say that muscles and hair make the man. I have disagreements with each outlook, but for me now-a-days, a real man is someone who takes care of his family, his kids, and especially his wife, and is someone who has heart as well as brawn. Because without empathy, you won’t have a true connection to love, and without that, it doesn’t matter how strong you are, how buff, or how righteous the beard.
For me, I’ve always envisioned my adult self as a wild-haired mountain-hermit-living writer, who has a righteous beard and maybe a couple screws loose from living by my lonesome for so many years. While that vision didn’t quite manifest for me, I am indeed a writer who loves the woods (and would prefer to live in a small cabin without electricity), and is trying to figure out what looks best for my adult look. I never much cared for my clean-shaven face, for a myriad of reasons, but as the years have passed, I’ve let my facial hair go on long trips and have since gained the ability to grow a pretty full beard. Except for one problem, which is that I still have a small patch on my cheek that doesn’t come in as full and brilliant as the rest of my beard.
For me, I’ve always envisioned my adult self as a wild-haired mountain-hermit-living writer, who has a righteous beard and maybe a couple screws loose from living by my lonesome for so many years. While that vision didn’t quite manifest for me, I am indeed a writer who loves the woods (and would prefer to live in a small cabin without electricity), and is trying to figure out what looks best for my adult look. I never much cared for my clean-shaven face, for a myriad of reasons, but as the years have passed, I’ve let my facial hair go on long trips and have since gained the ability to grow a pretty full beard. Except for one problem, which is that I still have a small patch on my cheek that doesn’t come in as full and brilliant as the rest of my beard.
Considering that I’m less than two months away from my wedding, I had to make a decision… settle for the awkward baby face, or grow a beard worthy of the photos and the event. I chose the latter. So I reached out to Northern Fir for help. Northern Fir, a beard grooming company, is based in Austin, Texas, and they specialize in creating natural beard oils, beard balms and grooming combs, and they sent me their Complete Beard Grooming Set, which includes a bottle their beard oil, a can of balm and two combs (a keychain size and a full-sized option).
To cure my natural growth, or lack of, in that certain spot on my cheek, I had to employ a regimen that would ensure stimulated growth along with healthy maintenance. Northern Fir’s quality beard oil is a blend of nine premium plant-based oils that help to cure dryness and ease itchiness, while conditioning and stimulating for new growth. The scent of the oil is perhaps the most heavenly aspect of their products, because it smells as if they captured my favorite moments in life in a bottle. If you’re an avid reader of Eye & Pen, you know that I am a sucker for a peaceful walk in the forest, above all other experiences. So when I first smelled their beard oil, I was immediately stoked, because it really smells like I stepped back into a crisp evergreen forest in early morning, just as the wilderness began to awake all around me.
The beard oil is a very important step towards reaching that manly ‘righteous beard’ status that I’m after, because if used correctly (after washing), it can condition the hair, making each tread stronger, as it eases the troubles of a dry beard on top of even dryer skin, while promoting fresh growth at a faster pace. Northern Fir combines jojoba, argan, and grapeseed oils with cedarwood, sandalwood, juniper berry and black pepper. Beyond the healing properties of the essential oil cocktail that makes up the scent, the base carrier oils of jojoba and argan are especially important for promoting healthy beard hair.
Northern Fir’s quality beard balm is a lifesaver for those whackier stages of beard growth. Any man who’s grown out a beard will tell you that you go through some less-than-ideal circumstances at times, where your beard will look vagrant and crazy and will feel just as bad, but there is indeed hope. The point for using a beard balm is so that you’re still receiving the natural health benefits of the oils, but you’re also tackling the hairs that refuse to cooperate. A beard balm is basically a soft, buttery mix of oils and butters and wax that melt in your hands as you apply it, that will maintain as well as promote healthy hair and new growth.
Northern Fir’s balm is a blend of shea butter, cocoa butter, pure beeswax, argan oil and jojoba oil, among others, with a similar scent profile as that of the beard oil, yet a bit softer and subtler. The balm applies smoothly, wrangling the wild hairs, while leaving a pleasant scent that I felt boosted my mood and confidence each day. To complete the kit, Northern Fir included two wood combs that, to be honest, I didn’t feel were very effective on my younger beard; but could perhaps work better if I had already reached righteous beard status. I prefer to use a boar hair brush for the earlier stages thus far. Overall, I found Northern Fir’s botanical products to be of the highest quality, as they smell fantastic, work as advertised (my spot is coming in thicker than ever, and my beard is shiny, healthy and growing better than I expected), and have now become a staple in my beard care approach.
If you would like to learn more about Northern Fir, click here.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
To cure my natural growth, or lack of, in that certain spot on my cheek, I had to employ a regimen that would ensure stimulated growth along with healthy maintenance. Northern Fir’s quality beard oil is a blend of nine premium plant-based oils that help to cure dryness and ease itchiness, while conditioning and stimulating for new growth. The scent of the oil is perhaps the most heavenly aspect of their products, because it smells as if they captured my favorite moments in life in a bottle. If you’re an avid reader of Eye & Pen, you know that I am a sucker for a peaceful walk in the forest, above all other experiences. So when I first smelled their beard oil, I was immediately stoked, because it really smells like I stepped back into a crisp evergreen forest in early morning, just as the wilderness began to awake all around me.
The beard oil is a very important step towards reaching that manly ‘righteous beard’ status that I’m after, because if used correctly (after washing), it can condition the hair, making each tread stronger, as it eases the troubles of a dry beard on top of even dryer skin, while promoting fresh growth at a faster pace. Northern Fir combines jojoba, argan, and grapeseed oils with cedarwood, sandalwood, juniper berry and black pepper. Beyond the healing properties of the essential oil cocktail that makes up the scent, the base carrier oils of jojoba and argan are especially important for promoting healthy beard hair.
Northern Fir’s quality beard balm is a lifesaver for those whackier stages of beard growth. Any man who’s grown out a beard will tell you that you go through some less-than-ideal circumstances at times, where your beard will look vagrant and crazy and will feel just as bad, but there is indeed hope. The point for using a beard balm is so that you’re still receiving the natural health benefits of the oils, but you’re also tackling the hairs that refuse to cooperate. A beard balm is basically a soft, buttery mix of oils and butters and wax that melt in your hands as you apply it, that will maintain as well as promote healthy hair and new growth.
Northern Fir’s balm is a blend of shea butter, cocoa butter, pure beeswax, argan oil and jojoba oil, among others, with a similar scent profile as that of the beard oil, yet a bit softer and subtler. The balm applies smoothly, wrangling the wild hairs, while leaving a pleasant scent that I felt boosted my mood and confidence each day. To complete the kit, Northern Fir included two wood combs that, to be honest, I didn’t feel were very effective on my younger beard; but could perhaps work better if I had already reached righteous beard status. I prefer to use a boar hair brush for the earlier stages thus far. Overall, I found Northern Fir’s botanical products to be of the highest quality, as they smell fantastic, work as advertised (my spot is coming in thicker than ever, and my beard is shiny, healthy and growing better than I expected), and have now become a staple in my beard care approach.
If you would like to learn more about Northern Fir, click here.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
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