Beard Grooming – The Balbo Beard
A Balbo beard is a beard without sideburns and a trimmed, floating moustache. It’s a bit similar to the short boxed beard. The Balbo beard is ideal for those with round face shapes, and it's sported by the likes of Justin Timberlake.
This beard style leaves hair fuller on the chin while keeping the sides tidy with an angled shave along the cheekbones. This helps balance out round faces and give them a slimmer appearance.
How to Shave the Balbo Beard Style
To properly trim and style a Balbo beard, you’ll need to have at least 4 weeks of beard growth to get started. Once you’ve grown out your beard, follow these simple steps to get the ultimate Balbo beard:
Step 1: Select a Fixed-Length Comb for Trimming
To perfect this look, you’ll need to choose an all-purpose beard styler that can trim evenly, shave closely and edge precisely. The All Purpose Gillette STYLER comes with three comb attachments (2mm, 4mm, 6mm) and a precision edging blade for you to choose from.
Step 2: Trim Your Facial Hair
The Balbo has an emphasis on volume, so you don’t want to trim too much. Just enough to even out your beard hair length. Trimming hairs before shaving can help reduce tug and pull while shaving, and it can help prevent clogged blades.
Step 3: Define The Balbo Beard Shape
Remove your trimmer’s comb attachment and start defining the Balbo Beard shape. Start at the ears and remove hair in an inward motion towards the chin until symmetrical. Then you’ll need to create a gap of about a ¼ inch from your moustache to your goatee on either side.
Step 4: Check for Symmetry As You Go
Symmetry’s important but be careful not to trim too much off in an effort to look even.
Step 5: Prep Your Face
Rinse your face with warm water to help hydrate your hair in preparation for shaving. Then, lather up the parts of your face that you want to shave completely bare—the non-balbo parts—with a shave gel. Using a shave gel will help prevent nicks, cuts, and irritation.
Step 6: Shave with Light, Gentle Strokes
Attach the razor blades attachment onto your Gillette STYLER handle and shave with light, gentle strokes, to give yourself a close shave. Any Fusion5™ blade refill fits with STYLER.
Step 7: Rinse Your Blades Regularly
Rinsing the blades often throughout your shave helps to prevent the buildup of hairs and shaving cream on the blade edges and cartridge; this helps keep your razor performing at its best.
Step 8: Edge with the Precision Trimmer
On the back of all Fusion5 razors is a precision blade; use this to help define the shape of your Balbo Beard and achieve clean, crisp edges.
Step 9: Rinse, Towel, and Moisturise
Rinse off your face with cool water. Towel off, and then apply a hydrating aftershave lotion or balm to help soothe your skin and prevent post-shave irritation.
You have just mastered the Balbo beard style!
With Gillette razors and trimmers, your personal grooming possibilities are endless.
Although you’ll need to shave regularly to keep the edges of your Balbo beard sharply defined, you can allow the volume of your Balbo Beard to grow out naturally and you won’t need to trim it as often as you would an anchor beard.
