There are, perhaps, no mustache styles whose creativity, boldness, and outlandish features could truly compare with those stylized and worn by master artist Salvador Dali.
As though few individuals, even artists, could match Dali’s creative genius, so it is appropriate that his mustache styles should be as equally unmatched.
Salvador Dali Mustaches
Salvador Dali was one of the most well-known surrealist painters of the 20th century and a father of the genre.
Dali was also perhaps the most dedicated to being a living persona of the surrealism he created.
Never breaking character, Dali wore clothing and had mustaches that helped him keep up with the surrealist appearance.
A variation on the pencil mustache, Dali’s various styles included small amounts of hair over the center of the upper lip with unusually long strands of hair or whiskers out to the sides.
Dali would typically use a thick pomade or mustache wax in order stiffen and shape the whiskers in different ways.
The most famous is the upside-down Fu Manchu or handlebar mustache. In a famous photograph of Dali, he dons the reverse Fu Manchu as it crosses directly over his eyes.
On June 21, 2017, Dali’s body was exhumed for a paternity test.
Upon open the casket, the coroner’s office found Dali’s mustache was still intact 27 years after his death. This was because of the embalming process Dali’s body underwent.
Pencil Mustache Throughout History
The pencil mustache became popularized shortly after World War II.
This was because the previous leading style of the day, the toothbrush mustache, fell quickly out of favor after it was identified with Adolf Hitler.
The Dali mustache styles are all based on the basic pencil mustache.
In fact, when Dali was younger, his original style was that of the basic pencil mustache. This was a typical style for Spanish men in the 1930’s & 40’s.
Famous People with the Pencil Mustache
Clark Gable: The famous actor started wearing the pencil mustache in the late 1940’s. After this, the pencil mustache became instantly and forever fused with Gable’s infallible romantic persona.
Photo from: spooool.com
Vincent Price: Perhaps the antithesis of Gable’s personality and film genre was that of the famous actor Vincent Price.
Best known for his roles in horror films – alongside actors like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing – Price gave the pencil mustache a two-faced personality.
Price’s famous devious grin would not have the same power without that mustache to give it definition.
Sammy Davis Jr.: Winning more points on the romantic side, the pencil mustache sealed its fate as the iconic style for charming romantics alike.
Sammy’s pencil mustache was and forever will be an essential part of the crooner’s persona.
How to Achieve the Salvador Dali Mustache Styles
This style is not for the faint at heart. Few mustache and beard styles can force an identity on someone and this will do just that.
Those who are dedicated to the finer things and surrealist art will find an uncanny sophistication from Dali styles.
Here are the steps needed to achieve the various Dali mustaches:
Absolute Patience: This mustache will take some time to grow and it will need to be maintained along the way. As the mustache grows, you will need to part the hair from the middle to each side.
Continue growth until each side of the mustache is about 5” to 6” in length.
Daily Waxing: Mustache wax will need to be continuously applied in order to train the mustache hair in the direction you want. Twist the strands with the wax to get that smooth circular look.
Maintenance: This is a very high-maintenance mustache style and dedication comes with a price. Just remember that you will have to daily twist and wax your mustache if you want to truly follow in the great Salvador Dali’s footsteps.
Other Important Tools: A quality beard trimmer is a must for this ‘stache. You will need a trimmer with some precision to fine tune the pencil mustache every few days or so.
For those guys who are less knowledgeable on how to trim a mustache, a beard/mustache shaping tool is a great asset to have for achieving the painter’s perfection with you Dali.
Photos from: casarda / depositphotos.com, Toniflap / depositphotos.com.
The post How to Achieve the Salvador Dali Pencil Mustache Style appeared first on Beardoholic.