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You don’t need to grow thick, bushy facial hair in order to sprout a really great mustache. That’s because are thousands of mustache styles out there, each one uniquely expressed by its wearer. If you and your best friend choose the same type of mustache, you’ll both grow something slightly different from one another. On top of that, you yourself can modify any existing mustache just slightly—a snip here, a little wax there—and it will transform your face entirely.
But of all the types of mustaches out there, which ones are best for you? The rules of geometry aren’t so rigid here (at least not as prominently as face shape determines the best hair styles, beard styles, and glasses for every guy). There are a few mustaches that can visually enhance, say, a super circular face shape or a square jaw, but you’ve more or less got carte blanche when it comes to picking a mustache; it’s more a matter of what your growth potential is, and from there you can consider the rest.
GQ’s resident grooming pro Matty Conrad outlined his favorite mustache styles, as worn by some of Hollywood’s most famous names. You can watch that above, or read below for a few additional pointers on how to get the most popular mustache styles. Yeah, we said there are thousands of options, and that’s still true, but most of them will use the below as a starting point.
Read More: How to Grow a Mustache—Plus the Best Tools and Products for Maintaining One
First things first: Conrad points out that there are two distinct parts of every mustache. Understanding these will help you visualize a mustache style, especially in how it needs to be grown out, trimmed, or physically styled.
The Peak: When trimming your mustache, it’s usually smart to trim the upper rows of hairs more, so that they don’t build bulk atop the more stylable lower and outermost hairs. This uppermost point is the peak, and Conrad says its shortness and neat perimeter are maintained mostly so that you have more functional control over the flourishes.
The Points: These are the longer parts of the mustache, at the ends and sides of the whole thing. They are easier to style, too, since they have more maneuverability and will bend to the wills of your mustache wax.
3 Alternatives to a Standalone Mustache
If a bold, standalone mustache is an intimidating idea for you (or maybe just a mountain your facial hairs can’t seem to climb), then consider some of these mustache-ish options instead.
1. The Anchored ‘Stache
As Seen On: Michael B. Jordan, Eddie Murphy, Steven Yeun
This pairs any type of mustache with a bit of chin fuzz or a generous soul patch, all to balance things visually. Most people won’t consider you as having a mustache, but some kind of fuller facial hair style. (Unless they stop and think about it.) Conrad notes that round face shapes will especially benefit from this method, because most circular faces tend to wear mustaches a little awkward (in that, the mustaches tend to wear the guy instead).
2. The Beard ‘Stache
As Seen On: Henry Cavill, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm
Like the anchored ‘stache, the beard ‘stache can also be paired with any type of mustache up top the lip. But the modification is in the rest of the face: Instead of keeping things freshly shorn, you let the stubble grow out to a day or five’s worth. The effect is a nice play in contrast, wherein your mustache is definitively bolder and holding center stage, but the whiskers soften things out—and again, others will visually perceive it as an overall facial hair style as opposed to a mustache. (We only make this comment since some people, wrong as they are, have strongly negative opinions about mustaches.)
3. The Shadow ‘Stache
As Seen On: Timothée Chalamet, Steven Yeun
Here’s an option for you wispy wunderkinds out there. Yes, a sparse ‘stache is still a mustache. Sprout what you can, and confidently so. You can even combine this with the above two alternatives, for some kind of shadow-beard or anchored-shadow effect. See how the mustache styles are truly infinite?
And 8 Types of Mustaches to Consider
Of all the different mustache options out there, these are the ones Conrad says are most common—or at least, the ones most commonly known. (Even we struggle to identify non-famous men wearing a couple of them, but that doesn’t make the styles any less notable.)
1. The Chevron Mustache
As Seen On: Miles Teller, Donald Glover, Tom Selleck, Henry Cavill
This is the most “obvious” mustache; probably the least stylized one, wherein you grow a full upper lip and simple shave at the sides of the lips, along with everything else. Some hairs might grow to the sides or above the upper lip, but never too egregious. Conrad notes that the chevron pairs especially well with a square jaw, in that it pulls center focus while letting those sharp angles speak for themselves, too.
2. The Outlaw Mustache
As Seen On: Pedro Pascal, Jason Lee, Paul Mescal
The outlaw is extremely close to a chevron, says Conrad, except in that it drops down a little more on the sides. This is a really flattering look for sparser mustaches too (like Pedro Pascal); if a thick, full chevron feels impossible or looks odd, then angle for some curtains on the edges, and see how it changes things for you. This one also “parts” nicely, should you want to use a pinch of wax to coach each half of the ‘stache to its respective side.
3. The Pyramid Mustache
As Seen On: Burt Reynolds (in Smokey and the Bandit), Milo Ventimiglia
Here’s another style similar to the chevron (and the outlaw mustache, too). The pyramid mustache builds a sharper angle on the sides, Conrad notes, and they descend slightly into points on the outside of the style. When both sides meet underneath the nose, they might even look like two mountaintops. The pyramid mustache is a much bolder statement than the two aforementioned styles, but when it works, it works overtime.
4. The Handlebar Mustache
As Seen On: Jim Carrey (in Sonic the Hedgehog), Daniel Day-Lewis (in Gangs of New York), Henry Fonda (in How the West Was Won)
There’s a reason we’ve cited two movie villains as the primary wearers of the handlebar mustache: It is, admittedly, a little cartoonish or ironically hipster. Nothing wrong with that, but it takes a certain level of confidence (or total indifference) to pull it off. And in case it wasn’t already obvious, yes, this one looks like the handlebars of a bike, often with an embellished twizzle at the ends. (Pro tip: Take some wax, massage it into the ends, and wrap those ends around a pencil multiple times, then release).
5. The Half Horseshoe Mustache
As Seen On: Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Danny Trejo
Don’t mistake the half horseshoe mustache for a handlebar ‘stache, Conrad says. And it’s far more wearable than a full-on horseshoe style, too: “[Unlike a horseshoe beard style] the sidelines don’t drop all the way to the chin; they stop at the corners of the mouth,” Conrad says. If it’s easier to visualize as a half-goatee, then let that serve as the image here: This one just erases everything under the lips, and allows the sides of the ‘stache to droop down a centimeter or two.
6. The Horseshoe Mustache
As Seen On: Hulk Hogan, George Michael
Here’s a really hard one to pull off: Perhaps that’s why only eccentric personalities like Hogan and Michael make it look easy. This one feels like the mustachioed equivalent to a mullet (business up top, party on the sides). But hey, even the mullet came back into style recently. So, if you’re feeling lucky (or like you want to set a new trend), then give the horseshoe a toss.
7. The Walrus Mustache
As Seen On: Nick Offerman, Sam Elliott
The biggest, bushiest mustache there is. This one bucks the rule of trimming the peak of the mustache, because you really need to work on that bulk. Conrad warns that the walrus is famously annoying to wear, since it gets in the way of just about everything (even the words coming out of your mouth, which becomes a chore for others). Still, there are a lot of guys who wear this bulky style with aplomb, and when it looks good, it looks great.
8. The Pencil Mustache
As Seen On: Brad Pitt (in Babylon), Eddie Murphy, John Waters, Salvador Dalí
Here’s another one that is hard to pull off (there’s a reason John Waters and Salvador Dali are inimitable—though, Dalí’s is arguably a pencil-handlebar hybrid). Still, look no further than Brad Pitt in Babylon or Inglorious Basterds for proof positive that the rest of us can pull off a pencil ‘stache, too. (Alright, maybe Pitt isn’t the best example of “the rest of us”, but his spins on the pencil mustache are quite rakish, and worth trying out. If anything, it’s the shortest and easiest to “reset”, should you not like the look. And to that note, Conrad adds that you should expect to shave the rest of your upper lip and full face a lot more frequently with a pencil mustache, since the contrast with a bare face is extremely important.'
How Can You Make Your Mustache Look Fuller?
Just as there are a few techniques to filling in a patchy beard, you can also make a sparse mustache look a bit fuller. For one, don’t underestimate beard dye when it comes to filling in a blonde or wispy mustache. If it matches the color up top your head, then chances are the dye can make your hairs each look visibly fuller, too. Secondly, while there aren’t a lot of studies on the matter, minoxidil is often considered the best means of encouraging dormant hair follicles to sprout. Truth be told, you can’t magically make hair grow if it’s not meant to, but some of us will sprout more over the years, and just as minoxidil can make your head hair grow thicker and fuller, the theory is that it can have a similar effect on facial hair. (Consider oral minoxidil, too, which is becoming more accessible of late.) Read more tips for maximizing your facial hair’s potential.
Can You Make Your Mustache Grow Faster?
Truthfully, there’s not a lot you can do to speed up the growth of your facial hair. The best booster probably comes from taking a biotin supplement, but even then, most studies around biotin’s hair growth abilities pertain to hair loss (with not so conclusive results), and they don’t really tackle not facial hair (or head hair) expedience. But you know how biotin supplements make your nails seemingly grow faster? The thinking is similar with hair, but it’s harder to notice on a daily basis than the nails.
How Do You Style a Mustache?
Since mustache hairs are usually much shorter than head hairs or beard hairs (with exceptions), a mustache style is usually anchored in the actual shape and fullness of the thing. Still, if you are able to grow it out an extra few weeks, you’ll notice that it becomes exponentially more sculptable and mobile. So, get some mustache wax to hold it in place (Reuzel’s rules), and use a facial hair comb if you need some extra help coaching it in a specific direction. (Zeus’s is god-tier good.)
