D'Artagnan and the 3 Musketeers: The Musketeer Beard

|Simon Duyster

D'Artagnan and the 3 Musketeers - What Makes the Musketeer Beard

Today on the Charlemagne Premium blog we're getting into the musketeer beard. Born out of the beard shapes worn by the musketeer guard, the heroes of the novel "The Three Musketeers", this bit of beard styling is having a serious moment right now. Boho or dandy, the musketeer beard look is back on the agenda. Even so, the men copying it often hit the same wall. How do I pull off the Johnny Depp or King Victor Emmanuel look properly, without my beard ending up looking neglected? Gentlemen, don't bury your head in the sand, because when it comes to turning up well groomed you have come to the right place. Once you've had a little practice and got your beard into shape for the first time, you're ready to head out like Zorro, avenger of the poor, who also wore the musketeer beard, and start winning hearts. So look forward to the tips and tricks below.

Of course we've also put together a proper video on the subject for you.

So what actually is the musketeer beard?

The musketeer beard is a combination of a twirled moustache and a goatee. Apart from the fact that the rest of your face is shaved clean in this combination, there isn't much more to explain about the styling. Fine, that sounds too easy at first. Let's put it another way. If you have the nerve to think sideways and head off in a different direction, then the musketeer beard is exactly your thing. Eye-catching and still stylishly elegant. Let's be honest here. What woman doesn't have a soft spot for men like Johnny Depp? But let's get into the detail, because plain old beard styling is a different matter.

As already mentioned, the so-called "Victor Emmanuel beard" styling, the musketeer beard, is a combination of chin beard and moustache. That's why the next section starts with the basic shave.

victor emmanuel beard

The shave

First things first, you need to get your beard into the shape you want. Keep in mind that the musketeer beard consists of nothing but the chin beard and the moustache. Shaving the cheeks is therefore the order of the day. At this point we're assuming you already know the basic look of the musketeer beard. Now it's your turn. Shave your cheeks and bring out the decisive parts of your facial hair the way your chosen musketeer beard styling demands. A good tool for the job is the good old straight razor. With that in your hand you can not only shape the contours of your future styling, you can also clear your cheeks of stubble with practically nothing left behind.

Which brings us to styling the moustache. That's what we'll cover next.

The moustache

A defining feature of the musketeer beard is the good old moustache. Unlike the so-called "van dyke", this rather dignified beard style gets twirled at the hairs running towards the cheeks. Use the Kaiser Wilhelm moustache as your reference point. Shaped with the help of beard wax, it does exactly the job the musketeer beard asks of it. Striking and masculine, it emphasises your features sharply while keeping your face open. With that you've already conjured the first part of the musketeer beard onto your face. The next step, and the one we'll deal with now, is the chin beard.

moustache

The chin beard

Your chin beard is a key element of the musketeer beard. The so-called soul patch is an extra narrow chin beard, shaved into a triangle in the middle just below the lower lip and running down towards the chin. Arranging your beard hair this way emphasises the symmetry of your face. It's a genuinely cultivated look, guaranteed to get noticed, and it plays up the dandy or boho style that's in demand right now. Here too a straight razor is very much in order. It's what keeps the contours of the soul patch looking cleanly and neatly shaved, and supports the cultivated look we've just described.

As you can see, the musketeer beard is no rocket science. If your plan is to embody the true Zorro look, this styling puts you exactly on track. Heart-shaped face or long face, the musketeer beard always works. The right tools and care products, particularly for the cheeks you've just shaved, are waiting as always in our Charlemagne Premium shop.

"A healthy and well groomed beard is important for a real man, that's why we offer everything you need to keep yours doing so."

victor emmanuel beard musketeer beard

As barbers with more than 20 years in the trade between us, we went looking for styling & care products that convinced us 100%. There were some good products on the market, but none that really gave us everything we needed. After some thought we decided in 2014 to develop our own range. For two years we used every free minute after work at the barbershop to refine the formulations down in our cellar. When it came to ingredients, only the best was good enough for us. We bought the finest jojoba oils available in Morocco, and argan oil from Italy.

After two years and a good many attempts our first product line was ready, and it has been winning our customers over ever since. We think 98% positive reviews speak for themselves. Since the official launch in 2016 it has of course been developed further, continuously. That is one of the reasons Charlemagne Premium products have won not one but several comparison tests in recent years.

You will find all our products right here in our online store. For any questions about them, you can reach us any time at info@charlemagne-premium.com.