How To Trim A Mustache For Kissing

Wanna make sure your dates want to kiss you again? Here’s how to trim your mustache for kissing without scratching their face or getting hair in their mouth.  

What Makes a Mustache Kissable? 

The fundamental rule to having a kissable face is making sure your mustache doesn’t grow over your upper lip. Your makeout partner wants to kiss lips – not whiskers! So while it may take away from your virile Tom Selleck look, it’s the only way to guarantee repeat makeout sessions.

Beyond that, you’re also aiming for soft hair that won’t chafe. You can’t cut it down too short, or the stubble will irritate your partner’s skin.

Choose Your Weapons

At the very least, you’re going to need a fine-tooth comb and some scissors in order to trim your mustache for kissing.

Electric clippers or a trimmer may also come in handy, but they’re not mandatory. 

It’s easier to pair your mustache trim with other parts of your grooming routine, so make sure to have everything else you might need, like your razor or shaver, shaving cream, and so on. 

Comb

Your comb will act as a guide and maneuvering tool. First, use it to brush your mustache downwards, so you can see how much it overhangs past your lip. If you’re going for more of a handlebar or chevron-style stache, comb the hair on a diagonal rather than straight down. 

Make sure to do this when your mustache is dry. The hair stretches when it’s wet, so if you attempt to shape wet facial hair, you may end up going too short. 

Trim The Bottom 

Once your stache is brushed in the right direction, use the comb to pinpoint where your mustache should end above your upper lip. Using your scissors, trim any hair that sticks out below your comb. Work in sections, and move the comb along the perimeter of your upper lip in order to trim the entirety of your stache. 

Depending on the kind of shape you’re going for, you may want to do this from the center of your stache outwards (for a chevron or handlebar shape) or from side to side (for a straight-across style like a lampshade or boxcar stache). 

Trim The Bulk

Once your upper lip is kissably hair-free, it’s time to trim and shape the rest of your mustache. If you’re not sure exactly how bulky you want your mustache to be, look at your profile in a mirror. This will make it a little easier to judge just how far past your face you want your mustache to extend. 

Then, working in sections, use the comb to gently lift the hair, so you can trim it down carefully. Start from the center outwards and from the bottom up. 

This can be even quicker and easier with an electric clipper, using a #2 or #3 guard (confirm which guard corresponds with which length before you just go for it)

Make sure to go with a minimum length of 5-7 mm. Any shorter and you’ll end up with a pokey mustache that induces carpet burn. 

Give Your ‘Stache Some TLC

From here on out, make sure to use beard oil or beard butter at least a few times a week as part of your regular grooming regimen. 

Look for ingredients like coconut oil, avocado oil, and shea butter, which can help make your facial hair feel softer. 

If you’ve got a Netflix & Chill session already booked, be extra careful with mustache wax or other products that create a film over your facial hair – your date doesn’t want any of that gunk getting all over her face or in her mouth. 

A little bit of wax on the tips might be okay, but you shouldn’t be able to feel it if you touch the back of your hand to your lips. The same applies to lighter beard oils – apply an amount that will soak into your stache and won’t leave a residue on your significant other.  

Consider Shaving It All Down 

In 2021, we conducted a survey on whether women like beards (and facial hair in general). The research discovered that, for the most part, women prefer a clean-shaven or lightly stubbled man. As for mustaches alone? That was one of the respondents’ most disliked facial hair styles. 

So if your goal is to make as many women as possible want to kiss you, skip the stache altogether. If you refuse to let go of your magnificent upper lip growth, consider pairing it with a neatly-groomed beard or stubble.