How to Get the Mustache with Stubble Look (BeardStache)

Last Updated: 01/10/2023

how to get mustache with stubble featured

Most people view the stubble beards and mustache as completely separate entities.

But what if you combined them. What if you grew out a big and bold mustache style and paired it with a sexy stubble style covering the rest of the face?

Well, many men are doing just that, as the popularity of the stubble and moustache beard styles have exploded in recent years.

Sure it sounds easy to grow out a mustache and then just let your stubble come in, but there’s more to this style than that.

There are variables such as what mustache style will you choose, and what length of stubble is right for that, and of course you need to pair everything with your face shape.

Let’s take a closer look at how to master a mustache with stubble beard.

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What is the Mustache with Stubble Beard Called

The beard style that features a bold and prominent mustache with a short stubble beard is known as the BeardStache or Stubble & Stache.

Many different versions of the style exist, as it can be paired with multiple different mustache styles and stubble lengths.

Some of the most popular mustache and stubble beard combinations include mustache styles such as the Chevron, Handlebar, or Hungarian mustache with stubble lengths from light stubble (0.4mm), to medium stubble (1-3mm), and even up to heavy stubble (4-5mm).

The style has existed for most likely as long as trimming the beard has been a thing, but recently the popularity of the mustache and stubble combo has skyrocketed and people have started labeling it as the “BeardStache”.

You may have seen these popular people sporting the stubble + mustache style:

Chris John Millington
Henry Cavill
Tom Hardy
Carlos Costa
Milo Ventimiglia
Adam Levine

How to Get the Mustache and Stubble Style

1. Start By Growing the Mustache

The road to growing proper BeardStache starts from growing out the mustache.

Most of the acceptable mustache styles that can be paired with this style are big and long with roughly 1-2 inches of growth needed.

Now we do know that on average facial hair grows just 0.5 inches per month, which means that you need to be growing out your mustache for a solid 2-4 months in order to pull off a proper stubble + mustache combo.

2. Trim the Rest of your Beard Down to a Stubble

The next part is easy.

All you need to do is to trim your facial hair area – from everywhere else except the top lip – into a stubble.

The easiest and quickest way to do this is to get either a beard trimmer or a stubble trimmer, set it to your desired stubble length and start trimming.

The length of the stubble is up to your preference, pick anything between 0.4mm and 5mm.

3. Decide what Mustache Style you Want to Go for

The central part of the BeardStache style is obviously the mustache.

Choosing the right mustache style to go along with your stubble is what will eventually determine whether your stubble beard with moustache is a hit or miss.

Once again it’s up to your preference and liking what style you go for, but as a quick tip I must say that the BeardStache tends to look the best with either a Chevron or Handlebar mustache style.

4. Define the Neckline and the Cheek Line

Once you have the mustache and stubble both ready to go, the hard part is done.

As a finishing touch, you want to take out a shaver or straight-razor and define your stubble beards cheek line and neckline.

For the neckline: Place your index finger and middle finger on top of the highest peak of your Adam’s apple and carve out a defined line from that point that follows the natural contours of your jawline (full guide on finding your beards neckline can be found here).

For the cheek line: If your jawline is angular and defined, go for a sharp step cut cheekline. If your jawline is round with softer angles, try a rounder cheek line with softer angles.

5. Keep Maintaining the Style with Trimming and Products

Obviously after your perfect BeardStache is ready, you will need to maintain it by trimming once in a while.

For the mustache, just use some beard & mustache scissors and occasionally snip away all the rogue hairs and keep the ‘stache in mint condition.

For the stubble, you will need to go through the facial hair area once every couple of days to keep the stubble to your desired length. Luckily this step is incredibly fast and easy if you have a beard or stubble trimmer.

Lastly you might want to look into using some beard products to help out with the styling.

The stubble area doesn’t need anything special, just some beard oil or beard moisturizer, and for the mustache it would be a good idea to maybe get a beard comb with fine teething and some mustache wax to make sure it holds its shape.

How Long Does it Take to Grow a Stubble with Mustache

We all have facial hair that grows at different speeds, but on average, male beard and mustache grows at a rate of 0.25mm per day which translates to 0.5 inches per month.

And since a proper BeardStache requires a mustache style that is at least 1″ in length, it means that it takes at least minimum 2 months to grow out a proper mustache and stubble combo.

For BeardStaches with bigger mustache styles, it can take even up to 4 months, but in general 2-4 months is the average time it takes to grow out enough facial hair for a stubble + stache beard style.

Face Shapes that Best Fit a Stubble + Stache Beard

henry cavill and his stubble with mustache style — Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

As explained in our beard shaping guide; every beard type has its perfect face shape match, and some close acceptable matches, and of course the shapes that don’t match it at all.

When it comes to the face shape that fits a BeardStache, you will want to have a strong jawline and a large or medium upper lip area.

Best matches:

Acceptable matches:

Poor matches:

Remember that the idea of the BeardStache is to add emphasis to a strong jawline that would otherwise be hidden by the full beard.

If you have a short or round jaw which is typical to men with heart and round faces, a better fit would be a style that features longer hairs on the cheeks and sideburns instead – such as the classic full beard look. We do have a full guide for beard styles that hide a weaker jaw here by the way.

Pros and Cons of Growing a Mustache with Stubble

The Stubble + Stache look is perfect for men who have prominent upper lips and thick mustache growth.

It also shows your jaw, chin, and cheeks, so if you have a prominent strong bone structure there, you can use the BeardStache to show that you can rock a beard without having to hide your jawline.

Yet another benefit of this facial hair type is that it can be pulled off by men who have patchy beard growth on their cheek area (common problem).

Since you will be trimming down the cheeks to a heavy-stubble, the patchiness is far less noticeable, and the attention is focused on the mustache area instead.

On the negative side, a BeardStache definitely doesn’t suit all men.

If your upper lip area is narrow, or your mustache growth, in general, is thin and weak, then pulling off a style like this which adds emphasis to the area is a bad idea.

For men with weaker jawlines, some extra face fat, or round-ish lower parts of the face, the BeardStache will highlight the weaker areas of your face and isn’t recommended.