Summer Beard?

Grooming Options from St James's

The 1911 portrait above by Joaquín Sorolla of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the American artist and designer and son of Tiffany's founder Charles Tiffany — is quite exuberantly summery and a delight for lovers of gardens.

Sorolla liked to paint outdoors, rapidly in a lightly impressionistic manner on large canvases. He is probably most famous for his beach-themed studies off the coast of his native Valencia. He loved light, particularly the special light you have at the beach, intensified by the water and the sand. If you are ever in Madrid, a visit to the Sorolla Museum is worth a couple of hours.

Sorolla would not have appreciated the weather in the UK this week, which has been cold enough for me to have worn my field coat from Alan Paine. July and all — can you believe that? I haven't got around to removing the old winter beard either. Do I shave and hope the weather warms up a bit or do I hang fire and stay bearded? The painting reveals to me that a beard might actually be an option this summer. It does look rather splendid with the cream suit.

Either way, the St James's barbershops have some new options to hand.

Taylor of Old Bond Street - Aloe Vera Shaving Cream

If the beard comes off —likely — Taylor have released a new shaving cream with Aloe Vera to provide a smooth shave and a soothing effect on the pink reborn skin that is hiding below. Being new to the world, we want to try and avoid any irritation and calm any tenderness.  

D. R. Harris - Moustache Wax

If the beard stays, the wayward tash can be twirled into order, like Louis' in the painting, with a smidgen of the new moustache wax from D. R. Harris. The wax has coconut and jojoba oils to keep the lip hair well-maintained.

Trumpers - San Remo Beard Oil

Trumpers have a delectable new beard oil for the 'gentle taming' of whiskers. For the San Remo beard oil, Trumpers have conjured the whiff of that famous city and its 'mixture of palm trees, cactuses, carnations, begonias and roses' — thus imbuing your beard with the delightful character of a summer garden in full bloom and ensuring that it glistens in the summer sunshine.

That does sound rather good.

Perhaps I'll keep the beard after all.