4 Ways to Keep Yourself Looking Good in 2020: Grooming Tips & Tricks

4 Ways to Keep Yourself Looking Good in 2020: Grooming Tips & Tricks

Look in the mirror. What are the first things you notice? Whatever it is most important is COMPLETELY up to you - Your opinion matters most. That's where the feel-good comes from.
August 20, 2020 — Peter Levin
Ditch The Disposable Razor

Ditch The Disposable Razor

Have you ever wondered if using a disposable razor was the right choice for you? You are not alone; more and more women are transitioning from disposable shaving methods to trimmers and we think we have figured out why. Keep reading to find out five reasons why you should consider ditching your disposable.
May 02, 2020 — Elizabeth North
Perfect Bikini Trim for Your Perfect Bikini Body

Perfect Bikini Trim for Your Perfect Bikini Body

We believe that every body is a bathing suit body. Getting ready for the beach and the pool doesn't have to be a task but can actually be a gift to yourself. Follow our simple steps to take this chore and turn it into self care to be bathing suit ready in no time.
May 01, 2020 — Elizabeth North
Brio's Best Picks for Beards in 2020

Brio's Best Picks for Beards in 2020

If you look around, nearly a third of all men are sporting a beard. In ancient times, it was a symbol of status for men to wear beards. While that trend has had its own ebbs and flows over the years, since 2010 the beard trend has been growing.

Not sure what style works for your face? Looking at what is trending on the streets and big screen are great ways to identify the look that may suit you. Its easy to use a Google search and find all the “beards” and everything else pertaining to beards - from the bearded boys’ clubs to blogs and vlogs that showcase the best products to use to take your look to the next level. Beards are no longer just grown; beards are a movement.

In 2020, it is becoming apparent that there are five top trends popping up and we think you just may want to check out the best on the block this year. 

The Full Beard

It takes some time to grow a full beard, so if you are considering this style, don’t expect it to happen overnight. Still, while it grows it’s important to take care of grooming. Don’t forget that even with a full beard, trimming is necessary. Forgetting to trim up your cheek and jaw line is a big faux pas. We always recommend trimming with a clean, dry, combed beard which will decrease pulling and lessen the chance of nicks and cuts.

Those first few times you shape your full beard can be intimidating, so take your time and be careful. You can always go shorter, but growing it back takes time, so start slow. Use bigger guards and work your way backwards to protect your efforts. Caring for your beard is as important as any other ritual you have. Keeping your beard healthy takes some work, but using beard wash, conditioner and a comb will keep it in check. We promise after a few weeks of consistent effort it will be worth the wait.

The Beardstache

Is it a beard or mustache? It's both. The trend of the “Beardstache” is a newer creature to the beard scene and is growing in popularity. While some people simply abhor the look, it is becoming especially popular with the younger crowd. It consists of a heavily grown in mustache paired with a well-trimmed and maintained shorter style beard. Like its full beard friend, this style takes a while to perfect and wear out looking like the cover of a magazine, so be patient with yourself as you get it to the length and look you like.

Getting the Beardstache to look just right can be tricky, so we suggest starting with a full 'Stache first and then grow in the stubble within a couple days of getting your upper lip looking as you like. If that doesn’t seem to work for you, keep trimming that lower jaw and let that 'Stache grow in.

 

The Goatee

This beard style may be the most versatile of beards, with several substyles under the big umbrella goatee moniker. Those wearing a goatee don anything from the landing strip to the anchor or the full goatee. The choices for the Goatee are plentiful and seem to allow individuals to create their own unique look. This style is best achieved after growing a full beard and trimming, shaping and styling to get just the right facial hair style you like to sport.

The Short Beard

While almost any beard style is acceptable in the workplace, in years past, the short beard was the style most accepted in the white-collar world. This carefully manicured look tends to be the most prevalent amongst men in the corner office. Still, as with any beard, this style takes time and care with trimming every few days, coming and beard oil. Most think of famous actor George Clooney when they consider this style and we hear most ladies love it.

 

The Stubble Look

Often referred to as the 5 o’clock shadow, this sexy look seems to appeal to the older teens and young twenty-somethings. People also consider this look to be the rugged weekend style that many men sport when they have time off. While thought to require little maintenance the stubble look still does in fact require something from those who wear it. Don’t forget to trim down your neck and cheek lines keeping this look clean and remember trimming still is necessary every couple days to keep you looking top notch.

 

The Brio Beardscape and its counterpart, the Axis are the perfect tools to add to your collection and help you to obtain the perfect beard. With ceramic blades and lithium ion batteries, these products have helped men shape up and look their best with any beard style.

As always, our top notch customer care team is ready to assist you at a moments notice with questions or concerns. We look forward to seeing how your Brio help you look your bearded best and don’t forget, tag #showyourbrio for a chance to win monthly prizes.

April 11, 2020 — Elizabeth North
Everything you need to know before you buy your next trimmer

Everything you need to know before you buy your next trimmer

If you are like most guys, you have probably owned a number of trimmers, mostly terrible. A trimmer is one of those necessary pieces of equipment in your bathroom that no guy can live without. Even if you can’t grow much facial hair or you don’t shave regularly, there are many other trimming tasks that require ownership of an oscillating blade.

As young men, hair often shows up in life before our bank accounts have matured - so price is the factor that weighs in our buying decisions. I, myself have fallen victim to grooming with a less than acceptable tool. In fact, I have owned several crappy trimmers which helped inspire me to spend the last 5 years creating a trimmer that corrects all the shortcomings I have experienced with other trimmers. 

 

 

Here’s some tips to keep from making a bad decision on your next trimmer

The Blade is one of the most important parts of your trimmer as it affects the cutting performance. A good blade trims better, doesn’t pull hairs, doesn’t get hot and is quieter. There are three common types of blades. Here’s what you need to know:

 

Stamped stainless blade

 

Ground stainless blade

 

Ceramic blade

 

Stamped stainless steel blades are the cheapest and least effective for trimming. These blades are stamped out of a single piece of steel and formed with one operation so they are never truly as sharp as they need to be, even right out of the factory. These blades are made from softer steel and get dull quickly. A dull blade means it will take more passes to cut your hair and could also lead to skin irritation or snagging and pulling of your hair. Unfortunately there are a number of more expensive trimmers available that still use a stamped stainless blade.

 

The next type, ground stainless steel are big step up from stamped stainless-steel. These are generally made from a piece of harder steel and the blade is ground into shape with a grinding wheel. This method makes the blades much sharper and more precise than their stamped counterparts. The steel used is often harder and thicker so they hold their edge better as well. Ground stainless is what you will generally find on professional clippers. Ground stainless blades can be made with very small teeth and can be made to cut very close to the skin.

 

Use caution as it can be very difficult to tell the difference in pictures if the blade is stamped or ground and very few product descriptions say which they are.

 

Ceramic blades are also ground into shape however the ceramic material is much harder and allows these blades to stay sharper, longer. They also won’t rust and operate with lower friction. Unlike stainless blades, ceramic blades are easy to identify as they are generally white with a stainless-steel rake (the stationary part of the blade). Due to the limitations of the material, ceramic blades are generally only made with larger teeth and excel at cutting thick and coarse hair.

Other trimmer blade elements

When considering any blade, you always need to consider teeth size as well as trimming range. Small teeth are better suited for cutting short hair lengths while bigger teeth are better at cutting thicker or longer hair. Blades with smaller teeth excel with the close cuts needed on your neck line and upper cheeks, and the back of your neck. Make sure you blades are able to trim as low as possible, look for a blade that cuts between ½ to 1 millimeter. If you need to get closer you may need to check out a specialized trimmer. Minimum cutting height is a detail that is hard to verify when looking at a product listing. You may have to do some research to find out the lowest blade setting when evaluating different trimmers.

 

battery and motor

With nearly every electronic device, the battery is usually the first part to fail. While we have all suffered through a dull, rusty blade, if that battery is toast, your trimmer is too. So it's important that both the battery and motor be powerful enough to do the job for a long time. An oversized battery not only holds a charge longer but will ultimately extend the life of your trimmer by being to hold a useful charge for longer. 

 

Look for a trimmer with a lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery. This isn’t 1980, so choosing anything without a rechargeable Li-Ion battery is pointless. Most trimmers will not list the size of the battery but look for a trimmer that notes 1,200 or more milliamp hours (mAH). Remember, it may be a cheaper option but don’t bother buying a trimmer with Nickel Cadmium (ni-cad) or replaceable batteries. You will be disappointed, and you will have to replace it shortly. I have never had a trimmer with a ni-cad battery last much over a year with regular use.

 

   

Now that we know what to look for in a battery lets talk the motor because it is just as important as the battery. It can be very challenging to identify how powerful a motor is as listings won’t note motor specifications. However, once you identify your battery size you will have an approximation for motor size. In some cases, bigger isn’t always better but when it comes to motors in your trimmer, it is. Due to low information from manufacturers, battery size is the best proxy for motor power. Figure out the battery size and you have your answer. 

  

Accessories to consider

The final part of choosing the best trimmer to meet your personal needs? Guards and attachments. The correct guards and attachments will add versatility to get the look you desire. Few trimmers are good at cutting very short and very long hair so knowing what you want in your model is critical to get the best results.

 

If you are only using a trimmer for beards, short hair or body hair, than guards up to 6 mm will suffice however if you are looking to maintain that long beard or do your own haircuts, it’s best to look for a trimmer with guards that range up to 15 to 20 mm, anything over 20 mm becomes less practical. 

 

Be weary of any trimmer offering an excessive number
of 
attachments -are you really going to use the foil shaver or
“body groom” attachment?

 

There are two styles of guards, ones that clip on to your trimmer and adjustable guards that rise up and down. Adjustable guards can add complication to trimmer designs and often result in lack of length options. Some adjustable guards have the bad habit of slipping down when they are pressed against your skin. For this reason, our trimmers come with a number of clip-on guards for best results. 

  

With your next trimmer, here’s some must have’s:

  • Ground stainless blade or Ceramic blade
  • Sizeable LI-Ion (1,200 mAh or larger)
  • Ability to cut very short (1mm or less)
  • Guards up to at least 6mm

Here are a few gimmicks to avoid when purchasing your next trimmer.

  • Twenty attachments? Too many attachments may actually just be a way to hide poor attachment systems resulting in excessively loud trimming. 
  • Waterproof? You don’t want to cut your hair when it is wet, blades work better when they are dry.
  • Surgical Steel?, while it sounds great, it’s actually not “a thing”, nor is “airplane grade steel” for that matter.
  • Finally, Self-sharpening blades. If you see a trimmer offering self-sharpening blades, It's a lie - they don’t exist.

 

If you are looking for a great trimmer for longer beards, manscaping, and haircuts, Check out the Beardscape. If you keep shorter facial hair styles, check out the Axis.

 

Beardscape Trimmer - $68.95

Features:

  • Ceramic blade
  • 2200 mAh Li-Ion Battery
  • Giant Motor
  • Trimming lengths ranging from 1mm to 20mm
  • 2 year warranty

Axis Trimmer - $39.95

 

Features:

  • Ceramic Blade
  • 1600 mAh Li-Ion Battery
  • One button function with battery meter
  • Trimming lenghts ranging from .5mm to 6mm
  • 2 year warranty

 

We are always here (service@brio4life.com) if you need us.

 

 

January 23, 2020 — Eric Steckling
How I prepare to have the Ultimate Summer Body

How I prepare to have the Ultimate Summer Body

Alright ladies, I’m going to come right out and say it. You know what the worst part of the first day of pool season really is? That moment you realize you forgot to shave. You know what moment I’m talking about. The point of no return, when you inevitably have to take your kimono off and …damn how could I forget that part? The first day of summer can be overwhelming; your routine to get summer ready shouldn’t have to be. Here’s how I prepare to have the ultimate summer body.
June 28, 2019 — Shelby Packard
Reviews Don’t Lie: 5 Reasons Why People Love the Brio Beardscape

Reviews Don’t Lie: 5 Reasons Why People Love the Brio Beardscape

You’ve heard about the Brio Beardscape but aren’t sure if it's right for you? We think its great but don’t take our word for it..men (and women) from all over the world are advocating others and sharing their experiences online.  We rounded up the most raved about reasons people love their Beardscape to make your beard trimmer research a bit easier.
November 15, 2018 — Eric Steckling
Fear the Beard: 5 Athletes Rockin’ the Best Beards

Fear the Beard: 5 Athletes Rockin’ the Best Beards

Some consider it bad luck to shave during playoffs, others are living that beard life 365. With Fall sports back in full swing, we rounded up some of our favorite bearded looks for your beard inspiration. 
November 08, 2018 — Sara Wright
beard trimmer

Don't Disrespect Your Beard

If you're using a trimmer with a stamped metal blade you may as well be using a lawn mower. 

When you're in a pinch for a trimmer, don't disrespect your beard. Use the Beardscape.

 Order your Beardscape here now and get a free storage case for a limited time!

September 13, 2018 — Eric Steckling