The grain

Short reference pieces on beard length, on what oil and balm each do, and on what these two boxes leave out. No routines to follow and nothing to sign up for.

• Reference

  A guide to beard length in millimetres

  A descriptive chart of common beard lengths from zero to seventy millimetres, how barbers name each stage, and the simple tools used to manage them.

• Care notes

  Using oil and balm in the right order

  Both MALE GOD kits contain an amber bottle and a round tin. The physical differences determine how each is applied and how long a bottle lasts.

• Care guide

  Caring for the three tools in the grooming kit

  A wooden comb, a bristle palm brush and steel scissors will last if they stay dry. Here is how to clean each tool and what ruins the set.

• Label guide

  Fragrance free on a beard product label

  The grooming box carries a fragrance free label on its bottle and tin while the growth box does not. What that wording means in a shared bathroom.

• Kit contents

  What these two boxes leave behind

  Neither kit contains everything a shelf needs. Here is what both boxes supply, what they leave out, and what you still have to source on your own.