Movember 2024 is drawing to a close, but throughout the month, we’ve been giving you plenty of tips and tricks on how to grow and maintain your facial hair. If you’re new to growing a beard, you might want to look to celebrities and public figures for inspiration, and one of the most iconic beards comes from British actor, Tom Hardy.
The tricky thing about achieving a Tom Hardy beard is that he has so many different styles throughout his movies and TV shows, and on the red carpet. For example, in Peaky Blinders, he sports a large bushy beard with a curly moustache, while in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, he doesn’t have a beard at all – or at least we can’t tell if he does since it's hidden underneath a mask.
But Tom Hardy’s most recognisable beard is probably his goatee which he tends to go back to most often after each movie he films. He’s also often seen sporting a lot of stubble, which he likely achieved by using the best electric shaver to completely remove his facial hair.
For this guide, we’re sticking to the goatee, so here’s five tips on how to achieve Tom Hardy’s messy goatee look.
1. Let it grow
As Tom Hardy plays around with his facial hair a lot, you’ll want to grow yours out to achieve any of his bearded looks that he’s often seen sporting. For a goatee – a style of facial hair that features a beard and moustache tight around the mouth with no hair on the cheeks – you’ll want to grow it out to the length that you want before doing the next step.
It’s important to note here that a goatee can be any length you want, but it’s typically quite close to the face, so you will need the best beard trimmer at hand to help you.
2. Get creative by trimming small sections around the mouth
To achieve a goatee look ala Tom Hardy, start by trimming your beard and moustache evenly so it has a good amount of hair but it’s not too long or bushy. We’d recommend using a 3-5mm length for this. Next, trim around the edge of your beard and moustache so it’s rounded around the mouth. Goatees typically have a bit of space around the soul patch – a small bit of facial hair just underneath the bottom lip – so use a trimmer to cut around it to give it more definition.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
3. Remove the hair from your cheeks
Once you’ve carved out your goatee, remove the facial hair from your cheeks. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can completely remove the hair from around your goatee or trim it closer to the face while keeping some hair there so it fades into the goatee. Tom Hardy has sported both of these goatee styles, so it’ll depend on how much facial hair you want on your face.
4. Play with contrasts
To find your perfect goatee look, play with different contrasts to see what you like and what suits your face better. For example, Tom Hardy sometimes has a very light goatee with surrounding facial hair, while other times, he prefers a fuller moustache atop a lighter beard. A good example you can try is to grow out your beard and moustache while removing all hair at the cheeks so the goatee gets longer and thicker. Then, you can let the facial hair on your cheeks grow so your goatee is more dominant than the rest of the hair.
5. Use a comb – but let it get a bit messy
Having facial hair that’s longer than stubble can be tricky and tangly to maintain, so after a shower or face wash, make sure to comb out your goatee to remove any knots. Having said that, Tom Hardy’s facial hair always looks a little messy, so use your comb to get rid of unwanted tangles, but fluff out your goatee and run your fingers through it to make it look a little unkempt.
If you want more celebrity grooming tips, check out our advice for achieving a Henry Cavill moustache and David Beckham’s facial hair.
Beth is Home Editor for T3, looking after style, living and wellness. From the comfiest mattresses to strange things you can cook in an air fryer, Beth covers sleep, yoga, smart home, coffee machines, watches, grooming tools, fragrances, gardening and much more. If it's something that goes in your house, chances are Beth knows about it and has the latest reviews and recommendations! She's also in the know about the latest deals and discount codes from top brands and retailers.
Having always been passionate about writing, she’s written for websites, newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics, from jewellery and culture, to food and telecoms. You can find her work across numerous sites, including Wedding Ideas Magazine, Health & Wellbeing, The Bristol Post, Fashion & Style Directory, TechRadar, CreativeBloq and more. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, reading, baking and attempting craft projects that will probably end in disaster!
-
5 effective ways to slow down greying and keep your beard looking youthful
Frustrated with pesky grey beard hairs? Follow these steps
By Lizzie Wilmot Published
-
5 top tips to recreate David Beckham's awe-inspiring whiskers
You'll be fighting off the fans in no time
By Lizzie Wilmot Published
-
Best Christmas gifts 2024: wellness, fragrances, grooming and more
If you're struggling to find the perfect gift, you've come to the right place
By Lizzie Wilmot Last updated
-
5 essential tips for achieving a Henry Cavill-worthy moustache
Conquer Movember in the best way possible
By Lizzie Wilmot Published
-
7 beard care essentials for luscious and healthy facial hair
If you want a well groomed beard, you need these products in your routine
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Beard shampoo: what does it do and do I really need it?
We look at the pros and cons of beard shampoo, and whether it's right for your beard
By Max Slater-Robins Published
-
Philips BT9000 Prestige vs. Braun Beard Trimmer 7: which is the best beard trimmer?
We put Philips and Braun to the test to see which beard trimmer you should buy: the BT9000 Prestige or Beard Trimmer 7?
By Max Slater-Robins Published
-
5 mistakes everyone makes when trimming a beard – and how to avoid them
From using the wrong products to trimming too often, here’s five common beard trimming mistakes
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published