Festive Christmas Beard Ideas and How to Style Them
Written by Shaylynn Marks
Holidays parties are right around the corner. In a matter of time, you’ll be in an ugly Christmas sweater and get dragged into a group photo. If you’re going to show up festive, you might as well have your beard get in on the action. We’ve got a list of the best Christmas beard ideas. No matter what beard length you’re working with, there’s a fun and festive beard style for you to try. And don’t worry, we’ll share quick and easy tutorials to show you exactly how to style a holiday beard.
How to Prep Your Beard Before Styling
Don’t just start throwing on the beard ornaments and beard glitter. You need your beard and the skin underneath to be a clean, blank canvas. That way, your mug can handle the holiday beard products and accessories you plan to use. Here’s a simple step-by-step on how to prep your beard before styling.
Wash: Start with a beard shampoo to remove buildup and dirt—or whatever your beard picked up during the day.
Condition: Soft beard hair always styles better and pulls less when adding accessories. After you rinse out the shampoo, work in some beard conditioner. Let it soak up some moisture for a minute or two, then rinse.
Oil: Once your beard is dry, use a few drops of beard oil. Adding beard oil will protect your beard, all while giving those beard ornaments some extra grip.
Brush: Use a beard brush or beard comb to evenly distribute those oils and tame any stray beard hairs.
Light balm (as needed): As must-have for longer beards, use a small amount of beard balm to support shape. This will help provide a stronger structure before you style it into a festive beard.
Festive Beard Accessories and Supplies
There’s endless ways to style a festive Christmas beard, but it’s good to first have an idea of all the insane yet awesome beard accessories out there. Some of these can even be used together, especially if you want your beard to be as crazy as your ugly Christmas sweater.
Beard Ornaments: Don’t just use any Walmart ornament. The weight puts way too much tension on your beard. These beard ornaments are specially made as lightweight clips that can give you the classic Christmas tree beard effect.
Beard Glitter: Use a cosmetic-grade glitter that’s safe for your hair and skin. This is a great option for any length of beard.
Temporary Beard Color: They come in various colors, and are made as a temporary dye in spray, paint, or chalk format.
Mini LED Beard Lights: If you’ve got a long beard, why not go full-on Griswold?
Ribbons and Bells: These are great add-ins for bearded guys who want to lean into the classic Yuletide vibes. Perfect to use with some viking-style beard braids.
Crochet Beard: Too lazy to try these styles, or have an uneven beard? Buy one of these bad boys. In the meantime, try an easy grooming routine to fix your patchy beard.
Festive Christmas Beard Ideas and How to Style Them
Christmas Tree Beard
With a beard brush and beard balm, shape your beard into a tapered, tree-like form. Remember: the ornaments will not stick if you don’t have the shape secured. If you want color, add any temporary green dye and allow it to dry. Finish off by adding any beard ornaments and/or lights to your liking. `
Realistic Santa Beard
Do not skip the beard prep steps! Give your beard some shine and smooth it out with some beard oil. Grab your beard brush and work the beard hairs downward for even application. Take a light hold beard balm to delicately keep any unruly beard hairs in check. Use temporary white beard dye (beard-grade spray, chalk, paint) all over.
Festive Glitter Beard
Work a small amount of beard oil or beard balm through the beard from roots to tips. They give the glitter something to stick to and also creates more shine. Lightly (and slowly) apply cosmetic-grade glitter and spread evenly, and you’re good to go.
Light-Up Beard
Brush and shape the beard first. Next, carefully weave in the mini battery-powered LED lights that come with its own clip-in ends. If you’re having trouble, you can also use light-up beard ornaments that individually clip-in. This Christmas beard style works best with long beards, but only if they are conditioned well (cough, cough, use beard conditioner regularly) and the beard hairs are tangle-free before adding anything.
Braided Beard Styles and How to Make a Braided Beard Festive
If your beard has length, braids are an easy way to look festive without hanging half a Christmas tree on your face.
Classic Beard Braids
Using the full beard prep routine is necessary. Create one or two clean braids for a strong, intentional look.
Viking Style Yule Braids
Just like the classic beard braids, but instead, create multiple small braids. Don’t be afraid to add a few beads as a subtle accent. It gives Thor celebrating Yule energy without being over the top.
How to Style Christmas Beard Braids
Deck the halls…or I mean, your beard! Find some narrow red or green ribbon to twist in when you are braiding your beard. At the end of the braid, you can add on a mini-jingle bell with a clear mini polyband.
Post-Holiday Party Beard Care
This is where most guys mess up. No matter how many winter ales you inhale, you can’t just jump into bed and wait until the morning to remove your Christmas beard. This post-party grooming tutorial is straightforward and simple. Plus, it can be done in a matter of minutes.
Wash, and really get in there
Use beard shampoo and work it in, down to the skin underneath. Massage the shampoo into the roots with your fingertips—not your nails. If you use glitter, color, or a lot of product, wash your beard twice. The first wash breaks everything up, but the second wash fully cleans the beard.
Condition (AKA let it “marinate”)
Apply beard conditioner and comb it through with your fingers so it reaches evenly. Let it sit for about 2-3 minutes before rinsing. This will soften the beard hairs and keep your beard from feeling fried the next day.
Reset your mane with oil
Once your beard is towel damp (not dripping), apply a few drops of beard oil and work it in from the skin outward. This rehydrates the skin underneath and keeps flakes and irritation away. A clarifying beard oil is great if your beard feels heavy, but a classic beard oil will work fine for just about any guy.
Brush it out to bring it all together
Finish by brushing the beard with a beard brush downward to distribute the oil evenly and detangle everything. This way, your beard gets back to looking normal instead of post-party chaos.
Picture by RDNE via Pexels
Rock the Most Festive Beard at the Holiday Party
I get it. This definitely isn’t your everyday thing—but it’s the holidays! It’s okay to have a little fun and look over the top. This year, lean into the holiday spirit with a crazy Christmas beard. Rock the beard ornaments and glitter. It’s much better to get people laughing than scaring them with a Krampus situation. Whatever your holiday beard style, just remember to do your proper grooming prep and clean it up after, so your beard can live to tell the tale!
