Featured on: behindthechair.com

When Matty Conrad and Mark Bustos returned to THE BTC SHOW this year, they brought more than the laughs and men’s cutting education with them—Pope the Barber joined the barber bros on stage for Victory Barber & Brand™, marking her debut at our show! And this team of bad ass barbers did not disappoint when it came to sharing their top techniques. Keep reading for three of the men’s grooming tips Matty, Mark and Pope shared that’ll take your cuts to the next level.

1. Creating A Softer Guideline

One of the first things Matty said onstage is, “I believe every man is handsome, and it’s our job to find it and bring it out.” To do that, it all starts with the first line. When creating a square cut, instead carving a hard line—which will only be harder to remove later—set the lever on your clipper about ⅓ of the way back so you can create a softer guideline that’ll be easier to blend out later.  

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2. Connecting The Top To The Sides

The most important things to remember when connecting the top to the sides is to always stand on the side, squared up to him, and to cut palm to palm. This will help you maintain the square shape because the position of your fingers make it nearly impossible to lay flat against his head—which would result in a rounded cut. Simply lay your knuckles against his head, then bring the top of your fingers toward you so the guide is brought forward. 

And know this: You can give him the best haircut in the world, but if you expose something he wants to keep hidden (like scars or birthmarks), it just became the worst haircut in the world to him.

3. The Secret To A Super Smooth Fade 

Once the guideline is established, use a foil razor to remove all the hair underneath. “Anytime a clipper is in your hand, it’s very important to flick your wrist because essentially you’ll help yourself fade,” says Pope. If a soft line remains, turn the foil razor over to the first head and gently “kiss” the line away. And if you still have a slightly visible line after that, feel free to use a T-liner trimmer to fade the line out even more.  

Watch the video below to see our interview with Victory Barber & Brand™ right after their presentation!

See what went down on Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 at THE BTC SHOW 2018!