Mane 'n Tail: Fear and Loathing in MHT

I was somewhere around the office, on the east edge of Manhattan, when the fear began to take hold. I was headed to LaGuardia Airport just as I read a headline about flights to Canada being delayed or canceled because of the ash plume... I got worried for a second, I remember saying out loud "NH is not that high up north..."

Heading to Manchester for a 30 hour business romp, I jumped in a cab, got through security and to the terminal in record time... now facing more than an hour at the gate before boarding... So, as always, I was scouting beards... While there were surprisingly many there that day, for some reason, I wasn't on my game... the blame has to be the rigid environment of airports and the overarching loathing of travel that would preclude me from approaching other high strung beardos... or we can just blame Eyjafjallajokull.

That said, I did see a gent with an interesting and very neat beard style (thick but short trimmed side burns, with a twice as bushy goatee)... Finally, I get on the plane; a worn looking sucker with two propellers, with the landing gear that somehow folds in side them... Scary... Res ipsa loquitur… Let the good times roll.

Upon landing in MHT, and making a B-line to the men's room, like clockwork I came across that very beardo! Clearly, the beard gods were making me tell him about B-a-B and comment on his awesome facial hair DIY... it worked before... so we get to talking, and lo and behold Mr. JD Wilson divulges the secret to his tidy bushiness... it's a product called MANE 'n TAIL... yes, as in horse.

JD went on and on (about bees wax) and on and on (about mineral oils)... all to assure me that yes, while it's true this product was originally intended for horses, it does work wonders AND has a cult following, for HUMANS... all while we're standing in the men's room of the arrivals terminal.

And so dear B-a-B fans, I'm proud to present my bounty of beard scouting from New Hampshire... Search and ye shall find... Per their own Facebook group info:

Mane 'n Tail products were originally developed for horses. People started using the products to achieve the beautiful results they saw with their own horses manes and tails. This is where the legend of Mane n Tail products comes from, by nourishing, conditioning and fortifying the hair and scalp to aid healthier hair growth.

Wow, seriously? Yes, for real... The sages have spoken, the truth is here, the follicles will rejoice...  Bushy, itchy, medium length beards need this product, bad! You can get it here, and by clicking on the magic jar below...

P.S. As hairy fate would have it, I had the seat right behind JD on the loud and bumpy ride up north. He was reading the whole time with the overhead light on, it was the right time to snap a candid... which I did, twice, not yet knowing the wisdom his beard was to hold. So I guess the trick is on you JD... cheers.

    

Comments

[JD Wilson]

Hey, Alex. Great to meet you. Next time let's talk on the plane instead of the men's room. Someone might mistake us for senators on the prowl!

I wish I could give credit to the anonymous guy in Vermont who turned me on to Mane 'n Tail, but it's a great product. I had a lady barber in Rutland give me a trim before a business trip a couple of weeks ago, and she said my whiskers were a model of healthy, shiny manageability.

As for the style... very short side-burns and a long goatee. I keep my hair short and tell my barber to go straight down the side of my face with the clippers at the same length he does my hair. The transition from short hair to bushy sideburns didn't look good on me. I let my goatee grow, and I trim the space along my jawline an intermediate length.

I was inspired by a photo I saw of King George V of England who had a similar beard, although on me it looks less like King George than an airdale. Maybe to go along with the horse product, I'll get a grooming guide for dogs.

JD