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Having worked with a number of different visual mediums, Tripper Dungan uses his knowledge and experience to produce some truly vibrant works of art. We like his work, not only because he incorporates beards into some of his pieces, but because he cultivates some incredibly interesting pieces like the one you see above.
We were first turned on to Tripper’s work by Daniel Rolnick, of the Daniel Rolnick Gallery, where Tripper recently had an exhibition. After some introductions, Tripper happily agreed to an interview on a few different topics. We hope you enjoy our conversation with this bearded artist.
Why are beards a common theme in your paintings?
I love beards. I've had one more than not since I could grow one in high school. I think of it like a creature that grows on my face. There's this old Cab Calloway song called "Old Man of the Mountain" that conjures up an image of a self-sustaining man that has a long white beard that speaks with the birds and feasts on the beasts. I guess it makes me feel like I'm not trying to deny I'm an animal.
Tell us a little bit more about the bearded painting (pictured above) that was a part of your recent exhibit at the Daniel Rolnick Gallery.
I think I named it beard buddies. That painting is certainly inspired by the image of the old man of the mountain. He's totally integrated into his natural surroundings.
What do you like about growing your own beard?
I like the look and feel of it. It just feels like I'm me when I have a beard.

Why did you choose to incorporate the 3D medium into your paintings?
I actually had some hesitation about 3D at first. I would paint to achieve the 3D effect but wouldn't tell people it was 3D. If you're wondering why the image isn't messed up like 3D often is, it is because it's Chromadepth 3D and doesn't require image separation. Anyway, I love having that extra element in my work; I feel like it draws people in that might have otherwise passed it by.
You have experience with a number of different artistic mediums - what is your favorite, and how do you feel that each medium informs and influences the others?
I feel like they all complement each other in a way. My biggest passion is painting, but I hope to build more art structures in the future. My music and shadow puppets have taken a back seat for the last couple years but it's the best way I can express the linear or storytelling aspects of my creativity.
What has been your proudest moment as an artist?
It's hard to pinpoint one, but the last big project I did was Lookie House. It was a little house that has a mural that you can take your picture in when you stick your head in a hole. It really felt like a gift. A gift from me to my community and fans, but also a gift to me as an artist that people would come by and have fun and take pictures with me and my little creation.
How do you feel that the emergence of the digital age has affected artists and art as a whole?
I think it's given a lot to artists; the ability to think of something (a reference photo, a song to learn, an idea you're wondering is original or not) and look it up right away, the ability to show your work to a larger audience, the ability to connect with others like you. I think it's taken away some too; people's attention spans are a lot shorter, and then there is trolling. All in all I think it's broadened the possibility, and ultimately it's another tool that can be used for creativity.
We want to thank Tripper for taking a few minutes to talk to us, and a special thank you to Daniel Rolnick for making the introduction. To learn more about Tripper, visit his website, NumberStar.com.
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For those of you with standalone moustaches, this may come as no surprise, but this is directed more to our bearded friends who also sport a moustache – caring for your moustache is just as important as caring for your beard; arguably, more important. Not because your moustache is more deserving of care, but simply because your moustache is on the front line of the daily firefight we call life.
Take a moment and think about it. Sure, you may get food in your beard, but how often do you get food or condiments in your moustache? Likely much more often. How often have you gone to take a bite of food and ended up with a bite of moustache instead? If you smoke, any time you exhale, the smoke comes into contact with your moustache. Even if you don’t smoke – any time you breathe, that air and condensation hits your moustache. When you kiss your significant other, there’s the moustache again. As you see, the point that we’re making is that your moustache comes into contact with all sorts of foreign bodies throughout the day, so you need to make sure that you care for your moustache properly to reduce the wear and tear.
Of course you could also use our Primary or Secondary wax to keep your moustache out of your mouth, but your moustache will still come into contact with something, even if it’s just the air you breathe. When you wash your beard with our Every Day Beard Soap, be sure to wash your moustache too. Whether using one of our traditional beard oils or one of Beard Dry Oils, take the time to apply some of your chosen conditioner to your moustache as well (unless you’ll be applying wax, because the oils can break down the hold the wax offers).
Did you have a long day out on the town with a supremely styled moustache? Even if you do not wash the wax out of your moustache at the end of the day, take some time to apply one of our traditional beard oils or Beard Dry Oil to your moustache. The oils will not only help break up the wax, making it easier to wash out the next morning, but will condition your moustache throughout the night, leaving you to wake up to a healthy and happy moustache. Even though our moustache waxes were designed with not only hold, but moustache health, in mind, the extra conditioning offered by one of our oils is a great step to take to preserve the health of your moustache.

Moustache wax is an excellent tool to help keep your moustache styled, and even conditioned if you use the proper wax. Just as a true handlebar moustache starts in the middle, an effective use of moustache wax starts with a thoughtful preparation of your chosen wax. As a producer of beard and moustache products, CanYouHandlebar wants to make sure you’re informed about the products you’re using on your facial hair. You take the time to cultivate it, so it makes sense that you would want to take the time to learn a little more about what you put into it, and the proper ways in which to do that.
The name of the game is warmth. As you’ll notice when opening your tin of Primary or Secondary, the wax is rather firm in the tin. You can scrape some of the wax out with a thumbnail, or use one of our wax lifters for a less messy application. However, there are some considerations you should take into account before you reach this step. You want the wax to be warm prior to application. This will allow for easier removal and application.
You can accomplish warming your wax in a number of different ways. 1) Place the tin of wax in your front pants pocket for a while as you go about your normal activities. Your natural body heat will warm the wax a bit; 2) Give your wax a bath. Put the entire tin (lid on) in a sink or mug full of hot water for a few minutes. We made our labels oilproof and waterproof for occasions just like this; 3) Aim a hairdryer at the wax (lid on or off) and hit it with heat for a few minutes; 4) Scrape out an amount of wax and use your thumb and forefinger to roll it into a ball, then place your thumb and forefinger in your mouth as though you were going to use them to whistle, and use exhaling to warm the wax. Just be careful to inhale through your nose and not your mouth as that could cause you to swallow the ball of wax.
There are certainly a number of other methods that work, but these are the ones we have found to be the most effective and easiest to accomplish. Remember that the wax will continue to cool as long as it’s not exposed to a heat source, so be prepared to use a hairdryer on a low heat setting, or mini-flat iron, as you work the wax into and through your moustache for a smooth, even application. Proper preparation of your wax will save you time and get you the best looking results.
One of the most common questions we hear is "Should I use Primary or Secondary Moustache Wax?" We appreciate customers wanting to make an informed choice - we're happy with the quality of our products and we want you to be confident in, and happy with, your purchase. Feel free to peruse this brief explanation of the differences between our moustache waxes, and contact us with any questions.
We have nothing to hide with our moustache wax. Our ingredients always have been, and always will be, printed on the label for you to see. Both of our waxes contain local (Michigan) beeswax, lanolin, castor oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and Vitamin E. After much experimentation, this is the combination of ingredients that we came up with to best style your moustache while being conscious of your facial hair's health as well. The same care that went into crafting the final recipe also went into the design and materials of our labels. Like with our traditional beard oils and Beard Dry Oil, the labels on our tins of moustache wax are oil proof and water proof.
In our description of our Primary Moustache Wax, we ask the question "Are you a laid back gentleman that would prefer to encourage your hairs rather than resort to force?" If so, this is your wax. Primary wax is a medium hold wax that is great for daily use. As we discussed in How to grow a handlebar moustache, training your moustache is an important part of the handlebar process. Primary is an excellent product to train your moustache, not only to shape a handlebar but also to encourage your moustache to lay the way you'd like, whether that be for the simple purpose of keeping it out of your mouth during the day or to help you cultivate your own moustache style. However, as Primary is a medium hold wax, it does allow users to craft more aggressive stylings that will hold up throughout the day.
Our Secondary Moustache Wax is simply, "a firmer wax". If you are looking for a moustache wax that will allow you to craft the most detailed of stylings and keep it in place throughout the day and night, this is the wax for you. While Secondary was not designed with competitive facial hair events in mind, it has shone through as an ideal wax for competitive purposes; one that allows you to style your moustache and keep it in place throughout the rigors of competition as the night goes on. You'll notice that Secondary is firmer in the tin than Primary and thus requires more heat to make the wax malleable, but the application process is still straightforward and easy to do with some practice and the aid of simple tools like our wax lifters, Kent Moustache Comb, and a flat iron and/or a hair dryer on a low heat setting.

Beard Dry Oil is CanYouHandlebar’s premium beard balm. You are likely familiar with beard products on some level, and you may have even read our recent post asking (and answering) the question – what is beard oil? Now we’re back with another post designed to give you some more information on just what it is that you’re putting into your beard. As a producer of beard and moustache products, CanYouHandlebar wants to make sure you’re informed about the products you’re using on your beard. You take the time to cultivate your beard, so it makes sense that you would want to take the time to learn a little more about what you put into it.
Simply put – our Beard Dry Oil is a premium hand-crafted beard oil, with a twist. Like traditional beard oils, Beard Dry Oil is a topical conditioner designed to keep your beard healthy and looking great. What makes this beard oil a “dry oil” is the addition of beeswax. We add just enough beeswax to make the Dry Oil (or balm, if you prefer), solid at room temperature.
In addition to having the benefits of a traditional beard oil (read more about those in our post, "What is beard oil?"), the beeswax in the Beard Dry Oil offers hold that will help you to style your beard. The styling properties offered in the Beard Dry Oil are not the type to aggressively style your beard, but rather give you the ability to shape your beard for the day offering you a nice groomed look. Additionally, the beeswax will allow you to train your beard. As your beard gets longer, you may notice that the natural curve of your facial hair gives your beard an unruly appearance. Once you have applied the dry oil, either with your fingers or one of our Beard Oil Brushes (click here for tips on application), you can brush your beard in the direction you want your hairs to lie while using a hair dryer on a low heat setting. Repeating this process on a daily basis will train the hairs to lie the way you’d like.
The consistency of the Beard Dry Oil is thicker and slightly heavier than traditional beard oils. This can be beneficial to your beard in times where your beard is in need of extra conditioning. The beeswax works to give your facial hair an extra coating that helps hold in the oils longer which will in turn more fully condition your beard.
Our Beard Dry Oils are available in the same scents as our traditional oils, Wisdom, Initiative, and Classic (unscented). Regardless of which one you choose, our Beard Dry Oil will keep your beard conditioned and looking great throughout the entire day.


You may be new to the world of beard products, you may consider yourself an old pro. But outside of knowing that beard oil can help your beard look and feel better while also keeping it healthier, have you stopped to ask yourself – what is beard oil? As a producer of beard and moustache products, CanYouHandlebar wants to make sure you’re informed about the products you’re using on your beard. You take the time to cultivate your beard, so it makes sense that you would want to take the time to learn a little more about what you put into it.
Beard oil is a conditioning product, but if that statement doesn’t tell you enough, think of beard products as a topical supplement designed to give your beard the things it needs to stay healthy and looking great. Daily life or an employment situation that doesn’t expose your beard to the elements can still wear on your beard. Even washing your beard, which is something we recommend of course (with a proper beard soap), can remove some of the oils that keep your beard healthy. So we offer beard oils to help fill in those gaps.
When we first introduced our oils to the CanYouHandlebar community, we wrote: “The base oil was designed to help your beard look great and maintain its health. The aroma is made of high quality essential oils with no cheap fillers. The attention to detail extends to the labeling. Knowing that your beard oil will likely be stored in your bathroom where water and small amounts of oil will get onto the label, we spent a little extra and used water- and oil-proof labels! Your oil will look as good from the day it arrives until you've used the last drop!”