It started with a kiss, and a very bristly beard. Decades later, Tucsonan Noel Trapp has reworked a family recipe into manscaping gold. By Kaleigh Shufeldt.

Noel Trapp. Photo by Kaleigh Shufeldt

“If you are ever going to steal a kiss, you’re going to need this,” Noel Trapp’s grandfather said, handing Noel a small amber vial. It contained home-made beard oil.

As a little kid, Noel remembers that “everybody else’s beard felt like a Brillo pad,” while his gramps’ beard was always soft.

The oil was a concoction thought up by his grandfather Richard in the 1940s to placate his wife, Angeline. She disliked the scratchy bristles that poked her every time she tried to kiss her husband. But Richard loved his beard and did not want to shave it. As Noel puts it: “He wouldn’t give up his beard and she wouldn’t give him up.” To keep both of them happy, they made a deal: he could keep the beard as long as he kept it soft.

More than 70 years later, Noel has reworked that recipe as part of a line of men’s grooming products to be launched in Tucson this month. Noel's Restoratives will be sold online and at various local stores. It’s the latest evidence - as if we needed it - that beards are a hot accessory (see ‘Combing through the manscaping facts’ below).

While facial hair is in vogue, for Noel Trapp it has always been a family tradition. Noel grew up in Northern Michigan, where most men had beards to protect their faces from the harsh cold and snow and where no one spoke of men’s grooming. A taboo topic, it was never discussed in Noel’s family. So when his grandfather handed him this vial, Noel was clueless as to its contents and its origin.

His grandfather’s, or gramps’, original beard oil was a sloppy mix of whatever he had at the time, Noel says. Growing up during the Great depression, Richard understood the concept of rationing and making do with what you had. The result was a recipe that could definitely use some fine-tuning.

Noel spent years working on the beard oil, trying to find the perfect combination of ingredients. He experimented, changing and adding elements with each try. But it was never quite perfect. During the Holidays, he would give his friends small amber vials filled with his newest batch.

Beard oil was a new concept to many of the recipients, but they would soon be clamoring for him to make more, and to sell this novel product. For Noel, the beard oil was a hobby; he had fun making it and he enjoyed giving it to people.

When Noel gave a sample to his friend Rob Easter, co-owner of Too Strong USA, Rob was “stoked.” Beards have no natural oils to keep them soft and strong, they get brittle. Says Rob: “If you have a beard it might as well be healthy, look good and smell good.” One of the few people who had heard of beard oil, Rob says it is rare to find someone who knows the science behind what they are doing.

For Noel, the science came naturally. He has worked with coffee for the past 20 years - from barista to, more recently, Educational Director of Exo Roast Co - and says it is easy to transition into formulating anything when it comes to fragrance. To Noel, it is simple. Coffee involves organic chemistry and understanding how things interact. His experience with coffee aided him in his experimentation with the beard oil.

Noel says his beard oil is part of a bygone era. Photo courtesy of Noel Trapp

HiEnd Tight Barbershop  in Tucson's midtown district sees beards of all shapes and sizes. Owner Chris Willhoite says he sees men with full beards, chinstrap beards and everything in between. Offering hot-towel shaves with lather and straight razors, along with cleaning, trimming and shaping beards, the barbershop speaks to a historical period in American culture. It is an old-fashioned experience that, as Noel says, is the barbershop in the truest form.

Like the barbershop, the beard oil is a part of a bygone era when everything was handmade. There was this generational gap where no one really knew how to make anything, Noel says. It is a product with a story.

Over the holidays, Noel did what he does every year; he gave the batch to his friends. However, this time was different. It was the first year he handed his friend Alok Appadurai a small amber vial.

Alok, co-owner of clothing firm Fed by Threads, was unfamiliar with the beard oil concept, however he decided to humor his friend and give it a try. Immediately there was a noticeable difference in his facial hair – it was supple and began to grow evenly. He pushed Noel to start selling his product, helping him with the business aspects of starting Noel’s Restoratives.

Every year people have asked Noel why he wasn’t selling his beard oil and every year he had an answer. “This year I finally didn’t have a good answer,” Noel says. In December 2013, he decided to “bite the bullet” and start Noel’s Restoratives.

In addition to selling the beard oil, Noel will also sell what he calls cologne solids. Another recipe from his grandfather, cologne solids are a balm or salve with a mixture of natural ingredients and fragrance.

During the Depression, Noel's grandfather grew up in a family that rationed everything, from soap to candle stubs. They would melt thin slivers of soap and beeswax candles, mixing them with whatever oils and herbs they could find. After being poured into a shoeshine tin, the balm would harden into a solid that had a subtle scent and lasted longer than traditional cologne.

Friend and customer Rob Easter. Photo by Dave Dunmyre

Alok, who helped Noel on his way. Photo by Gillian Drummond

While Noel’s cologne solid won’t be quite as rustic as the original, it will follow the same basic concept. Noel said he was aiming for a combination of scents when making the solid, which smells like heat, summer among the pine trees, needles, and bark.

Both the oil and cologne solid will sell for $29.95 each. For people living in the area, Noel wants to set up a local pickup or delivery option. He enjoys talking to the people who want to know more about his products and put value in the concept of American-made.

Photo courtesy of Noel Trapp

For Noel, it is important that his customers know the story behind his beard oil and cologne solid. “I consider value to be based on the history that comes with the thing,” says Noel. His products have a rich history, along with quality ingredients.

Photo courtesy of Noel Trapp

Last February, Noel’s grandfather passed away. This is the first batch he’s made without his gramps. “I felt like this year I finally nailed it,” says Noel, “I really worked hard to tweak it to where I wanted it.” The release of Noel’s Restoratives will coincide – fittingly - with the anniversary of his grandfather’s passing.

‘Manscaping’: combing through the facts

* Beards are a part of history, a feature that has defined men for centuries. In prehistoric times beards were for warmth, intimidation and protection. In ancient civilizations they were a sign of honor.

* 33% of American men and 55% of males around the world have facial hair. It is a trend that keeps on growing.

* Consumer product giant Procter and Gamble recently announced a dip in sales of its razors and razor blades, thanks to beards being in vogue, and events like the annual Movember month, which encourages men to grow beards and mustaches to aid men’s health, including prostate cancer.

* But P&G executives see men’s body shaving as having big potential. Last year it brought out a men’s body razor just for the purpose of ‘manscaping’ body parts other than the face.

* Pogonophobia is the fear of beards, and pogonophilia is the love of beards.

• This Hollywood awards season, beards have ranged from the scraggly (Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Fassbender) to the tidy (Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper) to the goatee (Jeremy Renner). Expect more bristles on the red carpet when the Oscars come our way March 2nd.

* You can find Noel's Restoratives at www.noelsrestoratives.com Get 10% off until March 4th on all Noel's Restoratives products! Click here and enter code 3STORYMAG.

Diana Lopez is a woman on the move and going places – just like the clothing she designs. By Joan Calcagno. Cover photo by Addie Mannan.

One of Diana's designs. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

Diana Lopez’s thinking when she started her own clothing line was less “why” and more “why not?” Her motivation was doing what hadn’t been done. “I had an idea that had to get out there”, she says.

Her idea is this: beauty and comfort can go together. Women should have clothing that works for them, not the other way around. “Trying to fit into this thing” should not even be a consideration. And it should be affordable and locally produced.

Most women have felt at one time or another that commercially-produced clothing choices are just not working for them – that choices are too geared for an ideal body type or too limiting or too expensive. And what about all those questionable labor practices and the carbon footprint? This 30-year-old Tucson-based creator of fashion line INDI Apparel, felt the same way and decided to do something about it.

Diana Lopez. Photo by Craig Bellmann

It was Phoenix Fashion week in 2010 that really launched INDI Apparel and set the ball rolling for this clothing designer who really is listening to what customers want. Once Diana made connections there, INDI took off, its name inspired by one of Diana’s favorite movie characters, Indiana Jones, and Diana’s nickname, “Dee”.

Diana’s vision for INDI Apparel came about on a trip, traveling with just a backpack. She wanted to take such a variety of clothes – some for hiking, some for sightseeing, some for running and clubbing. Why, she thought, did she have to settle for just one style?

Inspiring confidence and a good fit are paramount when Diana is designing for her women customers, which is why she doesn’t rely on traditional sizing. “Sizing is such a silly concept or feeling better when you are this size or that size. You are who you are. You’ve got to work it - own it.”

One of Diana's versatile jumpsuits. Photo by Liora K

So, when ordering pieces from her online shop, customers provide measurements using a drop-down with a range of choices and Diana provides the garment that will fit best, based on that. If a customer doesn’t fall into the sizing ranges, she will make one that works. “I like to make what is going to fit rather than trying to fit into a number. I’ve made a full range of sizes,” she says.

Diana isn't aware of any of her fashion contemporaries doing this form of bespoke tailoring. Paula Taylor, owner and creative director of Tucson Fashion Week and Paula Taylor Productions, says that a couple of years ago big names like Prada recognized the need to cater to individual customers and were talking about some “customization” - choosing the color of a garment, for example. But she hasn’t seen it really take off. “And here [Diana] is, doing it. That’s really pretty neat.”

Diana says her ideal customer is her. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

“My ideal customer is me,” says this travel lover, who admits that any money she makes goes largely towards funding her next trip. She caught the travel bug early, moving to different countries with her family (she’s from Argentina). A dozen years ago, a backpacking trip through Europe sealed her wanderlust. She has been traveling regularly since – going abroad about twice a year. She’s backpacked through the Andes and most of South American Patagonia, and visited Spain, Brazil and Japan. In the U.S., she visits friends all over, to mountain bike, rock climb and backpack.

She says she thrives on the excitement of new places. “I need that. I’m stimulated by new things.” And, crucially for her customers, traveling influences her fashion designs. She designs for the comfort, versatility and ‘packability’ needed when traveling. And she’s influenced by what she sees women wearing in other countries – smaller cuts in Argentine bathing suits or the everyday elegance of Japanese women.

Similarly, her fashion line derives from her active lifestyle. “Whatever I’m into, I make a line of clothing for it.”

Take, for example, her ingenious bike skirt. Diana and her friends like to bicycle. “The problem is that when you get to your destination, you aren’t dressed properly.”

Diana's bike skirt can be worn long or short. Here, it is shortened via drawstrings down the middle. Photo courtesy of INDI Apparel

The bike skirt, made from fluid fabric, can be worn long or short, using the drawstrings to change the length. And when you get on your bike, you shorten it, snap it up across the bottom and - voila – bike pants! Hop off, unsnap and you have your skirt again.

This mover and shaker in the fashion world is, literally, moving and shaking in her personal life too. One of her favorite activities is salsa dancing. ”It’s my thing now. It puts me in such a good mood.” So of course she had to design the perfect salsa dress.

“I love wearing short dresses, but I don’t want to have to keep pulling the skirt down. If I wear shorts underneath, eventually they show.” So, the dress has shorts built in, but you can’t tell because they are attached at the side seams and around bottom. Everything stays nicely in place, with, she laughs, “no opportunities for flashing!” When it came to a test drive, Diana put the dress on and danced for two solid hours (see her in the video below).

When INDI Apparel first started, Diana expected that she’d be focused on 25- to 30year-olds. But she’s happy to be selling to a broader age range, and says that 60-year-old women “rock it”.

Esther Huckabay, 32, one of her regular customers, has about 15 pieces. Esther says she loves the clothes because “the designs are super cute and original. You’re not going to see it on everyone. And they’re not too expensive. ” She also likes that some of the pieces are “artsy” and reflect conceptual designs that work in a unique way. For example, she has one top made of fluid fabric that when off the body and folded is revealed to be cut and sewn in a circle. When on, it is lose-fitting, but accentuates the body in motion, especially when dancing. Typical of Diana’s approach to some of her pieces, it's the patterning and cut that create the drape and the fit. That’s why it works on many body types.

The circle shape and cut of this top create the drape. Photo courtesy of Diana Lopez

Esther, like many consumers, has also been questioning the quality of clothes from traditional department stores, and labor practices in the countries that manufacture them. Which brings us to Diana’s next venture: designing for the Tucson-based Fed By Threads.

Her collaboration with the clothing company – which focuses on organic, sustainable, vegan fabrics and feeding hungry families with the profits – was a year in the making. When Alok Appadurai, FbT co-founder , wanted to bring more production to Tucson and be more involved in the design process, mutual friends put him in touch with Diana. They met and clearly had good chemistry.

“We’re about to have a ton of fun,” says Alok of the partnership. The first collaboratively designed dress will be coming off the production line soon. A first for FbT, it will be two-toned - black and amethyst - and reversible front to back, so the neckline changes.

Working with Diana will allow FbT to cater to a broader range of body types and sizes, and possibly expand its men’s line, says Alok. As for Diana, she says she is on board with FbT’s philosophy. “Now I will be making an even bigger difference.”

Diana designs for comfort, versatility and 'packability'. Photo by Addie Mannan

When she’s not designing (or traveling, salsa dancing, biking, hiking or rock climbing) Diana teaches Spanish and Portuguese at a language school she runs with her mother.

Which begs the question: how does she do it all? “My life is pretty random. People never know if I’m here or not,” she admits. When she’s here, she’s up early and on any given day she will work on clothes, teach, meet with clients or producers, go to a photo shoot and then hit the gym. “It’s non-stop, constant motion, 16 hour days.”

Diana immigrated to the USA from Argentina when she was seven and has dual citizenship. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2006 with an honors degree in Studio Art and Business and then spent three years back in Argentina where she studied fashion design and production. She launched her first clothing line there in 2008 but came back to Tucson in 2010 because of the challenging Argentine economy.

Diana doing what she loves most: moving. Photo by Craig Bellmann

If she gives the impression of being in perpetual motion, this year will be no different. With the FbT collaboration taking off, the designs on the INDI website will be available as they last and eventually, she’ll expand the INDI line. But for now, Diana will focus INDI on custom designs, which she has been doing all along. “Custom-made is really fun,” she says. “I really get to know the person, hear what they are looking for and create a dream garment designed specifically for them.”

Added to that, she has a wedding to plan. Her boyfriend and adventure “partner in crime”, a Marine stationed in Okinawa, surprised her with a ring last New Year’s Eve. He popped the question high up on Gates Pass, where 3 Story's photo shoot for this feature took place. Like so many things in her life, Diana did not hesitate. She enthusiastically said “Yes!" She’ll be designing and making her own wedding dress, of course. “Oh the possibilities,” she says. And you can just hear the wheels turning.

* Find out more about Diana's INDI Apparel line by visiting the website here or the Facebook page.

Designing a museum for children is tough; you've got to appeal, entertain and survive hard knocks. The newly revamped Children's Museum Tucson gave us an exclusive look at how they do it. By Gillian Drummond

Photo by Steph E Photography

There's a problem with the uvula, and it's causing quite a bit of head-scratching. Kids are trashing it. They stand on the tongue, grab the uvula at the back of the throat, and pull on it - a lot. Kevin Mills has gone through seven uvula upgrades in two and a half years. None of them last longer than a couple of months.

The giant mouth, and troublesome uvula (back, at center), at Tucson Children's Museum. Photo by Gillian Drummond

The uvula in question hangs down the back of a giant model of a mouth, one of the exhibits at Children's Museum Tucson.  And while it's an excellent lesson in biology, it's also an all-too-tempting plaything. So the design team, led by director of exhibits Kevin, has adapted it, trying out tougher, more resilient materials each time. The current uvula - "state of the art", say the staff - features a concrete core, heavy duty rubber, a vinyl hose and some of the toughest construction adhesives and sealants available on the market.

There are similar issues with a giant nose and accompanying fake green boogers. Exhibit designers tugged on them a few times to test their strength, but they were no match for the middle school boys who use them to swing from. Eventually they were wrapped with nylon mesh to give them extra durability.

"The half joke in the industry is that you've got consumer grade, commercial grade, military grade, and then you've got children's museum grade. They just bring this level of brutality," says Kevin of his young customers - valuable, all of them, but uniquely difficult to cater to.

The Museum closed for a month last summer for an extensive remodel, one that not only brought in some exciting new exhibits, but allowed Kevin to stretch his interior design talents to the limit. "Michael [Luria, executive director of the museum] really gives me carte blanche. He gives me a level of trust that I can pull off some grandiose ideas," he says.

And grandiose they were. The way he describes the museum's new entry way is "steam punk with a heavy dose of sky". He also calls it "tongue in cheek on the cheap."

The 'steam punk' foyer. Photo by Gillian Drummond

The front desk is made to look as if it's floating through the sky; walls and the ceiling are painted with clouds, a hot air balloon tops a column, and there is a piece that's built to resemble an airship. Look closely (which is difficult, as many of these pieces are high up) and you see the 'cheap' element to Kevin's design. The base of the balloon is an upturned lampshade attached to a planter from Home Depot. An urn and a copper pail - also bought at DIY stores - form a piece of the airship, and the faux flares are made out of tubes. The lighting on the walls is made from sconces from Home Depot that have been retooled and added to. A clock on the wall was picked up at discount chain Stein Mart. Around the back of the front desk there are heavy duty decals stuck on to the piece, created from an image that resembles lots of old-fashioned filing drawers.

Decals on the front desk give the impression of old-fashioned filing drawers. Photo by Steph E Photography

One of Kevin Mills' own custom light creations. His work has appeared in boutique furniture stores and galleries nationwide. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mills

Kevin, who has a degree in industrial design, has worked on private jets for Bombardier, taught at the University of Arizona's College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, and worked on exhibits at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. He has also designed furniture and light fixtures, and exhibited his work at art galleries like Conrad Wilde and Obsidian in Tucson and, outside of Tucson, in New York, Chicago, Florida, LA, and San Francisco.

"Most of my work has to be brightly colored and antiseptic plastic," says Kevin of his children's museum work. He says that when it came to designing the steam punk foyer, he relished playing with tones and themes that went in another direction. "I was jumping out of bed every morning," he laughs.

Kevin Mills. Photo by Daniela Siqueiros

Children's museums are all about interactivity, and Tucson's is no different. So in order to cope with kiddos' wear and tear, the right - durable - materials need to be used. There are certain no-nos. Painted wood doesn't last, and nor does it agree with young gums and teeth. Particle board is not their friend. "They've lost precious dollars with particle board," says Kevin. He prefers the more hard-wearing MDF, which can also be easily painted to look vibrant.

Nicomia, the Mesa-based company that worked with TCM on some of its exhibits, used laminates, birch plywood and butcher block. Paints are low in VOC and finishes are waterborne as opposed to lacquer  - all the better for when little teeth chew them. "Children are extremely tough little customers. As Kevin has observed, there's something of a mob mentality that goes on," says Tane Clark, one of the owners of Nicomia, which has also worked on the Phoenix Children's Museum.

A tubular air flow system, one of the new exhibits at the Tucson Children's Museum. Photo by Steph E Photography

The Children's Museum Tucson's long-standing dinosaur exhibit has gone, and in its place is Investigation Station, funded by a grant from the Angel Charity for Children. Interactive machines based on science, technology, engineering and math include 'blowers' that keep balls in the air, a tubular airflow system, and a machine that demonstrates sound waves. Some of them cost up to $50,000 each.

Tucson Children's Museum's "tough little customers" applying water to slate. Photo by Steph E Photography

Next door, a new area called Wee World has art and craft activities, including the stunningly simple (but effective) exhibit of pieces of slate that children can wet with water. A play area for tots has proved popular for adults too, says Daniela Siqueiros, marketing and community relations manager. "It creates a spot for families to do something together. We see parents putting away their phones. That's a huge accomplishment and a very happy result," she says.

When it comes to children's museums, the more robust the material the better. Photo by Gillian Drummond

Kevin and Daniela spend time talking to the customers - kids and their parents - and observing how they are interacting with exhibits. She does a few walk-throughs a day. "One, it lets me breathe," she says, "and it's nice to talk to them and see what they're liking about the space."

The Museum has invested a little over $1 million in its exhibits over the last three years. Membership has grown by 15% in the last year, to 2100 members, and attendance has grown by 82% in the last five years, says Daniela.

Although the results are worth it, children's museums can be taxing for designers and technicians used to more straightforward designs and repairs, and normal wear and tear. Kevin tells of the day he met his assistant, Dave Kitchel, a man ten years his senior and a repair and handyman veteran. He had to be persuaded to take the job. When he visited for an interview, "he left trembling saying 'I don't think I can do this'", says Kevin.

But along with the hard knocks come genuine rewards, says Kevin. "I've worked in a number of fields but this is by far the most rewarding and fulfilling. [There's] the crazy use of unlikely materials. I'm one part sculptor as much as I am industrial designer, and there's just so much opportunity for me to play and be creative."

* Find the Children's Museum Tucson at 200 S 6th Ave, Tucson. Tel: 520 792-9985.

* Hear our radio feature about Children's Museum Tucson by clicking this link and hitting the 'listen' button.

Born in the USA and growing fast: children's museum facts

* The world's first children's museum opened in Brooklyn almost 115 years ago.

* Today, around 400 children's museums worldwide reach more than 30 million children and families annually.

* Children's museums exist in 25 countries and every continent but Antarctica. In 1975 there were fewer than 40 children's museums in the United States.

* 80 new children's museums opened between 1976 and 1990. Now there are approximately 400 located around the world and about 60 children's museums in the planning phase. In a typical year, five new children's museums open.

Source: Association of Children's Museums

The Children's Museum Tucson occupies the historic Carnegie Library building in downtown Tucson. Photo by Gillian Drummond