The Faces of Beardsgaard • Frostwood

Beardsgaard may be a barbershop in Batavia here in the mortal plane, but it is also a fantasy world. In that world is an apothecary, River Peak Apothecary, that makes magic potions scented by the seasons, their scents evoking the places you will find all over the Realm. Here in Batavia, the people behind both brands are one and the same.

Every Apothecary product is a location on our map of the Realm. The Faces of Beardsgaard series takes you inside the stories of this fantasy Realm we lay over the real world.

From our wintertime beard line, we bring you Frostwood, set far in the frozen north of Jotunheim, where the Giants dwell.

Read all about the lore of Frostwood Forest on the Beardsgaard World Anvil, and scroll on to see the epic adventure to the deep northern Jotunheim forests of Mithrilon Treadwell, the first descendant of all 9 of the firsts, and the only being to collect all 9 Míresgal stones of power, come to life.

We had been trying for two years to get this shoot done, in a couple of winters in which we had almost no snow all season. Eventually we decided that we were just going to do it anyway, with the man, the myth, the legend himself, Brian Busch - long time client, collaborator, handsomest man we've ever met, painter of the map mural on our retail wall, and the illustrator of the artwork on the front of all of our products.

Journey into the magic of Jotunheim with us.

COSTUMING: This was the first of these photo shoots we began to dip into fantasy costuming with cloaks, which started a bit of a trend. Said cloaks were furnished by local gem All Dressed Up Costumes

LOCATION: MORTON ARBORETUM • LISLE, ILLINOIS

MODEL: Beardsgaard client & Apothecary illustrator Brian Busch

THE GOODS OF FROSTWOOD