Eyebrows. They were certainly the centre of the makeup scene in 2014 and I can’t see this trend leaving just yet. Brow products are popping up everywhere, with almost every high-street and high-end brand having some sort of product on the market for filling-in or grooming.
I’ve seen a quote on Instagram which I’ll insert below. It just about sums up my thoughts.
Funny, but true. 3 or 4 years ago the perfectly groomed and filled-in eyebrow wasn’t even on the scene. Now, nearly everyone I know who wears makeup “does” their brows. Some mornings, when I don’t have much time, I’ll put on concealer, mascara and do my brows. They are that high up on my list, I’ll do them before I even consider applying a slick of gloss or applying blush.
So how do you get that perfect brow?
This is a rather difficult question to answer, because there are so many ways of doing your brows now and also I know people have different tastes. Some will love that very defined, drawn on look with the gradient appearance which is plastered all over my Instagram feed, but others might prefer just a little light shading to enhance whatever eye makeup they’re wearing.
The place to start is the shape. Everyone has different natural shapes and my only real tips for shaping are to tweeze after a shower, right when your pores are open and you’ll feel less pain, and to only take hairs from under your natural arch, not above (unless they are super far up). Other than that, just try not to go crazy because you’ll probably regret it!
My favourite product for filling in is Anastacia Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown. I use the Real Techniques eyebrow brush to apply this in short strokes, cleaning up any messy edges with a cotton bud. This product can be used to lightly define or you can spend some serious time and effort to get those super-perfected, gradient brows a la Instagram. My brow effort depends on the occasion and the kind of eye makeup I’m wearing. For a night out when I’m wearing a dark eye look or even a bold lip, I’ll fill in my brows quite heavily as I think the intensity works together. To soften the inner part of the brow, near the bridge of the nose, you can use either an old mascara spoolie (obviously washed well!) or a spoolie sold specifically as a brow tool to blend it out and give that gradient effect.
Other well-loved products in the beauty world include the Anastacia Brow Wiz or the Soap and Glory Archery pencil. These have creamy twist up pencils which are fab for a more natural take on filling in, as the pencil nib is thin and good for creating tiny hair-like flicks to fill in sparse areas and help create a full but natural effect. Plus, as an added bonus, Brow Wiz has a spoolie brush on the other end of the pencil, while the Archery pencil has a thin felt tip for even better precision.
Finally, here are some tips to remember when tackling the brow-situation:
1) Brows are sisters, not twins – So don’t worry if you can’t get them to look equal. Leave this time for trying to get your eyeliner wings equal, which is effort enough!
2) Get the right length – Ideally, if you put a pencil touching the corner of your nose and the outside corner of your eye, your brow should finish where the pencil extends past the outside corner. Your brow should start where the inner corner of your eye starts too (this is difficult to explain, so I’ve added a picture below).
3) Sharpies aren’t for eyebrows – Don’t draw on your brows in one long, thick, black line, it’s probably not going to be flattering (unless you particularly like that look, of course).
4) YouTube helps – There are many good tutorials available to help you out if you get stuck.
5) Practice makes perfect – When I look back at photos I cringe at my eyebrows (or lack of) but there’s nothing stopping you from experimenting until you get it right!
Image sources
https://instagr.in//p/710875533247421530_264168750
http://makeupsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/makeup-101-how-to-create-perfect-brow.html
http://naturallymemedia.com/get-perfect-eyebrows/
Edited by Jayde Richards