The Elusive Eyebrow

The Elusive Eyebrow...

The bane of our existence in the makeup world as we know it!

As beauty lovers we all know that the eyebrows can ‘make or break’ the whole face. No matter how flawless and perfect your eyeshadow is or how well blended your foundation, contour and blush are, without the perfect brow the look is not well put together.

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Shape:

The shape of your brows will vary for each person. Generally, your brows should taper starting from the base (by your nose) to the tip – thicker at the base and thinnest at the tip. It’s recommended to have your brows professionally shaped the very first time around.

(1) The base of the eyebrow should start by the inner tear duct area and be in line with edge of your nose.

(2) The arch, or the highest point of your brow, should line up with the outer part of your iris of your eye (if you are looking straight ahead).

(3) The tip should end along the line that is formed by the tip of your nostril and the outer corner of your eye.

Color:

The color of your brows should be based on the color of your hair to keep everything looking natural. For lighter hair go two shades darker for your brows and for darker hair go two shades lighter. So for blonds, you will want to choose a light brown for your eyebrows but keep with the tone of your hair whether it’s a more honey brown or ashy brown. Tip for black hair….do NOT use black for your brows (unless that’s the look you are going for)! Try a more blackened brown instead (e.g. MAC Showstopper or Brun e/s).

Powder or Pencil:

For a more defined look you can use a pencil or wet eyeshadow/brow powder (same diff.). For a more natural and diffused look use a powder. Your best bet is a combination of the two, using powder to define the base and a pencil for the arch and tip.

Grooming/Upkeep:

There are many options out there to groom and maintain the brows – waxing, threading, shaving, tweezing, depilatory creams, etc. Pick the one that best suits you. Many choose to wax or thread every few weeks and do daily upkeep by tweezing. Keep in mind that waxing may weaken the skin overtime and cause wrinkles!

Tools:

Tweezers – Use sharp, thin, preferably slanted tweezers for the general upkeep of the brows. This will make it easier to grab and pull those stray hairs. Tweeze the hair regrowth but leave the shape as is.

Small scissors – For trimming the overgrowth of hairs. Always trim hairs upwards towards your hairline and not downwards towards your nose. This will keep bald spots from popping up.

Spoolie, Brow comb/brush – This will help when grooming and filling in the brows. Use to brush hairs into place and to diffuse the color when filling in your brows.

Angled or flat tipped brush – Use a small, stiff angled or flat tipped brush with eyeshadows or brow powders. This will offer more control when defining your brows. Keep strokes light and short.

Brow Pencil – There are many options on the market. Pick one that best suits you. The actual product itself should be relatively firm to maintain control and keep from depositing too much color at once. Again, keep strokes light and short.

Brow Powder/Eyeshadow – As discussed choose the color suitable for your hair color. You will want to choose a powder with a matte finish. We definitely don’t want frosty eyebrows.

Brow Set/Wax – Another good tool is a brow set, clear mascara, brow gel or brow wax. This is used to set all your hard work in place and tame those stray hairs.
 
There are many tips and tricks and techniques for eyebrows and at the end of the day you will need to choose what’s right for you. This is just my little tidbit for brows based on my own experiences. Happy grooming!