With Brooke Shields-inspired arches back in fashion, it’s timely to do a brush-up on brow beauty.
See a Pro: A brow expert will be able to design the most flattering brow shape for your face. The idea is to keep the natural line of brows, but softly define the arch and generally do a tidy-up. Never try to shape your brows yourself – you run the risk of over-plucking. Once a pro has perfected your brows, it’s a cinch to maintain. Simply tweeze out stragglers every few days. You only need to see a pro regularly for waxing if you have dark hairs and quick regrowth.
Already over-plucked? Oops. Take a deep breath, lock the tweezers away, and find the patience to let hairs grow back. Once brows are fuzzy, book in for a professional shaping.
Fill ‘em up: If you have spaces in your brows – where hairs haven’t grown back or where there’s a scar, for instance – buy a pencil, as this sticks well to skin. Make sure to get a near-perfect match to your haircolour. To apply, warm the nib on the back of your hand and then work in light feathery strokes to fill in any gaps. Great buys: Dior Powder Eyebrow Pencil ($37, from department stores); L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Custom Brow Shaping Pencil ($21.50, from pharmacies).
High Definition: Unless you get your brows tinted or are happy with your natural colour, your next step is brow powder – this is the best option for darkening the actual hairs and defining brows. Use a small angled brush and a brow powder (or even a matt eye shadow) to build up the colour. Great buys: Becca Brow Powder ($44, from Adore Beauty); i.d Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Brow Colour ($35, see True Solutions).
Get Set: Use a brow brush to groom hairs upwards. If your brows tend to fall out of shape during the day, set them instead with a clear brow gel. Try: Bloom Eyebrow Gel ($22 from Bloom). Alternatively, a glam way to finish off brows is with a wax – it not only holds hairs in place, but adds a gorgeous gleam. Great buys: M.A.C Brow Finisher ($30 from M.A.C); Estée Lauder Brow Perfecting Duo ($56, from department stores), which contains a powder and wax.
More Great Buys: Tweezerman Slant Tweezers ($49 from Adore Beauty) are about the best in the biz; Jemma Kidd Makeup Essential Mirror ($36 from Kit) helps you see every pesky little stray hair; and one fabulous all-you need set is Model Co Eyebrowz Designer Brow Kit ($48 from Model Co).
Related posts:
- Camilla Belle, The Chronicles of Narnia, New York
- I have to get my brows waxed every two weeks because my hair grows so fast – what can I do to slow it down?
- How to … Get a Natural-Look Glow
- Isabel Lucas, Whaleman Foundation, Los Angeles
- I’m going blonde for summer - what should I do with my dark brows?
Great article Kat!! Once upon a time I could give Brooke Shields a run for her money in the brow stakes!! They’re a little more sparse these days and need a helping hand with the right filler!!
Comment by Mel — August 11, 2008 @ 9:18 am
i went through a phase when i just kept plucking my eyebrowns intill they were literally a line. i had to chuck my treezers out and wait ages (and i mean ages) for them to grow back. i then got a beautician to wax them for me and theyre so nice now and shape my face. i get alot of complients for them. great aricle
Comment by em — August 11, 2008 @ 10:43 am
Wow! Brooke Shields looks sooooo amazing!
Comment by Elle — August 11, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
I had my brows done at the Benefit counter at Myer in Sydney last week - wow it made a difference. It takes a little getting used to but it’s a look I’d like to wear at night.
Comment by Karen — August 11, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
i’ve got brows that are well shaped but there are places where the hairs point in entirely the wrong direction. i’ve used plenty of brow fixing gels over the years and have just stumbled onto the one from ModelCo, it is BRILLIANT.
it keeps my eyebrow hairs pointing in the same direction all day and into the night.
Comment by anna — August 14, 2008 @ 7:53 pm