Streamlined and skinny? Bold and bushy? Whichever trend you opt for, well-groomed eyebrows, just like a great haircut, can frame your features and transform your appearance. Daisy Dickinson picks the best products to keep your brows on fleek
From the thick-set brows made popular by Audrey Hepburn in the 60s, to the quite literally eyebrow-raising trend of over-plucked skinnies in the 90s, thankfully 2016 is favouring a natural, but well-kept shape. And it’s easier than ever to get groomed, with so many great products from high-street to high-end. Just follow these fail-safe tips for banging brows.
Shape Up
Most brows don’t need too much work to tidy, but it’s worth noting your natural shape before you start hacking away. Pluck and stray hairs away from under your brows, paying careful attention when removing any hairs that will change the shape. Think of your face as a clock, with inner eyebrow edge at 12 o’clock, the arch should be one o’clock, and tail end tapering off towards two o’clock. Brow newbies might prefer taking a trip to the salon to get their shape started by a pro – with plenty of options available from plucking, waxing and threading, ask your technician which is best suited to you.
Draw The Line
Once you’re perfectly plucked and preened, consider the depth you want from your brows. Pencils are a classic tool for manipulating shape and adding definition. The most important choice is making sure you get the colour right. As a rule, use your natural brow and hair colour as a guide. If your brows are sparse, a thin pencil swept in short strokes in the direction of hair growth can fabricate the look of real hairs, giving a fuller appearance. NYX Micro Brow Pencil (£7, feelunique.com) is tiny, making it so easy to draw precise hairs for a natural look. This retractable pencil is available in five shades (I chose 04 Chocolate) and is a pretty good dupe for MACs £14 version.
Those with more brow to play with may prefer a thicker pencil like the Hi Brow Soft Eyebrow Pencil (£8.50, lashperfect.co.uk) with a velvet consistency the colour glides on. Blending edges with a brush and spoolie (a mini loo-brush style tool) will soften the appearance further.
Powderful
If you’re already happy with the shape of your brows, and are looking more to enhance than create, then a powder is the product for you. Similarly, if you have a shaky hand or are nervous of getting artistic with your arches, powder offers a more forgiving approach, and is easier to build up colour. I love all-in-one kits like this Essence How to Make Brows Wow (£5.99, Wilkos, Ely) which comes with three shades – making it simple to match your natural colour – and includes a soft pink shimmering highlighter, complete with mini tweezers and two-sided brush. Packaged in a cute little tin, Too Faced Brow Envy (£35, Debenhams) features two shades, a crème highlighter and setting wax, with tweezers and two brushes as well as comprehensive instructions and even stencils to get you started.
Like Too Faced, Jane Iredale’s Bitty Brow Kit (£25, janeiredale.co.uk) also has cruelty-free credentials and is vegan. With a soft powder in brunette or blonde, this luxury kit comes with a setting wax and three brushes, perfectly sized for popping in your handbag.
Fierce and Full
When you’re feeling confident and ready to up your brow game, look for a product with the staying power to keep your brows bold all night long. Requiring slightly more artistic skill, but well worth the practice, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (£15, beautybay.com) is the holy grail for brows, instantly giving Instagram-double-tap-worthy frames to your eyes. This water and smudge-proof formula is available in a huge range of colours, and when used with a precision brush can build colour and definition which will last hours, and even doubles up as an eyeliner too.
A relatively new product to the market, and one that’s raising the eyebrows of beauty bloggers the world over, is Wunderbrow 1-Step Gel (£19.95, wunderbrow.co.uk). I was curious to try this gel product which states its hair-like fibers fasten to skin and hair, and I have to say I’m impressed. It was easy to apply and build, and looks amazingly natural, particularly at the edges of my brows where I’ve never been able to grow hairs.
Brow To:
1. Work colour through your brows in the direction of your hair growth, from your inner eye, outwards.
2. Remember to build the arch at one o’clock, tapering the tail down towards two o’clock.
3. Blend using a soft brush like Nanshy’s Angled Detailer brush (£5.95, nanshy.co.uk) to soften.
4. Cover up any mistakes and define edges using your regular concealer and slim brush like the Vintage Cosmetic Company’s Cream Concealer brush (£7, feelunique.com) offering.
5. Make your look come to life by highlighting under your brow bone. Makeup Revolution Golden highlighter (£3, Superdrug) in Golden Lights is just perfect for the job.
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