Photo: Courtesy of aboutfaceskincare.com
Long gone are the days of 2008, and thankfully, because thin eyebrows aren’t as appealing as we foolishly thought they were. While we burn pictures of the horrifying past that captured our poor excuse of eyebrows, we can marvel in the future, because strong and bold brows are imperative to any modern makeup look.
Brow power basics: Eyebrows have the power to transform your entire look, frame your face, and create proportion and symmetry. The bolder, the better; but of course we’re not all naturally blessed with brows of Frida Khalo’s caliber, so, we’ll do the best we can to improvise.
Filling in your eyebrows is essential. With a steady hand, the right brush, and a little bit of practice, you’ll have a beautiful and powerful arch. Eyebrows should span your entire eyeball, so break them up in trisections. For the front, to know where to begin, hold a straight edged object to the center of the respective nostril, and line it up with your brow, begin filling in there. This helps with making your brows more symmetrical.
Downtown recommends using powders; because brow gels only coat the hair, but achieving the natural thickness should come from the base. Classic rookie mistake: never use a brow powder that matches your exact hair color, always go a shade or two lighter. Eye brows are naturally sparse, exposing the skin beneath, so if the skin pigmentation beneath the brow is stark to match your dark hair, you will end up looking scary. Using a shade lighter will bring out the darkness of your natural hairs without overpowering them. Now for the right brush: any flat shaped angle brush will do, just remember to apply the powder in small strokes rather than long lines to avoid mistakes.
Back to the trisections: when filling them in, always use a light shade for the front, those hairs are sparser than the rest of the eyebrow because they tend to grow up straight, not to their respective direction. Gradually go darker at the center of the brow and towards the end, to create a seamless gradient.
Eyebrows and humidity aren’t exactly companions and the summer is a bad time for your brows if you don’t properly groom them. After you’ve filled them in, use a clear brow gel to lock them in place. Inexpensive alternative: use a spare spoolie and a spritz of hair spray, for an equally strong hold. Remember to spray onto the spoolie, never directly onto your eyebrow.
Grooming: If there’s one person you need to have a vested trust in, it’s your eyebrow groomer. Whether you wax or thread your brows, make sure you’re going to someone credible and reliable. Horror stories ensue from going to inexperienced groomers.
But which is better? Threading and waxing? Both methods do pull the hair from the root and most have found it more bearable to wax. Though threading takes the gold medal on this debate. Threading gives you a more defined arch and you eliminate the risk of chemicals used in waxing and it’s safer for those with sensitive skin types. Keep in mind, threading is for the strong willed, because it is more painful, but ten minutes of pain for weeks of beautiful brows seem like a pretty good trade.
Eyebrows have come a long way since the days of being thin and weak, but this Tuesday Tip: Brow Power, helps you achieve the strongest brow game possible. A strong pair of eyebrows frame your face and give you immense confidence. So, put down the tweezers down, let things get a little furry, and follow these tips for the ultimate brow power!
By: Yasmine Rimawi
