Brows That Wow

Eyebrows are such a significant part of the face and I believe that they can totally make or break a look. When taken care of and groomed well they are capable of opening up the eyes and sculpting the face, so it's really important to get it right and not fall victim of failed make up due to dodgy brows. The first step to achieving this is to shape them and whilst I am in absolutely no way an eyebrow expert I have put together a small guideline of the different methods that this can be carried out. Once you have got the correct shape then maintaining them is pretty easy!

Shaping the Brows: There are 3 main ways that this can be achieved-

THREADING is carried out by a professional and is done by using a thread to remove the hairs- pretty self-explanatory! This is the best method if you feel you need expert help to achieve the initial brow shape. It is also good for helping to rectify eyebrows that have gone wrong as a professional can help to keep them looking balanced through the 'growing-back' period.

PLUCKING is achieved using a pair of tweezers to remove one hair at a time. This is good for maintaining the shape after having them threaded or if you're feeing confident then you can shape them yourself. The best time to do this is after a warm shower as this is when the pores opened up so the hairs come out a lot easier and is less painful. I would also recommend investing in a good pair of sharp, slanted tweezers as this makes it easier to grab the hairs.

WAXING removes the hair in one go so is a lot quicker than plucking but you need to make sure that you are careful not to take off more hairs than intended. This is particularly good if you have a slight mono-brow however make sure that you keep in mind the eyebrow guideline- ensuring that they don't start too far back.

Eyebrow Guideline:

-Hold a pencil parallel to one side of the nose.

-Beginning: Line the pencil up with the outer corner of the eye and notice where it meets the brow. This is where the eyebrow should start.

-Middle: Move the pencil diagonally across to the centre of the pupil. This is where the eyebrow should begin to arch.

-End: Hold the pencil level to the outer corner of the eye. This is where the eyebrow should end.

Defining the Brows:

Once you have achieved the grooming and shaping part then you can use make-up to improve them just that little bit more. There are a variety of products that can be used to do this and it is entirely down to personal preference. These range from eyebrow powders, pencils or gels and can be used as an aid to darken and define fair brows or fill them in if they're on the sparse side.

POWDERS add an illusion of depth and thickness to the eyebrows by giving a feathery finish that looks like real hairs. This is best applied using an angled brush which gives control and precision for an even look. Particularly good for sparse brows.

Example: Brow Kit by Sleek. - This is my current favourite!

PENCILS have the ability to make thin eyebrows appear thicker by shaping and shading with a natural looking finish.

Example: Eyebrow Pencil by MAC.

GEL fills in the brows with a slick of colour whilst also brushing the hairs into place. This makes them appear a lot fuller and more defined.

Example: Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade

FIBRE GEL is a tinted formula that is applied with what looks like a miniature mascara brush. It is coated onto the brows to fill them out and fix them in place.
Example: Benefit Gimme Brow

Some people are lucky enough to have naturally defined eyebrows and so they can leave the make-up part out. I don't have full enough eyebrows myself so I like to fill mine in using a combination of MAC's pencil to outline the shape and Sleek's powder to fill them in. I find this works really well for me and makes them appear much more defined. 

Once I've done this I add the final touches which involves keeping them in place with a quick sweep of clear mascara. This is an inexpensive way of giving them extra hold. I use one for £1.99 from Natural Collection although Illamasqua do a slightly stronger Sealing Gel for £7  or Vaseline can also be used. I prefer the mascara as it is easy to apply with the wand applicator and the price is a lot more appealing! The final thing I do is follow around the edge of the brows with concealer on a tiny little brush just to get a clean edge, before my brows are finally set for the day!

How do you shape your brows? What's your favourite product?

love Katya x

P.S Remember- "eyebrows are sisters not twins" [Brow Expert, Shavarta].

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