It really is true when they say that eyebrows frame the face. They can accentuate and compliment the eyes, as long as you get them right.
Personally, I am a fan of a big brow. I just love big bushy brows, they are far more attractive than pencil thin ones and a lot easier to achieve.
CHOOSING YOUR SHAPE
No matter what your facial proportions or natural eyebrow shape, there is a method that creates the most ideal shape for everyone.
Using a straight object (I normally use one of my brushes, but a pencil will also do) you want to line up your brow with this image.
A- Place your straight object against the edge of your nose, straight up, and this should be where your brow should start.
B- Again, place your straight object on the edge of your nose, but this time you want to line it up with the edge of your pupil. This should be where the arch in your brow should be.
C- Finally, placing your straight object on the edge of your nose, line it up with the outer corner of your eye and this should be where your brow should end. If your brow is too short to reach this point, don’t worry because that is why we fill them in.
Once you have determined your shape using this method, you can begin to fill them in.
What you want to do, is draw the shape and size of the brow you want onto the brow, this then gives you a clear guideline of which hairs to pluck out.
I plucked my cousins eyebrows for the first time (after much persuasion for her dad’s permission!) and this is the method I used.
BEFORE- This was her brow before and as you can see it already has a natural arch. I used my make-up brush to line up and see the proportions I needed to shape the brow.
Using an angled brush and a brown powder eyeshadow, I filled in her brow how I thought it should look. (You can fill yours in how you want it to look). Then I began plucking, I started under the arch as this had the most hairs to be removed. Always take less to begin with, because if you make a mistake there is no turning back, as you can always take more if you need to.
As you can see I removed a lot under the arch, but it still has a reasonable size.
AFTER- So this is the finished brow. (its still sore and red but this goes after about 30mins-1hour) I neatened up the edges and re-filled them using my powder.
It is a myth that you shouldn’t pluck above your brow, however this is purely just a myth. In this case I didn’t pluck above, because I didn’t need to. If you feel you need to tidy above your brow then pluck away.
FILLING THE BROW
There are lots of products to fill in a brow that have different degrees of harshness.
Powder- This is the softest way to fill in your brows and gives the most natural look. You can use eyeshadows, loose powders or specific eyebrow kits to do this.
Pencil- A pencil can be fairly soft or quite harsh depending on how you apply it. If you fill the brow with soft strokes you will get a natural effect. If you completely fill in the brow this will give a harsher effect. Pencils are good but can sometimes make the brow appear ‘greasy’ because of its creamier texture.
Brow Cake- This is a water activated powder. You can use it dry for a soft look or use it wet for a more defined effect.
If you don’t want to fill your brows at all but just want them tame, try using a brow gel. This will just keep the hairs neat and subtle.
Another subtle way to define the brows without filling them, is to just line the upper and lower arch. This helps to shape the brow and neaten them whilst still looking natural.
Great products-
POWDERS- Sleek Brow Kit- £7.99 , MAC Eyeshadows-£12, ELF Eyebrow Kit -£3.75
PENCILS- Almost all brands do eyebrow pencils, the ones with brushes on are best.
CAKE- Illamasqua Brow Cake-£14.50, Kryolan Cake Eyeliner
GELS- ELF Clear Gel-£1.50, ELF Brow Treat and Tame- £3.75
Brows are so important in make-up, and for everyday they are really essential. So for those of you who neglect your brows, it’s time to buy a decent pair of tweezers and start plucking!
Stay creative,
