You must never under estimate the power of the eyebrow”; these wise words spoken by Jack Black ring true in the reigning decade of the big brow. The 80s had their shoulders and we have the power brow. Eyebrows shape and define your face and can completely alter your appearance. Anybody that has ever had an over-enthusiastic beautician assault their brows with a waxing kit can tell you painfully of the days when two skinny lines above their eyes meant their face resumed a permanently shocked expression. The beauty trend of the moment, Cara Delevigne’s caterpillars, are so influential that they have even been linked to a decline in tweezer sales. So if you are Cara crazy but just cannot seem to get the power brow right, do not fret, here is a quick guide to make your brows the envy of Edinburgh.
Shaping
First off, find your preferred method of shaping. If you are going to get your brows done by a professional then your choice is threading vs waxing. Threading allows for more detailed definition and can be a great choice if you are trying to grow your brows into a different shape. Waxing means the longest gap between appointments, but it also encourages softer, thinner regrowth- not so ideal if you are jumping on the bushy-brow wagon. A word of warning, both methods will have the onion effect and leave you exiting the beauticians like you have just left the cinema after a rerun of The Notebook. If you are planning on tweezing your own brows, fill them in first so you do not over pluck and make sure you keep the arches of your brows at the same point, symmetry is key!
Step-by-Step
To avoid looking like you have taken a sharpie to your face, do not colour them in the same block colour. The start of your brow should be much lighter, gradually getting darker as you work your way to the tail end. A gel liner is the most useful tool in creating this gradient. Starting midway through the brow, outline your eyebrows following their natural shape. Then work colour through the outlined section. With the left over colour on your brush, go back to the start of your eyebrow; make sure there is very little product on your brush at this point, as this will create a gradient that blends into the rest of the brow. This is most easily done with an angled brush, but a blending brush is also useful for blending in any excess colour at the start of the brow.
To strengthen the shape of the eyebrow, you can choose to go over your outline with an eyebrow pencil for added definition. To tidy up, take your angled brush and follow the shape around the outside of your brows with a light concealer and blend. A highlighter can then be added to the brow bone to make the look pop!
Growth
If your eyebrows are thin and filling the gaps with product just does not cut it, there are some great growth treatments that can be used for both lashes and eyebrows. Boots stocks a range from Mavala Doublelash at £11, to RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum for £37.
Remember
– Brush your brows in the same direction and trim the rebelliously long ones.
– Choose a colour that matches your natural hair colour.
– Some days matching up both brows can be as difficult as The Student’s crossword, if you struggle to keep the symmetry mark out the outline of either brow before you fill them in. Keep the arches at the same point and the rest should follow.
And there you have it. Who ever thought Frida Kahlo would be such a trendsetter?
Photo credit: Walterlan Papetti