8 Ways To Bring Your Brows Back To Life

Eyebrows are the frame of the face, and given that we must wear masks to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID, this facial feature has risen to prominence. Read on to find out how to groom and beautify your brows so that your look is on point and unforgettable.

Eyebrows set the tone for one’s beauty look because they communicate expression and style. Consequently it is important to treat the hairs like strands of silk so that they remain full and sumptuous over a lifetime.

CARE FOR THE HAIR

The first step is to care for the hair, like one does for those which are attached to the top of the scalp. Each evening I massage my cleanser in small circular motions over the expanse of each eyebrow to that I remove makeup without unnecessarily tugging the hairs. Once the make up is removed, I apply Benefit Browvo! Conditioning Primer, a lightweight, clear gel which contains keratin and soy proteins to help brows to look fuller and healthier. The product is dispensed via a doe shaped applicator whose head is covered in tiny nubs which facilitate massaging the product into the skin under the hair. 

Previously, I used to apply castor oil on my eyebrows by dipping a spoolie brush into a bottle of same and then combing the oil through the eyebrows.  Castor oil is renowned for lubricating the hair, making it more flexible and less prone to breakage. However I found that the oil felt heavy and I was uncomfortable with the weight it added to area. Consequently, I am happy to integrate BrowVo! into my routine.

GROOMING NOT PRUNING

A set of unkempt eyebrows is rarely flattering on anyone, even if you are emulating the au naturel look. Straggling hairs such as those under the arch cast shadows across the eyes and the ones that elongate the brows to the temples, drag the eyes down. I recommend a basic, clean look where the natural shape is respected and brought to the fore by removing excess hairs.

There are two advantages to this approach, namely your natural beauty is celebrated and you will not risk removing too much hair. The latter is based on my friends’ lamentations of having excessively plucked their eyebrow when thin shapes were the dominant style in the nineties. They loved being on point in university and by the time the early aughts arrived they realized that the delicate hairs would never grow back, and they were stuck with eyebrows that resembled dilapidated tadpoles. Remember to groom, not prune, the eyebrows!

Prior to the pandemic, the unfortunate tadpole scenario was easily avoided by visiting a trusted eyebrow specialist on a quarterly basis to clean up the shape and then one would assiduously maintain the shape between appointments. For the moment, I suggest avoiding this idea because as I type this blog, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, in particular, are experiencing a disturbing increase in COVID cases. I recommend following the social distancing rules by grooming your eyebrows at home, and only venture out when the local health authority recommends that it is safe to do so.

Below are the steps that I follow to groom my eyebrows:

1. I wipe my tweezers with rubbing alcohol.  I recommend using tweezers with a slanted tip because the pointy ones can pierce the skin and are it is m0re difficult to pluck smaller hairs.  I like the Benefit Cosmetics Grooming Tweezer and Brush, because of the tip and the conveniently located brush means that I can immediately brush away plucked hairs.

2. If your threshold for pain is low, massage the eyebrows with an ice cube so that the area goes numb.

3. I recommend seating yourself close to a window where there is plenty of sunlight because that light reflects off the facial fuzz and the tiny hairs, and the eyebrows truly are laid out to bare.

4. The trick to achieving great eyebrows is to be able to see the forest from the trees. Always use a double-sided mirror, where one side offers a regular view and the other a close-up.  I identify the areas which need plucking using the regular view, I flip to the close-up view and remove a hair, and then revert to the regular view to check that I have not inadvertently veered into tadpole territory.  Eyebrows, like a magnificent garden, are cultivated row by row.  Additionally, given that we are in the midst of a pandemic, we cannot simply rush to our eyebrow expert if we mess up the eyebrows.  When it comes to grooming eyebrows, a pluck at a time saves nine.

5. The way to identify the areas to pluck is to use your nose as a guide.  I use a white pencil, such as Shiseido MicroLiner Ink in White, because the colour contrasts against my dark hair, and the tip of the pencil is fine so it draws a precise line to demarcate the areas which need to be tweezed.

6. I place the pencil, tip side pointed upwards, flush against my nostril, and then mark where the pencil intersects with the tip of the eyebrow.  Every hair that falls between the white line and the opposing eyebrow should be plucked one at a time. I always start to pluck the hairs that are further out and proceed inwards until I reach the white line.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the other eyebrow. It’s important that the tips of the eyebrow appears to be equally spaced to create the illusion of symmetry.

8. Once again, place the pencil, tip upwards, flush against the nostril, and slowly move the pencil, as if you would dial (the pencil should always maintain contain contact with the nostril), until you reach the other corner of the eye. At this point, carefully mark where the pencil lands on the eyebrow as this is where the tail should end.

9. Again, remove the hairs that are farthest away from the white line first, always checking your work after each pluck, until you reach the white line, and then repeat the exercise on the other eyebrow.

10. Once the tip and tail are defined the final step is the arch which is located about two thirds of the way between the tip and tail.

11. Mark the height of the arch with a white line and then pluck the hairs before and after the white line which are located above the arch.  Remember that arches are not defined by the amount of drama they introduce to the eye area, rather it is about the natural lift that they bring to same. Therefore avoid trying to create an arch, and just work to reveal what already exists because that arch will naturally and immediately flatter the shape of your eyes.

12. Brush up the eyebrow hairs and you will be able to spot the excess hairs that occupy the area under the arch. Again, remove each hair individually and switch to the other eye to repeat the exercise.

FILL IN THE SHAPE

Once the shape is refined, it’s now time to fill in the sparseness. Be careful as not to imitate Cruella De Vil in our earnest attempt to create a full eyebrows. Therefore when you select an eyebrow product, consider the following criteria:

1. Density of your natural brows.
2. Hair colour.
3. Propensity to sweat.

DENSE BROWS — JUST SET AND GO

If your eyebrows are dense, focus on setting the hairs so that they look professional and kempt. A great one that sets hair in place is the Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Sculpting Brow Wax Pencil & Styler, which is a dual sided stick, where one end has a twist up clear wax pencil and the other resembles a densely-packed hairbrush on the other. The brush gently places eyebrow hairs perfectly which you then set with wax pencil.  The eyebrows do not budge all day, even if you break out into minor sweat.

A BIT OF SPARSENESS, A BIT OF COLOUR

If you have some sparseness, I recommend selecting a colour product that that is 1-2 shades lighter than the hair on your head.  If you match the eyebrows to the hair, it will look harsh and add darkness to the eye area. Personally, I prefer to use medium-to-dark brown coloured eyebrow product, because my hair is almost pitch black.

If the sparseness is limited, for example I only have some at the tips of my eyebrows, I recommend using a a thin pencil, along the lines of a mechanical one, such as the Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler. I love how the Black-Brown shade meshes seamlessly with my eyebrows and the ultra fine tip permits me to create small hairs, as I hold it lightly and daintily apply it using fine, soft strokes. 

I like to set my eyebrows using a clear gel such as Givenchy Mister Brow Groom because the applicator measures 1.5 cm in length which is an ideal size when working in such small area. The tapered bristles ensure that the gel touches each hair and they stay in place, without flaking, for the whole day.

THIN, SPARSE BROWS — CREATE AN ILLUSION

If your eyebrows have several sparse areas and are overall thin, then I suggest using a soft powder which adds both colour and heft the area. The powder lends an airy finish to the brows so that they look fuller rather than painted on. I suggest trying the Vasanti Dymanic Duo Brow Kit (3 shades available). Each kit contains a wax and a complementary powder so that you can fill in and set the brows.

ADD SOME QUICK DRAMA

If your eyebrows are in need of a quick jolt of drama, for example you are going to celebrate a special occasion via Zoom, use a coloured gel to set your brows. The gel should be one to two shades lighter than your natural hair colour. The advantages of using the gel is that each hair is coated in a product that makes them look fuller and more lush. I recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows (4 shades available) because the brush lifts the hairs and deposits gorgeous colour.  

ARCH ON

COVID presents many challenges and one of them is beauty. Eyebrows need not fall by the wayside as we patiently await for the local health authority to signal that we can visit our beloved experts. It is possible to achieve a great pair of eyebrows by taking the time to assess the areas that need tweezing and then removing the hairs individually. Once the shape is set, pick setting and colour products that suit your needs, and apply them using a light hand. You will then be ready to conquer Zoom … or your next trip to the grocery store.