Eyebrows are such an important feature for our faces and sometimes they go completely overlooked, or, on the other end of the scale, they look a little….caricature.
Being fair haired, means that my brows have always disappeared behind my fringe and usually go unnoticed unless I apply a little product, but applying a pencil, a powder or a pomade can make such a difference to the overall look of your face.
I am not a fan of ultra thin eyebrows and luckily, when I was younger, I was never allowed to pluck them, so I have managed to escape the fate of so many people my age. Personally, I love a full and bushy eyebrow, particularly, when they are brushed upwards and have a little product running through them to pad them out a bit. I am not a fan of overly defined brows. Natural, in my opinion, is best.
Bushy brows are youthful, and, as our brows thin when we get older, it can look more natural to add a powder or pomade to give them fullness.
That is not to say that thinner eyebrows shouldn’t be around, take Michelle Obama for instance, her eyebrows are on the thinner side, as are Alex Box’s (make-up artist Goddess). For me, it is face shape dependent. The important thing is to not overdo it, eyebrows too thin or too big are never a good look. Follow your brows natural arch and thickness to really achieve what is suitable for your face shape and bone structure.
A quick ‘how- to’ guide:
To find your perfect shape, I suggest initially going to a brow bar, such as Benefit Brow Bar, to discuss your requirements. They will help you find your natural shape and even help you determine the best way to maintain them and grow them out if necessary.
You can maintain the shape by using tweezers, though if they do get a little unruly, its always best to get some professional help!
Keep it simple regarding products. There are so many on the market and its tempting to buy everything and use them all. If you are after very soft brows, I would recommend a brow gel that will attach to your natural lashes. If you are after something with a little more definition, my favourite product is Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade. Pencils are also great, however, try your hardest not to be too heavy handed with them, you’ll end up with ‘Instagram Brows’ that are a little heavy to say the least.
For the ultra brave, you can have a permanent alteration. The Harley street hair clinic offers transplants for £2,500 to £7,000. It involves more than 4 hours of work, plucking hair from the back of the head and being inserted one by one, on the the brow – not for the faint hearted! A little side note about this procedure; the hairs will need to be trimmed regularly, otherwise the hairs will grow to the length of scalp hair – yes, your read that right!
Tattoo eyebrows also exist at a more modest price of around £600. They have come a long way since the initial one block of colour and now you can have them tattooed to replicate hairs. Of course, this will only look natural from a distance. Up close it will be fairly obvious that they are not real hairs, if you hairs are sparse to begin with. Experiment and get the opinions of the professionals or of friends who you trust.