Hyper-styled brows have dominated the runways this season. However, we at Woman This Month still opt for the more street-friendly take. For those of you who can’t make it to the salon, here are the dos and don’ts of eyebrow maintenance. Make those peepers pop!
DOS:
1. Shape up or ship out
No matter what you say or do, the “perpetually surprised” look will never be “in”. The key to perfect face-framing arches is to work with your face shape. A high arch looks best on round-faces, as sharp peaks do for squares. Ovals should go with a more natural curve and hearts are advised to have a rounded curve with a sharp end.
2. Follow the blueprint
Hold the pencil against the side of your nose and mark where the pencil meets your brow, preferably with a white kohl pencil. From here, aim the tip of the pencil to the outer corner of your eye and mark there where it meets the brow. Then, mark the highest point on your brow by holding the pencil in front of your eye and lining it up with the outer side of your iris.
3. The tame game
Rule of thumb— brush before you pluck. Brush them straight up; trim the long hairs and those growing straight down. Have two pairs of tweezers ready — a slant-tipped pair for thick strands; a needle-nose-tipped pair for shorter, hard-to-reach hairs.
4. Fill her up
If you didn’t already know, hear it from us now: the colour of your brows should always bear relation to the colour of your hair. So, pick those pencils wisely. Blondes ought to match their darkest brow hairs to add definition while brunettes should go a shade lighter than their hair to soften the skin tone. Redheads should go sable. If you’re going grey, use a taupe colour to avoid dull tones.
5. Tricks of the trade
If you can’t tolerate the pain, choose to pluck after a hot shower. Also, pull skin taut as you tweeze to grab hairs at the base. The finishing touch is easily as vital as the pre-pluck stage. Apply clear brow gel or Vaseline to add definition and shine.
DON’TS:
6. Know when to stop
Don’t go all Edward Scissorhands on yourself. Only pluck below the brow, never above. If it is narrow, it better be the end of your arch. Say no to tadpole brows. But please don’t be too mindful and leave the room looking like Frida Kahlo.
7. Let nature take its course
Natural is always beautiful. If you have thick eyebrows, don’t be drastic and tweeze those babies super thin. People don’t usually like to hunt for your brows. It’s called eyebrow maintenance; not eyebrow removal. Be realistic.
8. Great expectations
It is normal for one brow to look different from the other, unless you use a stencil which we assume isn’t a great idea. Don’t try to get too much of an arch that it simply looks unnatural.
9. Mirror, mirror on the wall
Do not obsess about your brows with a heavily magnified mirror. Looking so closely can cause you to lose symmetry. Use a normal mirror and pause every so often to step back a foot and take a look.
10. Me, me; Eye, eye
You have got to learn to trust others and call for help for those tricky spots. Also, don’t stick to the same eye forever. Brush the brows and switch sides so you’ll be less inclined to over-pluck a single spot.
