Tips and Tools To Touch-Up Your Brows
If you know me, you know two things. One, I abhor any sign of grey hair so I am committed to my 6 week hair color appointment. Two, my eyebrows need to be immaculate and therefore I leave the shaping to a professional – but daily maintenance is on me. Last summer I wrote a post on achieving beautiful brows on our other site Second City Style, but I think some of it bears repeating since brows are a major beauty trend this season and some women have clearly missed the memo.
Strong, prominent, modern brows are literally everywhere. Just take a look at model and brow muse, Cara Delevingne, who sets the modern brow standard. However, I’m of the belief that if you are over the age of 35 forget about the big, bushy brows you are seeing everywhere. If you remember when Brooke Shields sported bushy brows then you are too old to do so now. The models you see with thick brows are 20 and you are not. Even Brooke tames her brows today. As you age you want your eyes to look open and wider and a sculpted brow helps achieve that goal. Be sure to watch our video for brow touch-ups below.
Conversely, you don’t want a skinny, drawn-on line as a substitute for brows either – because it looks absurd and screams Grandma! However, you want something between that and a caterpillar across your forehead. Find a professional to groom your brows who is good! Pay the extra $10. Go to a brow bar or do some research on who does the best brows (wax or threading) in your area. Better yet, make a new friend by approaching someone who has eyebrows you envy and ask her who she goes to.
Now, once you have your perfectly groomed brows here are some new and/or improved brow tools to help you maintain them. Yes, I pluck the strays, but I know it’s time to go in to my brow guru when they start to get a bit much to handle. You’ll know when it’s time.
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil, $32
Hourglass recently expanded their color range so now there are 9 shades to choose from, even one for redheads! This double-ended brow pencil brilliantly combines the benefits and technique of a powder, pencil, and wax in one!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer, $23
Another brow defining pencil I love! The thick triangular tip allows for three angles for application, outlining the brows and filling them in with one fluid motion. The other end has a spool to help you comb brows and blend.
Now, sometimes you need a little color and something to fill in sparse brows with. Here are the products you need.
Grande Naturals GrandeBROW-FILL, $19.95
Another product I really like is Grande Naturals GrandeBROW-FILL. This water-resistant tinted brush-on gel adheres to brow hair and skin to define, shape and build your brows and arches, while simultaneously filling in sparse areas. It’s formulated with fibers and peptides so it creates fuller, well-defined brows that instantly lift eyes and give your face a more youthful appearance.
Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel, $24
This brush-on brow-volumizing fiber gel and adheres to skin and hair and magically creates brows where there were none. It’s buildable so you can create thick natural-looking brows and has a tapered brush for shaping and blending. It’s small enough to keep in your cosmetic bag at all times.
Clinique ‘Just Browsing’ Brush-On Styling Mousse, $18
A 24-hour long-wearing brow mousse that tints, tames and fills in even the sparsest brows? Brilliant. The mini applicator brush helps create natural-looking brows that resists smudging, sweat, water and humidity.
Need help growing brows or have some bald spots?
Grande Naturals GrandeBROW, $79.95
After years of waxing and tweezing even I have “bald” spot on my left brow which drives me insane, I fill it in with my Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil every day, but getting that hair to grow back sure would be amazing. Grande Naturals GrandeBROW, claims to help you grow fuller brows.
This new eyebrow enhancing serum produces thicker and fuller looking brows within 6-8 weeks. A proprietary blend of vitamins, peptides, amino acids and conditioning ingredients work to create thicker and fuller brows. Vitamin E, a vasodilator and magnesium which is necessary for nerve function, work together to help activate dormant follicles to provide new fullness to the brows. The key ingredient is the Prostaglandin I.C. which helps to extend the length of the hair growth cycle.
Need a simple and cheap taming trick?
ChapStick Hydration Lock Moisturize & Renew, $2.99
Yes, this ChapStick is great for your lips, but the natural butters are also great for taming brows. Just brush a little on with a brow brush. I love dual purpose products.
Read Second City Style’s Beautiful Brows and How To Get Them Gorgeous For Fall ’15 here.
– Lauren Dimet Waters
Photo: Brooke Shields