Choices. If your brows are pale, sparse, non-existent or all over the show, you have options to make them enviable baring in mind that your choice of product, brow colour and brush is key.
“Brows are a massive beauty trend (thank you Instagram) and everyone has tried to master them,” so says Ryno Mulder, make-up artist and brand manager of Bodyography cosmetics.
READ MORE: Shaved, shaped and slit - eyebrows through the ages
Here’s how to get the perfect set without breaking a sweat:
Pencil, powder, mascara or gel?
• Brow powder is compact matte shadow - a good choice if your makeup skills are not advanced. When applied with a brow brush, it gives brows a soft, natural look that it is easy to correct if you make a mistake. Brow powder gives quick results.
• Brow pencils must be soft and not too sharp so you can gently colour in the brow area. A sharp brow pencil is best used in combination with brow powder as you can sketch fine brow “hairs” in using the pencil. A pencil is also good for extending the outer corners of the brow by drawing in short strokes of colour in a feathering motion. Pencils with a triangular tip are all the rage, as the triangle tip allows you to create thin lines as well as a soft blending effect.
• Brow mascara is clear or tinted mascara used to comb unruly brows and set them in place. Clear brow mascara is universal and can be used by anyone. The tinted versions should be picked to match your natural brow colour as closely as possible to add colour, texture, volume and definition.
• Brow gel is long wearing tinted pomade used to fill in the brow using a brush. When applied it can give strong definition or be blended for a softer look. It can also be used before brow powder as a primer for your brow area on top of which you set it using brow powder.
Get your colour right
Your eyebrows should be in the same colour group as your hair, but ALWAYS a lighter, cooler and toned down version of your hair colour. If your hair colour is…
• Grey or blonde or any shade of unicorn: Use brownish grey
• Light brown or red: Use light brown
• Medium to dark brown or black: Use a medium to dark brown brow colour but never, ever black (unless you're Cara Delevingne). Your brows frame your facial features and an overly dark eyebrow is unflattering. It can make your features look harsh and draw attention to dark under-eye circles.
The best make-up brush for eyebrow application
Use a small, short angle brush with firm bristles. Do not pat or sweep your brow colour product onto your brow. Rather use short, tidy sketching motions as though you are drawing in individual eyebrow hairs onto the area. This way you will get a neater, sharper brow shape.
This article was originally published in True Love Magazine.
