eyebrow

            I am often asked if I think every woman needs to fill in her brows. I would have to say no, but I find that about ninety-five percent of women do benefit from some brow color. You may not need a lot of filling in, but some will definitely help define and perfect your brow. Each type or formula of brow color will give you more complete coverage or a much softer, more natural effect. Choose the formula that helps you achieve your goal, whether it’s slightly filling in or replacing what is just not there.

I will say it now, and I am sure that I will repeat it many times: Fuller brows make you look younger! So if you have over-tweezed in your twenties and the hairs never grew back we have brow stencils to offer you, just position the brow shape and brush brow powder with our brush  #27.

fuller brows make you look younger

Pencil is the most precise and probably the most common formula used to define the brows. This formula will give you great full coverage and color when filling in your brows. It usually has a slightly more waxy consistency than other makeup pencils to help it adhere better to the brows and help it last longer. I find that formulas that are a little drier and harder give the most natural application. Brow pencils come in two forms, mechanical and wood. A mechanical pencil (if it is a good one) will not need to be sharpened. Simply twist it and the product will extend out, then apply away. If your pencil is wood, you control the point. Just sharpen before each use to get perfect application, because the sharper the point, the better the application.

Powder brow color is a matte, no-shimmer powder with a very high pigment content. Powder provides the most natural look when filling in your eyebrows. It is all you need when you are just slightly filling in (maybe the shape of your brow is there, it is just sparse and you need to add a little bulk). In this case, powder is the perfect choice, because it will look totally natural, not like you just drew your brows on. It is usually applied with a narrow stiff-angle eyebrow brush. It used to set brow crèmes, and helps give pencils even more coverage and lasting power, when you are creating a brow from nothing.

Brow gel is basically a hair gel (or hair spray) for the brows. It’s great for unruly eyebrows because it helps keep the brows in place. So if your brows seem to look out of place and lie less than perfectly, gel can keep them where you want them. Brow gels are available in tinted or clear formulas. The tinted formulas will not necessarily fill your brows in, but they will make the hairs you do have look fuller and more noticeable (which might be all you want or need), while keeping everything in place. The clear brow gel can actually help set the color (pencil or powder) you already applied, while keeping your eyebrow hairs in place. I personally am not a big fan of the tinted versions, but I love the clear to keep brows looking perfect all day.

finishing touches

Whichever method you prefer, when grooming your brows, always finish by using a brow brush (my favorite is shaped similar to a tooth brush) to brush all your brow hairs upward and outward. This will assure that your brow hairs are lying in place and blend your color beautifully to give you an absolutely natural effect.

How to create perfect brows

You want them you need them!!! Youth is only a few pencil and brush stokes away. Two things to remember shape and how to properly fill in.

shape:

How do you determine where to start?

            By locating three key pivotal points of reference, we will know where and what to tweeze. Simply follow these directions and you will have perfect brows.

            Point A. Hold a pencil or the handle of a brush vertically against the side of your nose, noticing where it meets the brow.  That is where your brow should begin.

            Point B. Hold the pencil against your nostril and move it diagonally across the outer half of the iris of your eye. Notice where the pencil meets the brow: This is the best place for the peak of your arch. If you tweeze from Point A to Point B, tapering the line slightly thinner toward the peak, you will create the ideal shape for your brow. It is a slow taper using the natural width at the beginning of your brow (point A) and slowly tapering thinner as you get to the arch (point B). Fuller brows look younger.

            Point C. Again, place the pencil against your nostril, but this time, extend it diagonally to the outer corner of your eye. Where it meets the brow is the best place for your brow to end. If you tweeze from Point B to Point C, tapering the line even thinner, you will create the best brow shape for your face. Once again it is a slow taper from point B to point C not drastic.

filling in:

When selecting a brow color the basic rule of thumb is that it should pretty closely match your hair color (whether natural or chosen). Now lets elaborate a little bit though because as you know it is not just as simple as that.

• light blonde-  same shade as hair or one shade darker
• medium to dark blonde- same color as hair
• auburn- same color as hair
• light brown- same color as hair or one shade lighter
• medium to dark brown- same color as hair or one shade lighter
• very dark brown to black- one shade lighter than hair your color
• silver or grey- use a blonde or soft taupe color for ivory/ beige skin tones and use a light golden brown for bronze/ ebony skin tones (a silver or grey color to match hair would just wash you out and make you look older)