Brows. They can do so much to define not only eyes, but the entire face, and they can go so wrong so fast! With ever-changing trendy shapes, styles, products, (even stencils?!?) how do you know you’re doing it right? Here are some general pointers to give you a natural looking brow that works to enhance your beauty.
Brows/ makeup by Kristie Streicher, Photo by Paris Helena, Model @princesscyberspace
A few main things:
Consider going to see a brow specialist who can help you find a great shape for your face. I did this when I thought my brows were already great, and let me tell you - it took my shape from okay to AMAZING and so much more flattering for my whole face. Shout out to The Browgal team in Los Angeles! I highly recommend booking an appointment with them if you’re in the area and have never had your brows shaped by a pro.
Work with your natural shape. Again, this is something a pro can help you see. You don’t need to create an arch out of thin air if you have very straight brows. You also don’t need to pretend you’re Brooke Shields by drawing on a brow that’s really thick when you don’t have enough hair to support it. It can end up looking painted on if you try to fill too heavily.
Your brow should begin where the inner corner of your eye starts, or a little further inward. You can use the bridge of your nose as a guild by holding a pencil or tweezers against it (see below) or just draw an imaginary line directly upwards from your inner eye corner to see if the hair starts there. If you’ve over-plucked in the past and there’s too much space between your brows, don’t be afraid to fill them in to where they should start - just make sure the color of pencil or powder you’re using matches perfectly with the brow hair for a seamless look. Brows that are too far apart can make your nose appear wider and make your eyes appear wider set.
To find where your brow should end, draw from the outer corner of your eye towards the temple. This will show you how much you can elongate your brow without going too far - also see below.
Don’t go too dark. The only people who should be using a black brow pencil are those who have naturally black hair and at least a medium to deep skin tone and even then- black may be too harsh. If you are fair to medium skinned with natural black hair, using black to fill in the brows will most likely be too harsh on your face. Try a cool brunette shade, or even taupe if you’re brow hair is fine. You know you’re going too dark when you see a photo of yourself and your brows are the first thing(s) that jump out at you.
Taupe is a universal shade that will work on almost everyone with fair to medium skin tones. Dior makes one called the Brow styler that works for many people in the shade “universal brown”. My absolute favorite brow product is a pomade by Ecobrow. The shades “Marilyn” and “Penelope” work for so many people! I have brunette brows and red hair, and I’ve found Marilyn, a cool taupe, to be perfect.
Photo by James Westman, Brows Kami Phillips
A note on microblading: this can be a very effective and natural looking tattooed brow for someone who wants to save time day to day on filling in brows. If you want to go this route, be prepared to have these brows stay with you and your face for roughly two years. The point being: make sure you would basically be willing to put your life in the hands of the microblading artist you choose. Stalk your artist! Check our their qualifications and certifications, website, Instagram, look at all of their prior brow work, and if you see things you don’t like, keep looking for another artist!
Remember, good brows can take time, so be patient with them and yourself as you perfect your shape and style. When in doubt, let them grow and risk them looking a little messy for a few months so you can see where they naturally fill in! This will help you find your God given shape :)
I leave you with a photo of pure brow beauty and inspiration, the Brooke of our time, Cara <3
Xoxo,
Joelle of Dreamcatcher Artistry
