The Brow Edit #2

 

One of my very first and most popular posts to date was a guide to perfecting brows, which is still available to view here. A lot has changed since then as brows take time to get right and are the one feature that I really feel can make the biggest difference. Brows are probably my most prominent feature as they are naturally quite strong and dark, and need regular maintenance. If my brows are undone my whole face looks different and I feel completely naked. I love a naturally strong brow that has not been overworked. I think it is important that brows still look like brows, i.e with hair intact, as opposed to appearing as if they have been completely drawn on from scratch. Of course, if you do not have super strong brows already you can still create the illusion with some practice. 

Eyebrows frame your eyes and enhance them further, so it is something important to get absolutely right as it can really transform your appearance. Defined brows just make everything appear neater and more polished. I think well-groomed brows can also make you look older in a more mature kind of way, a great way to look more sophisticated. Personally, I have always dealt with mine myself which has been a long process to get them to the stage where I am happy with. I dealt with mine myself because back in the day I had no clue what I was doing and then over-plucked. I also was not aware of things like threading/waxing. However, If you have never messed about with your brows before and would like them shaped, I would advise visiting a professional to get a good shape initially, which you can then try and maintain. I have heard great things about threading, but have never tried it myself although I am intrigued. I stick to tweezing now that I am happy with my natural shape, but waxing and threading is a good way to start. The most important thing is to avoid the temptation of over-plucking as your brows may never grow back in the same way. Take it from me, thick brows are a blessing but do require some maintenance. 

Here is how I fill in my brows on the regular basis. I usually move on to brows after my base make-up is in place as I instantly feel more ready with my brows complete. I start by brushing them upwards and then across to find their natural shape. In doing so, you can also see any pesky hairs underneath the brow that need tweezing. (Note: don't pluck above the brow!) 

For ages now I have been using Beauty UK's High Brow kit. This is the perfect all in one brow kit, complete with an array of 3 powder shades ranging from light brown to almost black, a wax, and also tweezers and a duo-sided applicator. I found this in Superdrug and it instantly struck me as a bit of a dupe for the likes of that from Sleek, a popular favourite among here. What is absolutely amazing is that this kit is only £3.99, which is unbelievable value for money. This Beauty UK kit is great if you are on a budget. I find powder is best suited to me because I have a lot of brow hair already so only really need a touch up, whereas pencils are great to give the illusion of more hair. First, I use the wax to set the brows in their natural shape. I then go in with the lightest shade and use this throughout with an angled brush from Real Techniques. You want to go in light, feathery upward strokes, gently filling in any sparse areas . I then use the darker brown shade more on the underneath of the brow to add definition. I take the brow up to its arched point, and then extend this down to the tail end to create a defined arch. Finally I set my brows with Maybelline's Brow Mascara to add texture to the hair and to ultimately keep the brows intact. I find that my brows do not budge whatsoever by using both the wax and this gel. When I go on to do my eyes, I highlight under the brow  with a light cream shade, something akin to Foxy from the Naked 2 palette. This will simply raise the brow and emphasize the arch. 

In terms of upkeep, once you are happy with your shape it's easy to maintain. Tweezerman tweezers are the best by a long shot. They are super precise and manage to get hairs that are so tiny that they have only just come through, and almost never miss. If you ever have really long, wild hairs that simply get in the way, instead of plucking, carefully go in with nail scissors, cutting at an angle to tidy things up. 

Here's some browspiration to leave you with!

I hope you found this post useful/interesting, what are your brow savior products?

xox