03 Jun Eyebrow DIY While You’re Stuck At Home
EVOLUTION OF THE BROW
When we think of 90’s and 00’s eyebrows, our minds wander to Reese Witherspoon’s iconic paper-thin brows arches. She wasn’t alone. Gwen Stefani, Nicole Ritche and Scarlett Johanson were all part of the wave of women who plucked their eyebrows within an inch of their lives. Back then, bushy brows that graced the faces of Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Connoly and Brooke Shields were seen to be wild, unkempt and unfeminine.
Cut to 2010. Our poor eyebrows have been tweezed, threaded and waxed into submission. Popular culture, led by the influence of the Kardashians, drove women to embrace their natural brows and by 2012 the once undesirable forehead caterpillars became all the rage.
BROWS TO FIT YOUR FACE
As makeup and fashion trends force us to learn more about our bodies, we are beginning to appreciate that, as it goes with most, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Similar to our bodies, our faces aren’t all the same shape or size. Since brows are meant to frame our faces, accentuating our best features, eyebrows are unique to all our faces.
BROW BASICS
Eyebrow maintenance in a few minutes:
1. Firstly, a spoolie brush or preloved mascara wand (a toothbrush works too). This apparatus is great for combing and shaping brows – especially for those who experience more unruly brows.
2. Next, a tweezer. Once you’ve shaped your brows, pluck any rogue strands of hair that don’t fit the shape you are trying to achieve. A slanted tweezer will ensure you’re not snagging skin or breaking hair follicles as opposed to pulling them out at the root.
Threading is another great way to define your brows. Since you can’t visit the beauty parlour during lockdown, you’ll have to do it yourself.
You’ll have to exercise discretion when it comes to tweezing or threading your brows. If you come in too hot, you’ll end up with pencil-thin eyebrows. It’s also best to switch between brows during a session. The golden rule is that your eyebrows are siblings and not twins, if you spend too much time stressing about getting them exactly the same, you will frustrate yourself. Get rid of a few strands at a time, on each brow, step back to take regular checks that your eyebrows are even.
Plucking right after a shower or bath means your pores are open and loosens the hair follicles.
3. Lastly, a filler pencil can give your brows the extra volume you need to achieve the naturally bushy look so many of us want to pull off. Dr Hauschka makes a brow and lash gel that will add volume to your brows – if that’s the look you’re going for. Otherwise, you could always invest in hair growth supplements that will both thicken and lengthen your brows, lashes etc.
Things like concealer will help highlight your brows if you’re wearing a full face of makeup, but aren’t at all necessary if you’re just primping your eyebrows on a day to day basis.
WHO’S BROW IS IT ANYWAY?
Here is an outline of the ideal eyebrow shape that will fit your face, as well as celebrities who will help you identify which category you might fall in if you’re not 100% sure what shape your face is:
Oval
Rihanna, Beyonce and Kerry Washington are among the lucky few who can rock almost any row face because of the shape of their faces. If you go with an angled brow and a soft arch, you add a structured dimension to your face.
Heart
This face shape is identified by a wide forehead that tapers down to a pointed chin. Halle Berry, Ruby Rose and Naomi Campbell all fall within this category and a rounded brow will soften your features drastically.
Round
The likes of Mila Kunis, Chrissy Teigan and Cameron Diaz swear by high arching eyebrows because it gives the illusion of a lengthened and slimmer face.
Long
You’ll want to add some width to your face. Take notes from Kelly Rowland and Jessica Alba who both rely on a straight brow with a slightly longer tail that stretches the face horizontally – ever so slightly.
Square
Hailey Beiber, Olivia Wilde and Keira Knighley all have box faces. To soften the angles of your face, you can opt for a rounded brow. Alternatively, you can highlight your striking jawline by going with an angled brow that has a slight arch.
Diamond
Both Shakira and Serena Williams work to soften their angular faces with a curved brow. You can also extend your brow to make your face appear longer and rounder.
References:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/danielacadena/overpluck
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/g19586274/eyebrow-trends-decades/?slide=21
https://hudabeauty.com/us/en_US/blog/how-to-shape-eyebrows-38268.html
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a10350961/eyebrow-shapes/
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