Brows: have you had enough yet? Clearly not, if the latest stats are to be believed. According to Europe’s biggest beauty bookings website Treatwell, online searches for eyebrow treatments have risen by over 200% across the past year and show no signs of slowing. And in a beauty hall near you, DIY offerings are about to get interesting with Benefit’s 13-strong brow collection launching on June 24th. From a brand that’s already known for a pretty comprehensive brow-grooming wardrobe, that’s news as big as you’d probably like your own arches to be right now (thank you, Cara).
But having the kit is one thing and knowing what to do with it is another, so as well as pulling together some of the latest launches we’ve also thrown in a handful of shaping and shading tips that will elevate your brows to the next level. Plus, you’ll find out what a spoolie brush actually is. Enjoy…
When you don’t know where to start…
No matter what you’ve got planned for your brows, always go through them with a stiff spiral brush first (or spoolie, if we’re getting technical). ‘As well as exposing any gaps that need filling this creates fullness from the start,’ says Bobbi Brown PRO Artist Amy Conway. Brush upwards from head to tail, smooth down any stragglers and if you likewhat you see just fix with gel and you’ve got yourself a look.
When they look too fake…
The head of your brow is everything here, so leave it light on product and slightly squared off rather than rounded. A lightweight gel with a super-skinny brush will pick up any baby hairs in this area without weighing them down (you’ll find these along the top edge of your brow too), then concentrate the bulk of your colour at the arch and ease off again towards the tail.
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows, £18.50, available from June
When you just don’t have the time…
For the easiest brow ever, darken with a fat and waxy crayon, brush through with your spoolie to blend, soften and shape, and repeat in layers until you hit your own personal brow nirvana. The wax adds shine and keeps the hair in place and the colour is soft enough to wipe straight off the skin if your application is a little too slapdash (so have a cotton bud to hand).
Maybelline Brow Drama Pomade Crayon, £5.99, available at Boots
When the colour won’t stay put…
Where waxier textures fall short is on oily skin or a hot day (either can cause your colour to slide), or if your brows are extra sparse or the effect is too subtle for your skin tone. In which cases classic powder will adhere to the skin far better and for longer... and classic means Chanel, right? For the most natural effect use the paler shade at the very head of the brow.
When you’re baffled by product…
Your rule of thumb: products in palettes (commonly powder or wax) mimic the shadow that your brow hairs cast on your skin - apply lightly with an angled brush. Fine-tipped pens and pencils mimic the hairs themselves, so draw on as needed in short, hair-like strokes. Fibrous gels attach to existing hair to create bulk plus a 3D texture that helpfully disguises any product below. Our favourite? All three. At once.
Benefit Gimme Brow Brow-Volumizing Fibre Gel, £18.50, available at Boots
When they’re too ginger…
Forget everything you’ve learnt from mascara, when it comes to brows ‘a shade or two lighter than black’ doesn’t automatically mean brown. ‘Brown contains warmth and unless you’re a redhead or a very auburn brunette that’s not something you want in your brows,’ says Amy Conway. If you’re a blonde or mid-to-light brunette, she recommends considering grey instead, and rigorously examining straight brown shades for any hint of orange.
When they’re just not on fleek…
Heard of the boy brow? The look that’s getting all the social media feels right now is full, fluffed up, and even slightly flyaway. ‘I love a brushed up brow, particularly with a glossy eyelid, but it’s a pretty runway-specific look’, says Lisa Potter-Dixon, head make-up artist for Benefit Cosmetics. ‘For an everyday take just brush up the very front of the brow and fix with gel.’
Benefit Ready Set Brow, £18.50 or High Definition Brow Wax, £12.50
When they’re too dark…
Whether they’re loaded with product or just made that way, a flicker of light can liven up a brow that’s looking too solid, says Amy Conway, who likes to run a matte ivory or bone-white eye shadow lightly through a finished brow to create soft highlights here and there, or a clear and glossy gel to catch the light and break up the monotone effect that way.
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