makeupandwine

I thought I’d start out today’s blog with a thought about eyebrows.   Most of us have at least one.  Two is the preferred number.

When I was younger, I was blessed with a good set of eyebrows.  They were the right size and the right shape and a color that matched the natural color of my hair (brown – plain dark brown).  I used the prerequisite lemon juice in high school to lighten my hair and never realize or appreciated the fact that my eyebrows just kept matching my coloring no matter how light I was able to get my dark brown hair.

Now that I’m older and my hair is a dark blonde (L’Oréal #8 Dark Blonde – when I do it myself), and there are fewer hairs in the brow region, I’ve noticed how important a full, correctly colored, nicely shaped brow is.

My personal opinion is to go with a color that is close to your current hair color, perhaps one shade darker if your hair is very light.  Taupe is a good universal color if you’re in doubt.  If you have very dark hair, then go with a dark brown.  Black can be difficult to pull off and it can tend to emphasize fine lines and dark circles.

The shape is a personal thing but if you stay with your natural shape, that’s a good place to start.  Now, for the exact perfect shape, hold a pencil of any form (eye liner, lip liner, No. 2, whatever) and hold it so one end is pointing downward, and place it vertically alongside the outer edge of the bottom of your nose. The point where the other end lands marks the beginning of your brow (which should also be about one inch above the inner corner of your eye). Using an eye pencil, draw a vertical line to demarcate the start of each brow, then check that the space above the bridge of your nose is centered between them. Remove the strays that fall in between.

Now, lay the pencil on an angle against your cheek so that the open end is at the bottom of your nose and the other end reaches the outer corner of your eye. The spot where the pencil intersects your brow is where the hairs should end. Mark it with the eye pencil, then pluck the hairs beyond the line.

Finally, starting just below the fullest part of your brow, use an eye pencil to draw a line along the bottom edge of your brow; it should be above any stray hairs and it should follow the natural shape of your brow’s top line, which may be angled, slightly curved, or even straight. Pluck the strays below the line. Ultimately, your brows should be between a quarter inch and a half inch at their thickest.

Now that you have the shape, if you feel your brows are too thin, you can fill them in.

The three main types of brow fillers are pencil, powder and gel or mascara type of product.  If you’re using a powder, it is a good idea to follow up with a setting gel or wax.  MAC makes a wonderful wax pencil that I use when I use powder to fill in my brows.  It is called the Brow Finisher:  MAC Brow Finisher    Powder is an easy quick way to add fullness and shape.  The biggest problem with powder is the length of time it stays put.  If you’re headed to water or if you are in a climate that is humid, you may want to use pencil or gel.

Pencil is nice because it allows for mistakes.  I like to use short quick strokes when using a pencil.  It is nice when the pencil has a spiral tip on the other end to fluff up the brows first, then using short quick strokes with the pencil, put them back in place.  Anastasia makes very nice brow products and their Brow Wiz Pencil comes with a spiral end. Anastasia Brow Wiz.

If you’re good with drawing and you want an everlasting brow (or at least until you wash it off), you’ll want to use a brow marker – it is just like a felt pen.  I do not use this product, it does not seem to give me a natural looking brow, but it is waterproof.

If you’re needing something more water proof than the powder or pencil, you might try the gel.  This is very similar to a mascara that you brush through your brows.  It can be quick and easy.  It is not my preferred method because I find it leaves my brows feeling sticky – similar to my lashes after applying mascara.  If I was going to use a gel, I would use the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel   If you’re new to the world of eyebrows, the Anastasia line is a good place to start.

I do my eyebrows last.  If I use any face powder or finishing powder it tends to dust my brows so I wait and do my brows after adding any powder to my face.

Now here’s a list of what I would recommend you need to get started with having beautiful eyebrows:

• Tweezers.  I recommend Tweezerman, I’ve had mine for almost 17 years now and never need to sharpen them.
• Angled Eyebrow Brush for powder application (this is a bit thicker than an angled eyeliner brush but if you have an angled eyeliner brush you could start with that.
• Eyebrow Pencil or Eye Shadow (Powder) of the color of your choice or Brow Gel
• Brow Finisher (Wax Pencil) if you’re using Powder

If you are hesitant to start shaping your brows, I recommend going to a salon.  Even if you have been doing your own brows and are comfortable with doing the shaping yourself, it’s a good idea to visit a salon at least once or twice a year.  I try to go twice a year but it is a three hour drive (Boston) and some times it ends up being once a year.  I go to Katrina Hess on Newbury Street in Boston.  I enjoy the experience and always learn something new about the world of makeup.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Post.  Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions or questions.