If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the eyebrows are the gutters that stop rain and other substances from falling straight down off the roof and into the windows. You don’t notice gutters on a house. Not when they’re in good repair, that is. When they start falling down and buckling and become scruffy and peeling, it’s hard to look at anything else.
An eyebrow brush should be in your make-up case to shape and control brows. If need be, use a dab of gel to coax them to stay in place.
- Did you know that it can take up to eight weeks for plucked brows to grow back? And that if they have an attitude, they won’t grow back at all?
- If your brows need a little help, fill them in with an eyebrow pencil but be sure to use light strokes. No heavy hand work.
Eyeshadow also works – apply with a stiff wedge shaped brush.
- A trick to make your eyebrows seem thinner: Apply colour only in the centre of each brow.
- To emphasize the natural shape of the brows, use a brush and a little bit of gel on them.
- There is another great little product available to hold the brows in place – colourless mascara! Works great.
A FEW weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a reader who wanted to know how to make her eyebrows look like the ones you see in magazines. You know those perfect arches! Well, magazines have this little thing called an air-brush. It makes just about any part of you look flawless. So readers, that explains the perfect brows. But I did do some digging to see what we can do to make our brows more presentable. Here are a few things that might not have been tried yet.
Drop The Years
Did it occur to you that the wrong shaped brows could add an additional five kilos and if that isn’t bad enough… an additional five years? If you aren’t convinced, take a trip to the market and do a little people watching. You will be amazed at the brows you will see!
No More Eyebrow Raising
The next time you are out, glance at a few foreheads. You will probably see a lot of horizontal lines, and it is something that can be prevented or at least slowed down. And how do you do this? Stop raising your eyebrows a few zillion times a day. This is simply a habit that can get out of hand.
And don’t go trying to create an arch when you don’t have one. You will end up with unnatural-looking brows and even worse… the arches could be different over each eye. Tidy up unruly hairs, but work with what you have.
Who Would Have Thought!
Did you know that simply pulling a tight T-shirt over your head could ruin your eyebrows? Tiny hairs suddenly go in every direction. Get into the habit of grooming your brows with each make-up application.
Big Brows
You can’t change them so think about tidying them up. Remove any hairs between the brows and those that are beneath but straggly. If they are sparse, fill in as directed above. Did you know that well-groomed brows can actually open up your face? It’s true and they can also help lift deep-set eyes or make small eyes look larger.
Tweeze Right
- Pick a natural light source your tweezing.
- Place a warm washcloth over brows for five to 10 minutes.
- Exfoliate brow with a washcloth to help free up any (potential) ingrown hairs.
- Pull skin taut and remove unwanted hairs as close to the root as you can and in the direction of the growth.
Tips
- Tweezing or snipping should be done weekly. Attempting to accomplish the entire brow in one sitting will likely lead to mistakes.
- Teething gel for babies can be used to deaden the pain if you find tweezing very uncomfortable.
- Avoid tweezing (if possible) around your period. It simply hurts more at this time.