BY DANICA SMITH
Eyebrows are the most important when it comes to applying your makeup or going natural as the one feature that frames the face demanding attention to the eyes. This is why grooming your eyebrows should be a priority for your daily beauty regimen with an array of options geared towards shaping, growing, tinting, drawing and brushing eyebrows it can be quite overwhelming.
Many prefer a natural brow that’s easy and quick so they choose to just wax or tweeze offering weeks of low maintenance; however, unruly brows still require to be combed to keep your overall appearance maintained. Products such as a clear mascara or a spooley (a mascara wand) can help maintain natural looking brows and for added control, one can opt for a wax that holds the hairs in place for hours and comes tinted in various colours for a more dramatic look and is applied just like mascara. Maintenance of natural brows is probably the easiest as visits to the salon are every three to four weeks.
For those that prefer a more dramatic look on a regular basis or have sparse eyebrows use products that apply heavier such as a powder, tinted brow gel, coloured mascara or a pencil. All of these methods are great for brow application and can give a natural look providing the correct technique is used. When applying a brow gel or anything of color to your brows it is best to use a colour that is one to two shades darker than the brows (never black) as this will allow you to gradually add less product with just as much impact, due to the darker color. Use short sparse strokes with an angled brush gently applying eyebrow gel to your brows in a short upward motion and blending with a spooley. The technique is also the same with tinted mascara as a little goes a long way to achieving a natural look due to colour, although for something more dramatic you can apply more product for the density you desire as the tinted mascara and eyebrow gel/wax are best to emulate tiny hairs. Eyebrow pencils on the other hand, are again for those with sparse hairs or those who prefer a different shape and more drama to their daily look and are comfortable drawing in their brows with a steady hand because this application not only allows you to define your natural brow but you can also change the shape as well. A brow pencil provides the ultimate impact depending on the pressure you use when applying, as with any product, but because of its sharpened tip allows you to re-shape easily by tracing the outside of your eyebrows then filling in with short strokes or intense larger lines.
Another product for advanced application is the new paint pots with a pomade mixture, a thicker consistency similar to wax and gel combined that you apply with an angled brush and provides the same results as a pencil. This method is usually used by those that are advanced at makeup application and is typically referred to as the (Instagram brow). This method is quite dramatic and provides full coverage leaving a sleek airbrush effect. To achieve this look one must first start with a clean and freshly groomed face. With the pencil, the objective is to trace out your brows from the inner to outer corner while creating an arch. However, if one stroke is too hard, start off with a single line from the inner corner to the middle, the middle to the outer and do this for both top and bottom combining both at the tail end of the brow. Then gently fill in the brows with short tiny strokes with more intensity at the tail and lighter towards the inner corner where you began. For more intense colour apply more pressure to the strokes. After this grab your spoolie and comb upwards blending the colour and brows together. This will fade out the inner corners, achieving a natural ombre effect towards the tail. At this point you now have the option to stop or go further and sculpt your brows with concealer and an angled brush, preferably using a concealer that is two shades lighter than your complexion. Place the concealer on a brush and trace around your already outlined brows as this will create more impact to the brows while they appear more sharp giving the illusion of freshly waxed eyebrows. After the concealer is applied blend with a brush and apply your foundation as usual.
Recommended products: Essence Clear Mascara Gel $2.99, Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner $8.99, Nyx Eyebrow Gel $12.99, Mac Eyebrow Pencil (Spiked) $18.99, Anastasia Eyebrow Pomade $25.99.
