Brow Loving

I have a small major obsession with brows. On myself I prefer them full and slightly polished, but I can appreciate the wild and woolly along with the sparse and barely-there just as much.

Some of my All-Time Favourite Brows

 Camilla Belle 

Isabel Lucas

 Audrey Hepburn

Grace Kelly

 Oh hey, there cutie!

Not forgetting of course, Former Australian PM and Brow King, John Howard.

Going against what most brow experts will tell you about brows, I don't believe there should be too many strict rules when it comes to maintaining your own little forehead-monsters.Therefore I am presenting a guide only to brows and an insight into how I polish my own two furry friends.

Given that I am in no way qualified in the area of brow hair removal (aside from my own DIY tweezing), I won't tell you how to pluck, wax, thread or even shave your eyebrows. Generally speaking a tidied, natural brow shape is most flattering. Try to avoid over-plucking or attempting to create an unnatural shape.

 

A Guide to Filling Your Brows

If in doubt, go lighter in choosing a colour to fill your brows with. Even the darkest of brunettes and those with the blackest of black hair should be opting for a lighter brown pencil or powder.

My favourite quotation in relation to brows and something everyone should remember is "Your Eyebrows are Sisters not Twins".

Don't stress yourself trying to create perfectly symmetrical eyebrows. You're more than likely not going to be sucessful and it really isn't natural anyway.

If I'm in a hurry I like to fill my brows with a pencil (Rimmel's eyebrow pencil in Hazel 002) but to achieve the best finish I opt for a powder. There are plenty of Brow specific powders on the market that I am desperate to try (Anastasia's 5-element brow kit and Bobbi Brown's brow kit to name a couple), but for now I'm actually using the matte eye shadows from my Urban Decay Naked Palette, in colours "Naked" and "Buck". Avoid any powders with a mettalic or slight shimmer finish.

I am particularly loving a gradient brow at the moment i.e. the head of the brow staying light, with the colour deepening along the body and tail. I like the head of my brow neat but not too dark or it can come off a little harsh and unnatural.

You HAVE to check out this massive babe's instagram @grgctts. She's completely flawless in her make-up application and constantly features on Illamasqua's social media sites.

I apply my powders using a flat firm liner brush, typically used for a liquid or gel eyeliner (currently Kirkland Signature's Liner brush) filling in the body of my brow in the medium "Buck" colour and the head of the brow in the lighter "Naked" colour. I deepen the arch and tail with a darker brown pencil like Essence Eyebrow pencil in 02 Brown.

To sharpen the shape I use Napoleon Perdis brush BR 8 with a concealer under and over the brow lines I have created. 

To finish I'll brush through my brows with a clean mascara wand and I'm good to go.

There are a ton of great youtube tutorials you can use as a reference for achieving a gradient brow. Pala Foxxia's Gradient Eyebrow Makeup Tutorial was one in particular that I first referenced for myself.

My own brows before and after some brow-love.

What a difference a little facepaint can make. 

(Especially to the wild sister on the left, yikes!)