Beauty and the brows—a tale as old as time. Here’s how to achieve your best look.
Like clothes, hair, and a preferred social media platform, your eyebrows say a lot about you. Thick and full? Youthful. Bleached? Trendy. Barely-there? Partying like it’s 1999.
Brows are important. But how important? We know they can signal a slew of emotions in seconds: excitement, anger, fear, or sadness. A person’s trustworthiness can also be determined by eyebrows. One study even found that their shape had a greater influence than position on perceived expression.
Let’s dive into 6 brow basics everyone should know–and how to get your golden arches.
From Cleopatra’s carbon black brows to Cara Delevigne’s fluffy pair, brow trends have transcended centuries. And they’re cyclical. Gen Z wants skinny brows back, and TikTok’s aptly named ‘Y2K makeup’ thin brow filter launched earlier this year. My take is that brows should be suited to the individual; they need to frame and lift your eyes, and balance your features. Every face is different, so cookie-cutter brows (and the stencils you can buy to create them) aren’t the best idea. And in today’s world of diverse beauty, it’s incredibly important to find the shape, color, and style that works for you.
A personal story: I was a late brow bloomer. Teenage me had very thick brows and, despite my mom being in the beauty industry, I didn’t realize you could groom them. When I got to college, I saw my roommate doing her brows, so I started plucking. Then waxing. And threading. My brows became thin and I thought they looked good at the time, but looking back at photos I could tell exactly what era it was. Thinner brows work for some people, but not for me. Now, I never follow the trends–I like a groomed, dark, full brow that follows my natural shape.
We’re talking at least three months slow. So if you’ve over plucked, pour yourself a cup of patience, lock up your tweezers, and assess the situation. Do your brows still have some shape? Use a pencil or powder to outline and fill in sparse spots. For truly invisi-brows, you’ll need a budge-proof pomade, wax, or gel to create the shape you want. Top things off with a tinted gel for extra volume. And remember: repeatedly ripping out those delicate hairs can damage your follicles to the point of no return, which could explain why ‘eyebrows not growing back’ has over 15 million Google search results.
When choosing a product shade, match it to your brows (not head hair)—or go one shade lighter or darker, max depending on your skintone. The goal is density and thickness, which can only be achieved if the product is blended. Unless you’re a redhead, skip warm tones and go for cool or neutral shades like taupe, chocolate, or espresso.
If you haven’t had a (bad) date with the tweezer and still have brow shedding, a few factors could be at play. Normal aging, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, and nutritional deficiencies in fatty acids, zinc, and biotin can cause brow loss. Book an appointment with your GP who can get to the root of the problem.
Whether you’re a total brow virgin or your botched brow job finally grew back (congrats!), head to a brow specialist, a.k.a. the architect-meets-esthetician of the beauty world. But know that not all brow pros are great, make sure you ask for a recommendation from someone who’s brows you love, or someone you trust. Their expertly-trained eyes will map out your features, shape your brows to create facial symmetry, and advise on what products you can use at home.
Like head hair as we age, brow hair turns gray and becomes sparse, and once-high arches can also flatten or droop due to facial sagging. That’s why the older you are, the more lift and definition you’ll need. To achieve it, see #4. At home, use a brow pencil or pomade to trace your brows a hair above your natural browline, exaggerating the arch right before the tail dips downward. As for grays? If you’re not into embracing them, see a pro for brow tinting: a semi-permanent treatment that dyes the hair and the skin underneath it for a fuller, denser appearance that lasts 4-6 weeks. Concerned about tinting your brows? There are also removable brow tint options, which are a safe and effective way to color your brows.
Bottom line? If there’s a particular look you love—thin, bushy, gray—embrace it. For everyone else, help is an appointment or product away.
By Tara Cohen
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