If the eyes are the windows to the soul, what does that make the eyeBROWS? Like, the curtains?
I have a confession to make; since leaving my job as Arch Expert with Benefit Cosmetics about 2 1/2 years ago, I have not worn a full face of makeup ONCE!!
I do, however, still do my brows every single day. I have to. They’re sparse, they don’t match my hair (my hair is way darker), and I just don’t look right unless they’re filled in and shaped.
Over the years, I’ve tried A LOT of different products on my brows; pencils, powders, pomades, fiber gels, clear gels, tinted gels, eye shadow, tint – you name it, I’ve put it on my face. And it’s taken some time to nail down a solid routine that looks natural but noticeable, and doesn’t take an hour or an engineering degree to carry out.
And I want to share it with you! Along with some tips and tricks I’ve picked up.
So this is my current daily brow routine – I do them every morning at about 4:30, and they stay on until I take them off. As a matter of fact, last night after I got out of the shower, they were STILL INTACT! So in the name of science (beauty science, duh!), I decided to leave them on today, too – same ones, no touch ups, nothing. It is currently 7:42pm, and they are still PERFECT. For reference, I have oily skin. Especially in the summer. JSYK.
KNOW YOUR SHAPE
Photo Credit : Google Images
You may or may not be familiar with “brow mapping”. Basically, using your unique facial features, you determine where your brows should start, arch, and end. Start by holding a brow brush (or pencil, whichever you prefer) at the little divet on your nostril, follow it straight up, and make a line – that’s your starting point. Next, move it slightly to the crease between the nostril and the cheek, and angle it so it goes through the pupil – there’s your arch – mark it. Now, from the same place, angle it all the way over and follow the outer corner of the eye up – that’s where it should end. Mark that, too. The thickness is up to you – this is where you get to play around and see what best suits you. But that’s the basic technique to brow mapping.
IT’S PRIME(R) TIME
Photo Credit : Google Images
I HIGHLY suggest using something to prime your brows, like an eye shadow primer. I’ve been doing that FOREVER, and it makes a huge difference in the lasting power of whatever product you choose. Many brow products now market as waterproof,
sweat-proof, smudge-proof, etc., but I’ve found that on me personally, being oily, they will smear after a couple hours. Lately I’ve been using the elf Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer ($3). It works great – and it’s CHEAP. Swipe it on, and really work it in, making sure you get the entire area of where you’ll be applying product.
CHOOSE YOUR MEDIUM
Here is where you get to play with product – pencil, pomade, powder. I’ve literally used them all. If I want a strong, pigmented brow, I’ll use a pomade or something similar. I’m a big fan of the Benefit Ka-Brow! ($24) which is a mousse-like product with a nifty little brush built into the cap. That requires a separate spoolie, or you can just use a regular dual-ended brow brush. A lot of people love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade ($18), but I find that to be a little tricky to work with if you aren’t used to a medium like that. Maybelline Tattoo Studio Brow Pomade ($9.98) is great too, and it’s affordable.
Personally, I’ve been loving powder lately. My go-to has been the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo ($23) on a Benefit Cosmetics Angled Brow Brush ($20) (any one will do fine, I just have a bunch of them), and currently I’m using the shade Dark Brown. You can buy them individually, and each pan has 2 shades, making it super easy to achieve a natural looking brow. I have the pro palette in my kit, which is super handy because I’m forever changing my hair color!
NOW, THE FUN PART – APPLICATION!
In my case, using a powder, I typically start from the midway point between the start and the arch, and work my way to the tail on the underside of the brow.
Then I move to the top and repeat the same step. You want the tail of the brow to be the darkest, and the inner part to be the lightest. So once I have less product on my brush, I start on the innermost part of the brow, on the bottom, and flick upward to lightly fill it in.
Really I’m just creating a shadow for the little bit of hair that’s already there. That’s the secret to those Instagram worthy brows, by the way. Between each area, I’m constantly flipping over to the spoolie side of the brush and combing through to make sure all the product is evenly distributed. Otherwise the end result is chunky, uneven brows. Not. Cute.
PUT ‘EM ON LOCK
The next step is the most important step, no matter what medium you’re using. Once you’re satisfied with the way they look, you want to grab some good clear brow gel and glue ’em into place. I absolutely love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel ($22) – it’s literally like Gorilla Glue for your brows. They will not move. At all.
A good alternative is the NYX Control Freak Clear Brow Gel ($6). I keep that one in my kit because it’s just as good as my ABH but not NEARLY as expensive! They both give all day hold without doing that weird white, flaky thing that some can do.
**Pro Tip**
If you feel like you went a little heavy-handed and you’re brows are TOO filled in, a clear brow gel can help to tone it down a bit!
I want to know what some of YOUR favorites are! Hopefully you were able to pick up some tips from this post – leave a comment and let me know!
XOXO,
Affordable Gorgeous 