make-up monday: brow tutorial

i'm always receiving lots of questions about my eyebrows, how i shape and groom them, and what i do to fill them in. i think that always sounds a little scary, talking about "filling in your eyebrows". it makes it sound like you are either going to use a black sharpie to draw them on, or you're going to look like groucho marx. 

but fear not, no matter how dark or big or bold your brows are naturally, they can always use a little something extra to help define, shape, and frame your eyes and face. when doing makeup, it's crazy how shocked most women are the first time i do anything to their brows: they love it. your eyebrows are such an important part of the architecture of your face.

there are a variety of products you can use:

brow pencil: exactly what it sounds like, a pencil in a neutral to cool shade of light brown to dark brown [taupe is generally the best universal color], use small, short strokes to mimic the look of hair, you can be very precise with a pencil, just use a light hand.

brow powder: or a matte eyeshadow, in a neutral to cool shade of light brown to dark brown [again, taupe working for mostly everyone]. never use black, even if you have black hair! great for using after brow pencil to set it in place, or use alone. apply with small angled brush.

tinted brow gel: can also be used after both products above or on someone who already has very full brows. there are also clear brow gels [clear mascara] that will help tame and keep them in place. [for the guys too ;)]

how do i choose which is right for me? try them all! there is no right or wrong choice. it's personal preference. personally, i like powder for now. having oily skin, i find that the wax in pencils don't cooperate over a long period of time, and if i scratch my eyebrow halfway through the day, its gone! powders work better for my skin type.

products i use:
1. milani brow fix
2. small angled brush
3. spoolie
4. great lash clear mascara



here's a pictorial of daily eyebrow routine:

1. 2. 
3. 4. 
5. 6. 
7. 8. 

1. natural brow. comb through with spoolie.
2. use darkest brown to outline the bottom shape, from the 'head' to the 'tail'.
3. use darkest brown to fill in the tail and through the arch. only the outer 2/3 of entire brow.
4. using lighter taupe, fill in the 'head', blending the bottom line upward.
5. comb from the bottom up to blend and soften any lines.
6. brush through with clear mascara/brow gel to keep in place.
7. finished!
8. with completed eye makeup.


that's it! the same method can be done when using a pencil as well. always keeping the darkest part on the outer 2/3, and blending is key! you still want to be able to see the hairs.

let me know your favorite brow products and if you try this method on yourself. if you haven't done your brows, try it! you won't ever go back!


x's + o's
kaitlin elaine