When did eyebrows get so big? I don't mean physically (although I do see some gloriously fulsome arches around) I'm talking in the figurative, 'big player in the beauty business' sense.
The pursuit of a beautiful brow is nothing new and history brims with eyebrow shapes of note, from Brooke Shields back to Frida Kahlo. However, a decade-plus of rapid acceleration in interest has seen brands go from offering one or two eyebrow products to an arch-raising 11 (Maybelline) or 22 (Benefit) And I'd bet most of us don't really know which one will do what we need.
May I also risk betting that your current mood is anti piling on lots of slap but pro back-to-basics beauty and mastering a new skilll? There is something simple, honest and flattering about a nicely defined brow, so this week's Sunday Service is dedicated to helping you create just that - nice eyebrows - without fuss, following fashions or having to decipher what on fleek actually means.
Why the right kind of eyebrow definer is my beauty buy of the week
The silliest idea to come out of the brow boom is following eyebrow trends. Ignore that. Treating arch shapes like cool haircuts means tampering with what suits your eyes and expressions, which almost always makes a face look a bit off (angry if they're too solidly defined, alarmed if they're too fluffy or arched.) It can also be irreversible. Cue: regretful nods from my fellow turn-of-the-millenium overpluckers. I see you.
So yes, please work with what you've got. Tweeze outer-edge stragglers if needed (use a magnifying mirror and stand back every few plucks to get the bigger picture) If the shape's ok I'd just deepen the shade so that, as the cliché goes, they 'frame your face' properly. If they've thinned out over time, been overenthusiastically pruned, or one's gappier than the other then you'll want to do some restoration work on the shape. Yes I will now trot out the other cliché about remembering eyebrows should be sisters, not twins.
In truth, most of us only need one great bit of kit, and the best eyebrow kit for you depends on what, of the above, is your main goal. Et voila! The right kind of brow definer for all:
If you're lucky enough to have a strong natural shape and shade, a clear brow setter is all you need. Unluckily, so many of those tend to dry into crispy eyebrow dandruff. I'm not sure why this type of product is so hard to get right but L'Oréal has done it here with this slick grooming gel that really holds everything in place, doesn't flake and can be layered over pencils and definition gels, if you like.
Of the hundreds of brow defining gels available, most do a pretty good job - but this one from & Other Stories newly-relaunched makeup collection truly excels. It's got a unique bulbous-ended wand for targeted application and colours that skew cool-toned (which most people's eyebrows are, but most eyebrow products are not) They also have pleasing shade names like Genteel Greige and Dynamic Umber.
The best eyebrow pencils are by far the easiest way to fill sparse brows, and this one combines two things I look for: a fine twist-up nib for precise scribbling, and a soft texture that won't drag or snap off (infuriating, when you lose precious paid-for product this way) The three shades err on the darker side - I'm normally medium, but went light here. After applying, comb through with the built-in brush for a natural look.
As a final note, I couldn't talk about eyebrows without saying that professional threading and tinting is money well spent, if you can spend it. It's one of the only professional beauty treatments I kept up during my financially stringent year of maternity leave and absolutely worth a try if you use eyebrow makeup every day and would like not to. For a reliably good thread and luxurious environment, I can recommend Shavata, which has locations natiowide. I also regularly visit a little salon down the road from my house and pay about £15 all in - and am always happy with the results there too. Sound good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
