By Sarah Skarda
It is so important to groom and shape your brows. The way your brows look will affect the overall image of your eyes and face. Not to mention, your brows are the external expressions of your individual personality and tell stories on their own.
One fact to remember is that your brows are “sisters not twins.” You may be able to get your brows to look pretty darn close to identical but not totally and that’s okay. This is what makes people so unique and beautiful in their way. As a make-up artist, I have come to believe that flaws and slight imperfections give each one of us our distinctly different beauty.
First, clean and shape your brows. If you are not comfortable tweezing your own brows, your local beauty shop can do it for you. Remember, a thicker brow will tend to make you look younger. Shaping your brow creates an outline, which you can fill in with color. Cleaning up under your brow will open up the eye dramatically. Comfort tip: after your brows are shaped they may be red and a bit sore so fold up and place an Ultimate Cleansing Cloth by Noodle & Boo on your brow bone to cool and soothe the skin.
Next, find a color match for your brow and make sure you are comfortable with the color. I prefer to use a powder brow color vs. a creamy brow pencil. Powder lasts longer and doesn’t smear as easy. Also, I like using the small angle brush that is needed when applying a powder brow color because I can manipulate the movements easier, placement is more precise and the brush produces a truly natural look. It is more difficult to do these techniques with a pencil.
When you place the color, start in the heavier bottom side of your brow, which is closest to your nose. Place color first by gently laying the brush flat on your skin and tap in the natural direction following your brow, then swipe to blend so you won’t be left with dark blotchy spots of color. I prefer to have the color fade lighter as it reaches upward towards the forehead area, again for a natural look. Add color slowly until you reach the intensity desired. If you add too much color, simply take a clean brow brush and brush out excess color. This is another reason to use powder; it’s more forgiving than a pencil if you add too much color.
Lastly, set your brow with a brow gel to keep the hair in place. There is a large brow gel collection to choose from in the cosmetic market today, just inquire about a brow gel with your favorite cosmetic line.
Happiness is having natural brows which define your unique look!
