SS 2012 Beauty Report: Bold Brows

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Cancel your wax appointment because full, dark eyebrows made an appearance on more than a few runways for the Spring 2012 season. It seems bold brows aren't going away just yet… not if Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Derek Lam have anything to do with it.

Waxing, creams, lasers and razors… women go to great lengths (and endure a lot of pain) to rid themselves of unwanted body hair. Thankfully, since thick eyebrows have become an asset to envy, we can scratch one area off the list of places to pluck. Sporting strong brows like those seen at Derek Lam, Thakoon, Donna Karan, Victoria Beckham, Marc Jacobs and – most notoriously – Altuzarra doesn’t mean you can let them grow wild, however. In fact, this look might be more high-maintenance than you’d expect, but with the right products and a little dexterity it’s quite easy to achieve.

Bold brows at Altuzarra, Thakoon, and Donna Karan.

How To:
Drawing-in your eyebrows can be daunting. If it’s not already part of your usual beauty routine it can feel really weird. However, there are a few secrets that will help you achieve a look that is both bold and natural. There are two ways to fill in eyebrows, one is using a pencil and the other is using either a pressed powder or wax with an angled brush. For beginners, we recommend a pencil like Revlon Brow Fantasy or Smashbox Brow Tech because it allows for more control during application. For intermediate to expert fillers, we like Benefit’s Brow Zings wax and power combination kit. With any product, opt for color 1-2 shades darker than your hair.

No matter pencil or powder, the filling-in technique is the same. Start at the inside of your eyebrow, closest to your nose, and sweep the product outward to the top of your arch in the same direction as hair growth. Here at the thickest part of your brow is where you can be most generous with color, although keep a soft hand to prevent from going too opaque. From the mid-point of your arch, draw your pencil or brush very softly downward to the tip of your natural shape.

All your brows need: Revlon Brow Fantasy, $7.49; Smashbox Brow Tech to Go, $26; Maybelline Great Lash, $5.79; Anatasia tinted brow gel, $21; Tweezerman tweezers, $15; Benefit Brow Zings, $30.

After your brows are filled in, it’s important to set them with a gel. Revlon Brow Fantasy and Smashbox Brow Tech both come with their own but we also recommend Anastasia’s tinted brow gel or Maybelline Great Lash in clear. This finishing touch not only keeps unruly hairs in place but also brings back out the texture of the hairs to create a natural look. Again, sweep the brush in the same direction as hair growth for best results.

Remember that bold eyebrows are not synonymous with bushy eyebrows so light tweezing is still necessary. The best way to pluck is to fill in your brows first so that you can really see where the outlying hairs are. It’s quite easy to over tweeze when you’re zoomed into your mirror so don’t forget to step back and take in the bigger picture after pulling a few hairs.

What do you think of the thick brow look? Come spring, will you be channeling your inner Brooke Shields?

3 Comments

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  Emily Kropp • 7 months ago
  If anyone is an expert on brows, it's definitely Brittnee! She taught me all I know and I have never looked back. I now to my eyebrows every day!

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  brittneecann • 7 months ago
  "giving the world better eyebrows, one person at a time." - my future business cards

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  Cassandra • 7 months ago
  I wear my eyebrows thick and shaped...do not have the face shape for arched/thin brow look :-(

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