I couldn’t relate to many things at this year’s Grammy Awards. The nominees were young, the songs were young, and the fashions were, well, skimpy. But there is one thing I noticed about almost every woman there: gorgeous brows!
Yes, ladies fuller brows are all the rage. But beautiful brows are not just for the young. If you don’t think brows are vitally important to your appearance at any age, glance at these photos of Jennifer Anniston.
I hate to pick on beautiful Jennifer Anniston (who, incidentally, just turned 50), but this illustration only goes to show how important brows are to showcase your eyes and add balance to your entire face.
How To Create A Contoured Brow:
1. Apply color with an ombre-like effect, lighter on the inside brow and darker as you extend out to the tail. This keeps the brow looking natural. (Press harder with your pencil for more color–softer for less color.)
2. Taper your tail. The end of your brow should taper into a neat point. This ensures that your brows look well-shaped, and maximizes the lifting effect.
3. Define the edges of your brow after you’ve shaped it to makes the brow look clean and crisp. (Using your pencil or a Q-tip.)
4. The final step to brighten and widen the eye area is to apply a matte highlighter just under the arch of your brow, then blend well.
In Quintessential Style, we suggest:
- Choosing an eyebrow color that most closely matches the roots of your hair.
- When shaping brows, think about how a child might draw a roof on a house. This technique will lift your eye instantly.
- If you are a brow neophyte, begin by using a brow pencil that is a lighter color than the roots of your hair.
- Fine-tune your line with a cotton swab.
- Always look in a full-length mirror to help determine if your brows appear balanced with your outfit.
When shaping brows, think about how a child might draw the roof on a house. This technique will lift your eye instantly.
Brow trends come and go, but remember a well-styled brow always complements your look.
Warning: Never draw on brows after you’ve had several glasses of wine!
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8 Comments
Great article , Sharon! The importance of brows is one of the first things I learned from Janna. Every woman needs to know this – what a difference a good brow makes!! Thanks for the reminder (I will be a little more diligent/exact in the application of brow color in my make-up routine!)
Diane,
Brow trends come and go, but the best brow to have is the one that you feel most confident with. Full or thin–you get to choose. Thanks for writing.
I think it’s interesting how eyebrow styles change from “full” to “thin”. I was looking at pictures of one of my favorite actresses, Sophia Loren. Over the years she continues to look gorgeous with full eyebrows or thin ones. I think she has such dramatic eyes that the fuller brow is needed for balance.
Unfortunately, as I’ve aged my brows have gotten very thin, so I’ve tried an assortment of “pencil techniques” to help them out. It is a work in progress. Thanks for another great article.
Janet,
I love your phrase: “work in progress.” It seems our brows go through changes as we age just like the rest of our body. I guess the important thing is to realize our brows really do help to frame our eyes and balance our facial features. Like the movie says, “just go with it.”
Sharon, I agree about the skimpy clothes at the Grammy Awards! And the dancing! If you want to call it that! haha I didn’t even have to use my imagination! haha I decided I wasn’t going to watch it again! I also noticed the beautiful full eyebrows. I noticed them immediately because I am going crazy trying to “make” me some eyebrows! haha Unfortunately when you get older, the tail part of the brow falls out!! So….I’ve been trying a lot of different things to draw on that part of the brow. At first I bought a product that was suppose to “grow” brows. I was excited about that until all of a sudden I’m getting these new hairs that are growing outward!!! They would not lay down, even with liquid brow pencils! So I had to pluck them for many months until they quit growing!! So, I’m on about my 4th brow pencil. My brows look so so – if you don’t look too closely at them! haha
Hilde,
Thanks for sharing your “brow” journey with us. Those cute girls at the Grammy’s don’t realize how lucky they are to have so much brow power right now. Thinning brows can be a problem as we age. And when brows grow in gray, they have a true mind of their own.
Sharon, love the idea of selecting an item from the closet for the next 40 days of Lent for donation. That’s a great way to clean out your closet! As for the “shaping of the eyebrows,” my eyebrow hair quit growing and became very sparsely some years back. I now use Maybelline Ultra Brow brush on color which I match with the color of my hair which works great for me. See you at the “gift shop.”
Candice,
Most of us have closets overflowing. This is one simple reminder that so many are in need. Thanks for writing.