If our eyes are the windows to our souls, then our brows are the curtains that frame those soul-windows. Amazing simile work there.
Power brows have been dominating the facial hair landscape for a few years now though we’ve been fans of the wild brows since Madonna rocked an impressive pair back in the 80s.
However, while no one is saying that a power brow is essential, giving them some TLC makes all the difference to their overall appearance.
1. You can come back from over-plucking
What child of the 80s didn’t pluck their eyebrows into oblivion at some point? Yes, it happened and we can’t deny it.
Luckily the brows can recover and for those brows that never return to full bushy glory, there are great products like Benefit’s Gimme Brow, which has tiny microfibres that cling to existing hairs and make brows appear fuller. Eyebrow transplants are also a thing.
2. No hard and fast rules
Over-plucking between the brows can make your nose look bigger and the eyes appear too far apart. A good guide is this; the start of each brow should line up with the bridge of the nose, not the outer edge of the nostril. To figure out where the brows should roughly end imagine a diagonal line from the corner of your nose to the edge of your eye. For example, check out our browspiration below with Eyebrow Eye-con Cara:
3. It’s not all about the bottom line
Do NOT pluck outside of the designated brow line although experts do recommend tidying up stray hairs that may appear in this area. This is a good rule of thumb for keeping your brows ‘on fleek’, (that love or hate phrase we’ve come to know so well).
4. Professional intervention will give a shape of things to come
We’re all capable of brow maintenance at home but if you are recovering from a bout of over-plucking or struggle to find your natural brow shape, a visit to a brow bar even just once a year will set you on the right track and make maintaining brows that much easier.
5. Define the brows, don’t draw them
Having eyebrows so pale they are practically invisible to the naked eye can lead to some pretty dodgy strategies. The Her and Her Family ladies have varying brow shades from very pale to extremely dark.
Experts recommend using an eyebrow pencil in a shade lighter than your natural colour and shading them in using light strokes instead of drawing them on.
6. Pluck after the shower
The heat and steam of the shower will open up pores and allow the hairs to be removed more easily.
7. Arch enemies
Over doing it on the arches can lead to an unfortunate expression of permanent surprise. Hint: The apex of the arch should be in line with the outer edge of your iris.
8. They’re sisters, not twins
Can’t get them perfectly symmetrical? No probs. None of our faces are perfectly symmetrical and if they were we’d look pretty weird. Check out these two pics of Marilyn Monroe (the one on the left is original, while the one on the right is photoshopped to produce a symmetrical face).
9. Suits you, sir
Compliment your own distinct face shape with the brows that will work for you. We found this chart really helpful for figuring out which brow shape works for each face type.
Via Permanent Pretty
10. ‘Brows’ the internet
Thank god for the Internet. Without it, we wouldn’t know how hilarious cats are or how kooky, and adorable J-Law is. It also helps a LOT when it comes to finding your perfect brow.