Ed. note: I realized recently that if I could only apply one article of makeup in the morning, it would be my eyebrow pencil. It instantly makes my features look more defined, and my eyes look more awake, even with a completely bare face. If you usually leave your brows untouched, get ready to be amazed at how a couple of simple steps can really polish your appearance. -CS
With pronounced eyebrows so on-trend this season, is anyone else experiencing some major brow envy? It seems the perfect pair is bold and slightly more wild than we may be used to — but we all know that even the unkempt looks require some maintenance. We sat down with Martha Lynn to learn how to achieve the perfect pair of eyebrows in just a few short minutes, with Kate there snapping photos each step of the way. We used this eyeshadow powder and a brow brush, but a sharpened pencil works too! Keep reading for the how-to…
Step 1: Begin with well groomed brows. We love this Brow 101 tutorial from The Beauty Department for guidance on trimming and plucking. After plucking, make sure to brush hairs up, then brush hairs on the outer edges over and out.
Step 2: Use eyeshadow powder or a pencil to fill in brows. To find the right color for you: blondes should go a shade or two darker and brunettes should go a shade or two lighter than their hair color.
Step 3: Using a makeup brush, create an imaginary line that extends from the outside of your nose to the outside of your eye (as above) — this determines where your eyebrow should end. Apply your powder or pencil in small strokes about the length of an eyebrow hair, filling in any bare spots in the brows, and slightly extending to the edge of your “line” if needed. Make sure to define your natural arch, making strokes that go in the same direction as the hair naturally grows (up towards the arch, and down away from the arch.)
Step 4: Use a clear brow gel or clear mascara (a bit of hairspray applied with a mascara wand works too) to brush the hairs into place. This does double duty to blend the powder and hold the shape of the brows.
Ta da! The end product makes a big impact in a subtle, not-trying-too-hard kind of way.
