RX FOR OVERPLUCKED EYEBROWS

DEAR RISSA,

I overplucked my eyebrows. What can I do to make them look fuller while recovering from overplucking? BARBIE

Unlike the hair on our head, brows don’t have wigs or hair extensions. That’s why you should be conservative when plucking brows. It can take weeks for them to grow back! To make them look fuller while growing them out, you can define them and fill them out with a brow pencil. As a substitute for an eyebrow pencil, dark eyeshadow will do just as great. Always go for a color a shade or two lighter than your hair color.

Another option is to use a brow mascara. This is perfect because it grooms and fills in brows naturally while making them look natural. The feathery brow is a big trend now and brow mascaras are perfect for achieving this.

Whichever you choose, always make sure to define your eyebrows using light feathery strokes that echo the shape and thickness of your brows. Never draw a continuous line because it looks unnatural. Use strokes in the direction of growth to resemble hair growth. If a brow pencil is ultimately more comfortable, go for a microtip brow pencil tip so it resembles real hair. RISSA

WANTED: TOXIC-FREE SHAMPOO DEAR LUCY, Sulfate-free shampoos are so hard to find. Could you recommend some that you know of, or some good alternatives? CARMIE

There are several brands of sulfate-free shampoo available in the Philippines. It’s actually really nice that more and more people are conscious about lessening the use of everyday beauty and personal care products with ingredients that can possibly contribute to his/her toxic load.

Healthy Options is a good place to shop for safe and better alternatives. And then there are the popular brands that carry good sulfate-free shampoo like Burt’s Bees, Kiehl’s, Aveeno, and locally, Human Nature. Because shampoo comes in many variants, check the kind that will address your specific need best (dry, oily, damaged hair). There should be a slew of others so yes, check, check, check the label always. And cheers to choosing wisely! LUCY

Human Nature’s sulfate-free, all-natural moisturizing shampoo is good for your hair and kind to the environment.