Beauty How to ensure your brows are in great shape
With a whole new focus on eyebrows at the moment, beauty director Lynne Hyland reveals how anyone can get theirs looking shapely and groomed
Face masks are not, I fully appreciate, a fashion accessory. We are wearing them for our own protection and that of everyone around us, and it’s not something I’d want to trivialise. However, as a beauty editor, it’s hard to ignore the fact that mandatory mask wearing has raised all sorts of aesthetic issues, from avoiding skin irritation to finding suitably smudge-proof foundation.
We’re also looking to enhance the areas on show. Traditionally, lipstick is the key beauty luxury that thrives in times of trouble, but with mouths under cover, our gaze (and spending) has shifted upwards. Eye make-up has a new focus and it’s eyebrows, in particular, that are taking on a starring new role.
However, not all brows may be ready to step into the spotlight.
Many of us won’t have lifted a tweezer in months and it can be hard to know where to start with a rescue operation. Go cautiously, advises celebrity brow expert Sherrille Riley. “Brush your brows up and use a pencil to mark the lower outline of your natural brow shape. Only pluck hairs below that point and any stray hairs between your brows. If you pluck the top of your brow you can end up with an unflattering flat shape. Also, be careful to avoid plucking either the inner or outer corners of your brow, as a too-short brow is ageing and won’t frame your eyes properly.”
Finally, don’t obsess about matching sides; the adage about brows being sisters, not twins, is certainly true. Now all you need to do is dress yours up with this foolproof beginner’s guide.
Great for: Brows that need taming Coloured waxes and pomades are perfect for brows that like to wander, says make-up artist Donna May Clitheroe who has worked with celebrities such as Tess Daly and Holly Willoughby. “Firstly brush them through and then, with an angled brush, use the wax to coat the brows, starting at the inner edge, taking it up to the peak and down to the end. It’s perfect for creating a strong styled brow and easy to wipe off if you make a mistake.”
Try: Browjam Brow Pomade, £20 (browjam.co.uk) is from an independent British brand that offers shades for all skin and hair shades.
Great for: Thickening fine brows
These no-smudge products are the nearest thing to a brow tint in a bottle, and some last up to three days. “They’re brilliant for holidays and exercise fans,” says Donna. “Simply use the product applicator to paint the liquid evenly on to the brow hairs to sculpt your brow and create a thicker look.” A word of warning: many formulas are highly pigmented, so apply sparingly and build up slowly. Try: Urban Decay Inked 3 Day Brow, £22 (urbandecay.co.uk) is bold but bulletproof, while Shavata Day
Long Brow Tint, £19 (shavata. co.uk) is more subtle, with a clever applicator that only coats hairs, not skin.
Did you know that 27,000 trees are destroyed to produce toilet paper every single day? It’s more important than ever to look after the environment, and The Cheeky Panda has a sustainable solution. Its best-selling toilet paper is made from 100 per cent natural and sustainable bamboo, and comes in plastic-free packaging. And if you ran short of the good stuff over the past few months, there’s even more great news: you can sign up for a subscription to get it delivered to your door when you need it.
The toilet roll is just one part of The Cheeky Panda’s range – which, as well as being good for the environment, is super-kind to skin. By the end of this year, all the products in the tissue range will come in packaging that’s 100 per cent plastic free.
The magic ingredient is bamboo – it’s the fastest-growing and most sustainable plant in the world. The Cheeky Panda doesn’t just use it for toilet paper; it also produces kitchen roll, tissues and baby wipes.
Bamboo can be cut and harvested each year without causing damage to the root, which means you don’t need to worry about pandas going hungry. Over the past four years, The Cheeky Panda’s use of bamboo has saved more than 120,000 trees – which would cover an area around the size of 328 football pitches.
Caring for your skin as well as the environment is also important to The Cheeky Panda, and again bamboo is an ideal choice because as well as being sustainable, it’s naturally hypoallergenic.
One of the easiest ways to buy your toilet paper is to sign up for a subscription – you can get 24 rolls for £20, delivered to your door. So no more worries about getting caught short! You can also buy boxes of tissue, baby wipes and jumbo rolls in the same way.
But it’s not just its valued customers The Cheeky Panda is helping. The family firm is the first UK tissue company to be vegan registered; it’s also cruelty-free and is committed to giving back and doing good, donating muchneeded products to shelters and food banks. Plus it’s carbon balanced and works with the World Land Trust to provide funds to protect and restore forests in Vietnam.
Check out the full range of Cheeky Panda products
I immediately loved the slim, pen-like design of L’oréal Paris’ Infallible Matte Lip Crayons (£9.99, boots.com) but, as a reluctant lipstick wearer at the best of times, I just didn’t think these would become staples in my make-up bag. And then I tried them. Unlike a lot of matt lip products, which can feel dry and cakey, these have the creamy, weightless texture of a balm. They come in 14 intensely pigmented, velvety shades – I’m rather taken by the deliciously named rosey-nude, Caramel Blondie.