Steps to better brows

Transform your face and knock off years, too

We live in the age of the ‘ bold brow’ – it’s thick, arched and groomed using a range of gels, powders and pencils. With the lower halves of our faces covered on a regular basis, our brows get more attention than ever. Here’s how to style yours...

1 TAKING THE FIRST STEPS

‘I think we underestimate the huge transformative impact that a fuller-looking brow has,’ says Lisa Potter-Dixon, make-up artist. ‘It adds a youthful appearance to your face in a way that wearing a bright lipstick just can’t compete with.’ Taking the leap is best undertaken in baby steps. It’s definitely not a look to try on a busy Monday morning. To begin with, make-up artist Lee Pycroft suggests simply experimenting with an eyebrow pencil. We like Collection incrediBROW Microblade Tip Brow Pen, £4.99. ‘You’re trying to enhance what you have naturally, but sharpen and thicken it, too,’ says Lee. ‘Build up the intensity of the colour and shape gradually, as it may take time to adjust to seeing yourself with a bolder brow.’

2 FAKE FULLNESS

Temporarily boost thin brows with a tinted volumising gel that contains hair-thickening fibres. ‘Brushing it back into the brows ensures the colour is deposited at the roots, which gives the most realistic, volumised look,’ says Lee. We love Benefit Gimme Brow, £22.50, which comes in 10 shades. Wipe off residue (like you would a mascara wand) before brushing in an upwards motion.

3 ADD LENGTH

To work out where brows should end, hold a make-up brush so it runs from the edge of your nose to the outer corner of the eye and up to the brow, suggests Lisa. ‘Mark this point with an eyebrow pencil so you know how far to extend your brows.’ Mimic the natural shape of the hair by filling with light curved strokes of Maybelline Brow Extensions Eyebrow Pomade Crayon, £9.99, available in six shades.

4 TAME UNRULY BROWS

Trimming away longer, coarser hair is the fastest way to maintain brow shape. Comb hair upwards and, using Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Scissors, £20 (cultbeauty.co.uk), trim the longest hairs evenly in line with the top of the brow. ‘For the most natural effect, stagger the length by cutting the hair closest to the temples slightly shorter,’ says brow expert Shavata Singh.

5 EASY TWEEZING

The right brow shape adds definition and structure to your face. Maintain this with tweezers, always in daylight. Brushworks HD Pastels Tweezer Set, £6, features a tweezer with a slanted tip that grips hairs more effectively than straight or pointy ones. ‘Keep brows level when tweezing,’ says Sumita Batra, eyebrow therapist. ‘Pulling them up distorts the shape.’ Unibrow troubling you?

Hold a pencil vertically against the outer edge of the nose. Brows should start where the pencil meets the brow line. Tweeze any hairs that fall in the unflattering unibrow territory.

6 FAIR BROWS?

‘Grey and blonde brows blend into skin, making features look unbalanced,’ says Lee. ‘A soft brown shade subtly disguises light hairs but won’t overpower the rest of your face and, as tinted brows look more pronounced, it can also divert attention away from fine lines around the eye area, too.’ We love Eylure Permanent Brow Tint, £7.49.