Does anyone else feel like eyebrows are super important at the moment? If you are like me, you hardly ever put on any makeup at all. I really miss the ritual of putting on makeup, but because I’m not going anywhere, I feel like I really don’t need to put makeup on. Besides, I have really improved my skin after doing lots of facials through out the pandemic, so I love being bare faced.
Even when just going for a walk, I still wear a mask. Usually, I’m wearing no makeup at all. Thankfully, I’ve developed a good habit: put a lot more thought into my eyebrows.
Back in the 70’s and 80’s I (sadly) didn’t listen to my mom! She had GORGEOUS eyebrows and only tweezed them to get rid of stray hairs. But, skinny brows were the thing. In the late 80’s I decided to let my brows grow back. Well, they did come back, sorta. So all these years, eyebrow pencil was always in my makeup routine. Now, wearing a mask and not really wearing much makeup, I’ve been trying new ways to make my brows stand out.
If you think about it, the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. Maybe that adds to her mysterious smile and appearance. It’s really hard to read her expression. Brooke Shields was famous for her beautiful expressive brows.
Eyebrows make a big difference in anchoring your facial shape. The shape and texture of your eyebrow can have a dramatic effect on your appearance. Brows are the focal point of your face. Softer, fuller brows tend to look younger and give the face a more relaxed look.
I’ve been experimenting with some new products to try on my brows. I’m definitely using a few of them in the future as regular part of my beauty routine.
I’ve been using Beautibe Castor Oil on my brows for about 6 months and I’ve definitely noticed a difference. I love it because it has made my brow hairs softer and more manageable. I’ve also tried it on my lashes an they are looking very healthy. The product came with applicators for brows, a spoolie, and a thin brush for your lash line. Stick with it for at least 8 weeks and I’m sure you will see a difference.
I also started using eyebrow tint. I have a few grey hairs mixed in my brow hair, (not surprising) but I don’t like them because they really stand out. I’ve been using Godefroy Tintkit. So tinting my brows, I found out by just randomly seeing this kit at Rite Aid and trying it out. I though it was pretty amazing. Not only does it cover the grey hairs but darkens the super light baby hairs, so your brows look a little fuller even with nothing on them. I put a little aquaphor on a q-tip and put it all around, but not on my brows before I brush on the tint. I only leave the tint on 6 minutes and that works great for me. I do it about every 6 weeks.
I regularly use an eyebrow pencil to fill in my missing hairs and add just a little shape. For a long time, my favorite pencil has been Joah Brow Down To Me, in brunette.
I also tried the Glossier Boy Brow gel and love it. I’ve tried a lot of products, but the color and wear of this one is perfect. I’ve used a bunch of different brow gels – most of them went on too thick and clumpy, and they all flaked. This is definitely my new favorite product. It’s a bit expensive for a small tube, but it works really well. After I do a little filling in, I use Boy Brow very lightly to brush on my brows. I’ll go over my brows lightly forward and back. After I do that a couple times, I’ll wait a minute and brush them into the shape I want them to stay. Boy brow didn’t clump or flake at all! That is why I think it’s worth the extra money.
And have you heard about “soap brows”?
Yep, real glycerin soap, a spoolie, some setting spray or hairspray, and that is it. Well I had to try them out. Not much time or effort is required with soap brows. First, use an eyebrow pencil to lightly fill them in. Then, dampen a clean spoolie brush with setting spray or hairspray. I like to wet my spoolie first with water and shake it off, then use the setting spray or hairspray. It gives the brows extra hold. Next, apply it to the brows, both brushing up and back and up again until you get them styled where you want them. Don’t go overboard on the soap right away; you’ll get better hold and have more control of hair placement if you apply the soap in thin layers. I have a fair amount of eyebrows, my eyebrows are a bit patchy here and there but they generally have shape. With more sparse or thin brows, you might have to add some more color to them to make them look fuller. This isn’t for everyone, but it works really well on thin to medium eyebrow hairs.
I’m happy heading out with no makeup on and nicely groomed brows. Even though no one can see my smile, I feel like my brow expression is happy and my eyes are smiling.