Whether you over-plucked or you weren’t blessed with Brooke Shields-like brows, these simple steps will take your arches from scrawny to sculpted. FYI: Spending just a few minutes on your brows will frame your face and even shave a few years off your look.
What You Need
- Brow brush
- Highlighter
- Brow pomade
- Tinted brow gel
Follow These Steps
- Using an eyebrow brush (essentially a mascara wand without any product on it; also known as a spooley), comb brows up and out. This way, the hairs will lay in the same direction so you can see what you’re working with.
- Grab a brow pomade, like Lancome Waterproof Eyebrow Gel-Cream ($24, lancome-usa.com) and a firm, angled brush, like Zoey Van Jones Brow Studio Dual Brow Brush ($18, shop.zoeyvanjones.com). If you don’t have these tools handy, a brow pencil will get the job done. And if you’re in a pinch, you can use eyeshadow in a shade that matches your brows.
- Dip the brush into the pomade, and softly flick the color into the brow. Create short, dash-like motions that resemble hair—this will keep the look natural (so no one can tell you filled in your brows). Beauty editor trick: If you have less hair at the end of your brows, start filling them in there (since we tend to apply the most color where we start filling in).
- Work your way across the arch until you reach the tail. The end of the brow should line up with the outer corner of your eye—don’t be afraid to add a little color, even where you don’t have hair.
- Go over your brows with a tinted brow gel or mousse, like Clinique Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse ($16.50, clinique.com), to add fullness, a healthy sheen, and keep hairs in place throughout the day. Brushing brows up will give your face a lifted look.
- Finish by applying highlighter (or a shimmery, light eyeshadow) along the brow bone to open and brighten the eye area. A good cheapie: Maybelline New York Color Tattoo 24 HR Concentrated Crayon in Barely Beige ($7, ulta.com).
