I mean, what did you expect from a world-renowned kitty supermodel? Of course the dress code is going to be strict. 🙂
Here at the offices of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, brows MUST be fierce, with a heaping scoop of fabulous-ness on the side.
Natural-looking brows? Um, not if you ever hope to move up the cat corporate ladder.
Luckily, I don’t! I love natural-looking brows, and my favorite way to wear ’em lately has been with two different colors — you know, like in brow duo kits that pair a lighter and a darker shade.
When I used to use brow duo kits, I would mix the two colors together and apply that, but lately I like to use the lighter shade on the inner part of my brows (the side closer to my nose) and the darker one on the outer (the side closer to my ear), because the subtle gradient it creates sort of enhances the natural brow color transition that normally occurs from the lighter, sparser inner brow area to the denser, darker outer brow area.
An ombre brow effect, if you will…
A few more brow tips…
- When tweezing your own eyebrows, it’s helpful to map out the hairs to be tweezed by covering them with a light application of concealer or a light-colored pencil.
- When applying color to the brows, try focusing the application in the arch, rather than the inner portion near the nose, for a more natural-looking brow. A well-balanced eyebrow tends to be more dense in the arch.
- Don’t underestimate the effect of brushing your brows. First brush against the hair growth to separate, then up and back toward the ear to shape.
- For the look of bleached eyebrows, use Brow Set in a shade one or two shades lighter than your own brows. First brush the wand against the hair growth to cover the brow, and then dip the wand back into the tube and brush with the growth of hair.
- If using both a brow pencil and Brow Set, try using a darker pencil and a lighter Brow Set for more dimension.
- Fluid Line in an appropriate shade, like Dipdown with the 208 brush, is great to cover any scars or open areas in the eyebrow.
- A light powder eye shadow color like Shroom, Rice Paper or Arena placed under the arch of the brow highlights and defines the shape.
And you can do it with more than just powder brow duos. It works just as well with brow pencils, too.
For a while now I’ve been using light brown MAC Deep Brunette on the inner part of my brows and darker brown Deep Dark Brunette on the outer.
I love it! If you have similar hair color, try it sometime, and let me know what you think.
Be aware, though, that it may violate the dress code at your place of employment if you work for a fashion-forward feline dictator. 😉
How about you? What are some of your best brow tips?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kiss & Make-up says
Unless you are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, do not pluck! Mistakes are easy to make but hard to fix. That is probably my best tip. Plus, a good eyebrow brush can really make a difference.
Danielle says
If you get your brows professional waxed or threaded, I find that it helps to bring in a picture of brows you really love or are looking attain. As for products, lately I have been loving the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil.
Kica says
Honestly, I only brush mine. I hate and am afraid of that “done” look that some people have when they’ve done their brows 🙁
RM says
1. a strong brow can accentuate the eyes without having to go over-the-top with liner and mascara.
2. full brows are natural and youthful. all the over-plucking i see makes me want to cry.
since mine have faded as i’ve gotten older, i dye them every few weeks with a touch of perm hair dye in a dark brown.
i fill daily with MAC wedge or UD naked (i’m NC20 with dark auburn-brown hair), then shape with MAC browset in Show-off.
Susan S says
My best brow tip? GET THYROID DISEASE DIAGNOSED EARLY! I had borderline hypothyroidism for at least two years before I convinced my doctor to treat it. By that time, my eyebrows had permanently dwindled from gorgeous, classic Grace Kelly arches to something very, very strange and wispy, yet chunky in the middle. They will never grow back. All I can do is keep the long strands trimmed to try to make them look deliberate and balanced.
JudiC says
This is a very timely topic. I just had a kindergarten student tell me she loves my eyebrows. Now there is a girl that knows the importance of framing your face! I have no tips, just good genetics. My parents both have nicely arched brows and I just pluck the strays. Now that I am older I fill them in with either Maybelline Define-a-lash or Anastasia Brow Wiz. I am fortunate.
Sasha says
If plucking your own eyebrows, always err on the side of caution. Pluck and shape only a little at a time, stop, take a step back to check how you’re doing, then repeat. It’s always easier to go back and pluck some more but over plucking is never a good look (& believe me, I know, as my high school photos confirm!) 😀
Also, I use a fab tip you gave a while ago Karen, to put done primer gently on the eyebrow!
Judith says
My tips are do not overdraw your eyebrows. Use a filler, if needed, that is paler than you hair color and ashy in tone. If your brows are full just a bit of brow gel is enough.
Trude says
I’m a natural strawberry blonde, so my lashes and brows are white-blonde, so I’ve been going to a pro for years to get them tinted, waxed and trimmed. It makes the biggest difference! Even if I don’t have time for any makeup, at least I know I can make a visible expression. 😉 When I do my face, I do a combo of powder to fill in, pencil to define the shape as needed, and a light touch of clear mascara to set the longer hairs in place.
Marisa says
Wow! Great tips! I often use more than one color on my brows too! I use a darker one on the outer part, since often times in pictures, this part can look “washed out” if you have really lightly colored eyebrows or our very sparse eyebrows
Natalie says
I don’t tweeze above my brows, I think it keeps them look au-natural. Your list is awesome! As are your killer brows.
Rose says
I hope this makes sense…
I think the biggest thing that screwed a lot of us who came of age during the 90’s was over-tweezing and the idea that a fierce arch came from forcing one from the underside of the brow. Now I focus on filling in gaps on the underside to achieve a fuller brow in a classic shape AND focus on the top, outer 2/3rds of the brow to further retain a nice classic arch and tail.
hanna says
Thank you so much for these brow tips. I have the biggest problems with mine.
Charlene says
I use a flat edged liner brush and a dark brown eyeshadow to fill in. The lines are softer than using a pencil and it looks more natural than a pencil, smudged or not. I use Nars Mekong. The glitter practically disappears on my skin and all I ever see is the brown, unless I use a black pencil base. If I overdo it, it is easy to correct with a cotton swab.
YELENA says
3 words: TARTE.BROW.MOUSSE.
StrayCat says
Awwww….my brows. My brows and their growth, maintenance, coloring, penciling, powdering, gelling…..take up a major amount of my “face” time. I’ve never had much in the brow department. In fact, I never even pluck. Oh I wish I had something to pluck! So for years now I’ve been applying growth products which has helped some. Like one brow is fuller than the other kind of help. Oh well, at least I have a nice brow shape. I also dye my brows at home. I enjoy doing it around the time my husband comes home from work because he so enjoys the Groucho look. Ha! The brow makeup routine begins with Anastasia pencil to define the shape and built up the thinner brow, Anastasia powder (the two color palette) using the light color at the beginning and the darker color at the tails of the brow, then finishing with Benefit Gimme Brow gel. They certainly don’t look “natural” but I get compliments from makeup artists, so I must be doing something right.
virginie says
I love your glasses, what is the brand?? Thanks!