Fashion Column: Freezing and Fabulous, Eyebrow Advice

Story posted March 23, 2014 in CommRadio by Jane Moreland

Most have heard that your hair frames your face, but did you know that your eyebrows frame your eyes?  Your eyes are usually what people notice at first glance, so it's important that they stand out.  Having well-groomed eyebrows is a great way to achieve this.  There are several elements to grooming your brows.  In this article I will explain what to do if you have brows that are thick, thin, or misshaped.

Some people consider their thick eyebrows a curse. I would actually consider them a blessing in disguise.  With the right techniques and upkeep, your brows will likely need very little help from makeup to make them look sculpted and clean.  It is important to find a good shape for your brows that works with the hair you already have.  I recommend growing your brows out for about two weeks before making an appointment at a salon.  Bringing in a picture of the type of eyebrows you like is a good idea so the technician will know exactly what you want.

Another option, other than waxing, is to have your eyebrows threaded.  Threading is an old Indian technique where a piece of thread is twisted and used to pull out lines of hair.  This is a great option for everyone, but especially those with thick hair.  Indian women are known for their thick hair, and also their amazing eyebrows.  Personally, I would be surprised if someone had a bad experience with this kind of hair removal.

There are pros and cons to both waxing and threading.  Waxing can be painful, but it only lasts for a few seconds. A problem that many people run into involves wax that isn’t applied at the right temperature. This can result in a layer of skin being painfully removed. Another con is that it is hard to be precise with wax because you're removing a lot of hairs at once. 

In terms of threading, great precision is involved because of the attention to detail it requires.  Another pro is that for those with sensitive skin, threading will not break the surface of your skin.  A con is that is can be very painful and prolonged.  Kim Foerster, a senior majoring in political science, described the pain.  "Waxing is painful but the pain doesn't last long.  Threading takes a while and it feels like a bunch of hairs are being quickly plucked out at once," Foerster says.  At a professional salon, there should be pain management options like a topical ointment or ice.        

For those with thin eyebrows, there are a myriad of tricks you can try.  I still recommend going to a waxing or threading salon first to get the base shape right.  Next, to promote hair growth, I've heard Rogaine works well.  Just put some on a Q-tip and apply to your brows at night.  To fill in your brows with makeup there are many great products to use.

My favorite option for those with minimal sparseness is a simple brow powder or pencil.  Any will work, but it's important to not buy any with a reddish undertone.  It's sometimes hard to avoid this because they look brown in the package.  A tip: buy a pencil or powder much lighter than your brow color.  It will look more natural this way.  A great product line is Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Finally, for those like me that have very thin eyebrows, we need to get pretty creative to achieve the thick look.  I use a water-resistant "brow pen" by Anastasia Beverly Hills to lightly fill in my brows and to make precise lines that create the shape I want.  I then use a thin angle brush and the powder portion of my e.l.f. studio eyebrow palate to fill in the rest of my eyebrows to make them look natural. 

Lastly, if you're unsure about what brow shape to work towards, the trend today is to have large, full eyebrows.  Don't be afraid of a strong, sculpted brow and stay fabulous!

For now,
Jane

Jane Moreland is a senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email jmm6128@psu.edu.