How to Achieve Your Best Looking Brows

Your Guide to Brow Products

If you are a beauty junkie and the majority of your paycheck goes to Sephora, then you are probably pretty aware of all the different products out there for perfecting the brows. While this feature may often be forgotten in favor of a bright lip or a sleek contour, the eyebrows can add a lot of drama to the face. So, they shouldn’t be left to their own devices.

There are so many different brow products out there to help you improve your brow game. If you are confused about what is what, this article will help you figure out what brow products you need, what you may want to try, and the things that you should simply leave alone.

Related: Want Long Luscious Lashes?

An Explanation of Brow Products Types

• Brow Gel: There are many forms of brow gel, but the best way to think of it is that it is mascara for your eyebrows. It comes in a tube just like mascara, and when you unscrew the cap, there is a little wand. This product will give your eyebrows more definition, make them look fuller and less sparse, and can darken them a touch as well.
• Brow Pencil: This is one of the classic ways of handling your brows, and it is a great product for those that want to fill in sparse looking brows. The soft, waxy consistency of the pencil allows you more control of where you are putting pigment, and it often has a more natural, less dramatic look.
• Brow Powder: This is another tool that allows you to fill in sparse brows or darken light-colored brows. It looks very similar to eyeshadow, and honestly, a lot of people simply use one of the colors in their eyeshadow palette. However, if you are not an eyeshadow wearer or don’t have a color that will suit, you can purchase a single powder designated for your brows.
• Brow Pomade: This product is similar to brow gel except it gives you a much more flexible hold. It gives you definition, but it isn’t quite as dramatic as with gel. It is a great product for those with thick and dark brows because it allows you to hold the shape without adding that much product.
• Brow Marker: This may be the most dramatic look because you get a very saturated color while adding depth and definition. These markers allow people with nearly nonexistent brows to create arches and a defined brow shape.
• Brow Wax: This product comes in a pencil form, but it does not have any pigment. It is used to tame unruly brows and hold down those scraggly hairs. It will keep your arches in shape all day long.

Brow Products Applications

You can continue to stock up on brow products until your vanity is full to the brim, but if you don’t know how to use them, it won’t do you any good. In this section, we will give you advice on the best ways to apply the various products straight from the experts: makeup artists.

Brow Gel: This is a great product for those that like a very defined and lush look to their brows. Remove the wand from the container and get all the excess product off of the wand by scraping it on the side (just like you do with your mascara.) Once you want is no longer gloopy, you can brush your eyebrows in the opposite direction as your hairs are growing. This will distribute the pigment to help darken each brow hair. Once they are darkened to your liking, start brushing them back the other way. Keep smoothing until you are satisfied with the look.

Brow Pencil: This product is all about precision. You are looking to mimic the growth of your own brow hairs by using light upward strokes. You are not outlining the shape and coloring in! Layer your strokes until you get the fullness and darkness that you want, and the outcome will be much more realistic. You can comb through the brows after you have applied your strokes to distribute some of the pigments. Many eyebrow pencils will come with a brush on the opposite ends for this exact purpose.

Brow Powder: In order to make your eyebrows look realistic with this product, you need to find the perfect shade and use the right brush. There are specific brushes in your makeup bag that are made for your brows (hint: they are called brow brushes!) The bristles are really dense, and they are quite firm which allows you to be concise in your application. You will want to sweep on a little at a time, layering the product until you get the desired effect.

Brow Pomade: Since the product comes with the small mascara wand just like brow gel, the method for applying is the same. You will sweep the brows in the opposite direction to apply the pigment, and then you sweep them into place.

Brow Marker: This product is going to take a lot of practice. You may want to block off an afternoon and sit in front of the mirror with your brow marker and your makeup remover and just keep trying. Use a method similar to the pencil. The technique should have you drawing individual hairs in a light upward stroke. It is very easy to be too heavy-handed with the marker, hence the need for practice.

Brow Wax: It is a good idea to start your wax application at the bottom of the brow to give them a more well-defined look. Then you can work your way up as needed, taming the out of control brow hairs.

Do You Need Them All?

It is perfectly acceptable to have all of the different brow products if you want them. You can switch things out each day of the week, or you can use the more dramatic methods on special occasions. However, it is much more likely that you will tend to stick to one or two of the methods that work best for you, and that you are able to apply with speed and efficiency. There is no wrong answer when it comes to choosing a brow product. Pick the one that you like the best.

Yet, there are differences in the products that do make them more suited for specific brow types or specific looks that you may be going for. Here are a few different types of brow issues, and the products that may be best suited for fixing them.

• Gaps or bald patches: Pencils, Powders
• Asymmetry: Pencils, Powders
• Sparse brows: Pomade, Gels
• Sparse tails: Pencils, Powders, Gels
• Unruly Brows: Gel, Wax
• Soft Look: Powders
• Powerful Look: Pomade, Gels
• Dramatic Look: Markers
• Dry skin: Pencils, Pomade
• Oily skin: Powders, Markers

Related: Achieve Instagram-Ready Brows with Brow Gel

Choosing Your Color

Now that you know which products are best suited for your situation, and you know how to use this ideal brow product. You need to pick the color that will be best suited for your face and look you are trying to achieve. This can be a tricky step, especially if you prefer a more natural look.

Many people start off by choosing a color that coordinates with their hair color. This is a good theory if you have darker hair colors like brown or black. You want to go up a few shades from your actual hair color to keep your brows from looking too dark. The natural oils in your skin will darken the eyebrow hairs and the product you put on them, so you don’t want to risk going too dark. You can keep lightening by a shade if you feel like your brows are too dark or dramatic.

If you have lighter colored hair, you want to go in the other direction. Choose a brow product that is one to two shades darker than your hair color. You want your brows to be light enough that they look like they actually belong on your face, but you don’t want them so light that they lose all of their drama. Redheads will probably want to choose shades closer to blonde than to black.

There is no rule that says your brows have to be a natural color, however. Many people love to experiment with outrageous brow colors or even add jewels, glitter, and other sparkles.

Brow Products Don’ts

Most of this article has been made up of all the things you should be doing to get the perfect set of brows. This section is going to focus on the things that you should not be doing. These brow don’ts will help you perfect your look without going astray.

No matter which type of product you use to shape and fill in your brows, you don’t want to forget to top it off with a little bit of powder. Whether you are using gels, pencils, or pomade, the powder will set the color and keep it from running down your cheeks later.

Don’t be heavy-handed with your pigments. Remember you are attempting to make your shape look like it actually grew out of your face. You are not coloring it in like the block eyebrows of cartoon characters.

Related: How To Get The Right Eyebrow Shape for Your Face

You also don’t want to try to create a whole new brow. The basic color and shape of your brows are what they are. You won’t be fooling anyone if you try to double the size of them or change black brows to red. Unless you are going for a very dramatic and obvious look, stick to natural strokes and applications.

Using a stencil is also a don’t. While this may seem like the easy way to get your brows in shape, it usually ends up a bit tragic. Your brows aren’t meant to be a cookie-cutter. They should highlight the actual silhouette of your face, and attempting to shove them into a mold usually ends up looking unrealistic, and not in a good way.

Don’t think of your brows as twins. Your brows are sisters, not twins. While they should be very similar in size, shape, and color, you will drive yourself insane trying to get them to be identical. Remember this tip on those days when your brow game just isn’t that strong.

Permanent Solutions

If you want perfect eyebrows every day of the week, but you don’t have time to fool with pomade, pencils, or wax every day, then you may want to try a more permanent solution. You do have choices when it comes to your brows, so you may want to consider these procedures.

Microblading: This is a semi-permanent procedure that gives you the best brow shape for your face. It is basically a tattooing process that is very precise. The pen has a sloped blade that is used to scratch the surface of your skin and inject a medical grade of pigment. The strokes are done in a fine manner to mimic individual hairs.

Tattoo: You can also have your eyebrows tattooed on which is slightly different than microblading because the ink is injected further into the skin. Eyebrow tattoos have come a long way, and there are techniques now that are much more natural-looking than they were in years past. This process will last longer than microblading, although it may not look quite as realistic.

Tinting: This is a semi-permanent procedure that adds color and fullness to your brows. It can cut down on your morning routine because you will always look like you have penciled in your brows. The color stays on for about four weeks, but some people may last for six weeks. Not exfoliating will prolong the lifespan of your tint. The brows are tinted in a similar fashion to dying the hair. Initially, it may appear that the tint is on your skin, but that will fade after a couple of days.

Related: What Exactly is Microblading?

In Conclusion

Having the perfect set of brows takes a bit of skill, planning, or a trip to an aesthetician for a permanent or semi-permanent procedure. Now that you know all there is to know about the various products available for your brows, you will be a professional in no time.

More Great Brow Products Resources:

How To: Use an Eyebrow Pencil

Brow Gel: The Can’t-Skip Step for Perfect Eyebrows

The 10-Second Way to Get Naturally Gorgeous Eyebrows