Eyebrow Looks I’ve Outlasted: From Thin to Bushy and Back

 

Georgina at Hermes backstage, makeup and photo by me

 

 

 

 

Seeing that I have walked away from my makeup career almost five years ago, I can now reflect on some trends over the twenty-five years in the industry.

 

Eyebrows “frame the face” and set the tone of the whole look. Coming from the overplucked 90s eyebrows that instantly aged every wearer – to crazy caterpillar type of brows of the late 2010s and squared off tattooed brows, you can say I’ve seen and dealt with all of the types.

What all of these trends had in common were that none of them were natural and “timeless”.

 

I’ll start with overplucked eyebrows. I’ve heard many stories that they never grow back after too much plucking – I call bullshit. If you overpluck them for 20 years then yes, you may have weakened the hair follicle root, but seeing how much money we spend on waxing and epilation, the stuff grows. From places you thought no hair should grow. Your natural eyebrow shape might not have been the best, but there are tricks to deal with those, I’ll get to some products suggestions later. But I do find that people get “stuck” on the shape they think it works best and they’re unwilling to budge.

 

Fat eyebrows – you know the look. Cara Delavigne kind of started the trend and eventually it got out of control. I definitely prefer more natural eyebrows, but they should be still groomed. But never pluck them from the top, the eyebrows should be shaped so they lift your eye – eyebrows can do that, you don’t have to do the “eyebrow lift” so you look like everyone on Instagram.

 

Tattooed eyebrows –I almost considered this at one point, I am so glad I never did them.

Now I’ll tell you why I don’t recommend them.

Tattooed eyebrows are considered semi-permanent makeup with results highly dependent on the skill of the artist and the ability of the said artist to correctly mix the right pigments for your skin tone and give you the shape that suits your face. As the pigment deposits are not as deep as the traditional tattoo, such pigment will fade and would need topping up. And when those pigments fade, they eyebrows will be reddish or greenish (I have seen plenty on clients).

Another point is the shape – literally nobody has a squared off natural eyebrow – that shape is achieved when you pluck the monobrow and fill it in with makeup it then looks squared off, but I repeat, nobody has natural eyebrows like that so I am unsure why the trend for tattoos for that shape.

Most of the time it’s too dark, makes women too severe looking, especially once you hit 40s.

 

What I do recommend is grooming eyebrows into the right shape. For that I like a toothbrush type eyebrow brush – Bamboo toothbrush with boar bristles  is the type I like to use. You brush the eyebrows upwards at the eyebrow bone – it lifts the eye corners and then you fill in the bits and bobs and form the shape.

I love Kevyn Aucoin eyebrow pencils – they’re bit on the pricy side but the colours are the best and they’re great at filing in the gaps in natural eyebrows. For more budget options Maybelline Express Brow Ultra Slim Defining Natural Fuller Looking Brows Eyebrow Pencil is decent. Eyebrow pencils are mix of wax and pigments, so mass market brands generally use less expensive and more limited pigment selections, so bear that in mind.

If you need to visually “fatten” the eyebrows, then using a highly pigmented eyeshadow with a smaller boar brush would be your best option. Revolution does a decent eyeshadow palette with colours that can be used for eyebrows.

 

To deposit colour on eyebrows use a natural boar hair angled brush such as Bobbi Brown 

 

I dislike synthetic brushes for eyebrows, the bristle must be firm enough in order to pick up more pigment and synthetics just don’t behave the same.

 

And as a last thing, you can set the eyebrows in shape if you spray some L’Oreal Elnett on the boar brush and brush the eyebrows into shape. Elnett doesn’t flake and has a firm hold so your eyebrows will be fixed until you wash your face.

 

What’s the worst eyebrow look you’ve tried? 

 

 

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Fashion Shows Archives - Backstage Part 2

Here are some more backstage photos from long time ago! Hope you enjoy!
 

Summer Make up and Colours

Summer, and by that I mean the proper summer with sunshine and not what we are punished with at the moment in UK, is made for bright make up.

There is nothing like some colour against a lightly tanned skin (man made or natural). The light is different and that makes colours stand out.

I gather that a lot of people are scared of brights or at least have little confidence when faced with something not in their comfort zone. But fear not, I have some fool proof suggestions to help you out.

Very bright eyeshadow can be scary, especially when you look at some highly pigmented ones from professional make up ranges that are, well, aimed at professional make up artists. We like well pigmented colours, makes our job easier as we can layer them and make them strong or sheer. But, for a consumer, the super pigmented colours, especially bright eyeshadows, are sometimes not the best idea.

Most of the time you’ll want a slight “wash” of colour. If you’re over the age of 25 and in a “regular” job (by "regular" job I mean not working at MAC or Illamasqua) that’s pretty much what you’ll want. So pick a product from a non-professional make up range for your eyeshadow. 

Bright green, yellow, lavender and blue look surprisingly good on eyes as a subtle colour wash. Apply the colour only on lid, so not to the crease. Cream products work especially well and they are naturally sheerer. And you can have fun and apply the colour with your fingers.

Try a bright eyeliner too. That can look soooo nice, it's simple to do with an eye pencil and you’re still injecting some colour into your look.

Another way to cheer up the summer make up is by using blusher. Especially the cream variety. And try to find a watermelon colour, it’s very flattering to most skins and very summery.

Lipstick is of course the easiest to experiment with. Sheer varieties, semi-glossy tints and stains are they are easier to wear, but my personal favourite is bright orange. It's so much fresher than both red and bright pink. 

Disclaimer: The above advice works especially well for women over a certain age, so please try, you won't be disappointed.

Bridal make up Q & As

The season of weddings is almost upon us so I thought I'd post some questions that I've answered not so long ago. Some googling brides to be might find them useful. Enjoy :)

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What one piece of make up advice would you give to a bride preparing for her big day?

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     Book a professional make up artist in advance and do the make up trial. Even if you’re really good at doing your make up, the pro will be there on hand to help you with some new tricks of the trade and make the day less stressful for you. Make sure you test the make up in the natural light and on camera before you agree on the look.

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How should your wedding day make up differ from your day to day look?

     Your make up needs to look timeless, be suitable for the occasion, look good in real life and on camera and, of course, last all day. You need to look like you, just fresher and glowing. You probably won’t spend much time every morning doing your make up but on your wedding day it really pays to spend more time on make up so it withstands the assault of the relatives wishing you good luck! Good professional make up artist will layer the make up carefully so you won’t really need to do any retouching during the day.

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What one beauty product can a bride not do without and why?

      If you’re likely to get emotional on your wedding day then waterproof mascara is a must.

How can you adapt this seasons  makeup trends into your wedding day look?

         This is one of the occasions when trends should take a back seat. You really want to look timeless so when you look at the photos 20 years from now on, you don’t want to cringe. By all means take some inspiration from the current trends which are awash with pastels, but pick just one, like coral blush and leave the rest for some other time.

What is the most common makeup mistake brides tend to make on their wedding day?

          Too many mistakes to mention! Orange fake tan is really unnecessary, just pick a dress that flatters your complexion as it is. False drag queen lashes, yes I’ve seen them on brides…. If you want more lashes, individual lashes are the best way to go. Weird eyebrows. Too much make up applied badly,… of course this can be said for any make up occasion, not just a wedding.

What prep can you do in the lead up to the big day to make sure you’re looking your best (skincare, treatments) etc?

         You should start preparing your skin as early as possible, so get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water. Any new beauty treatments should be tried one month before rather than a day before the wedding – we all remember that scene from Sex and the City when Samantha had a acid peel too late – you don’t want the same thing to happen to you! If you decide to try acid peel, mesotherapy etc, you should do it at least one month before so the skin has enough time to recover. Otherwise, moisturise daily, use facial and body scrub twice of three times a week (depending on your skin type). One point to remember is your eyebrows – if they are overplucked then leave them to grow and have them done one day before the wedding.

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