When I’m in between brow threading, Tweezrman tweezers are my go-to tools for shaping up my brows. They come in different shapes perfect for plucking away even the hardest to reach hairs.

More Tweezerman…

And now you can pick up a pair of the Slant® Tweezer and Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files both in a super cute paw print design while at the same time donating to the Humane Society of the United States. Tweezerman is pleased to donate $1.00 from the purchase of each Paw Print Mini Slant® Tweezer and $0.50 from the purchase of each Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files to the organization in an effort to assist with their mission to “create a humane and sustainable world for all animals – a world that will also benefit people.”

Availability: Sephora, www.sephora.com and www.tweezerman.com

Let’s talk about brows–bushy, thin, barely there, and everything in between. This one is a bit long so grab a seat and a snack and let’s luxuriate.

Your eyebrows frame your face and believe it or not can help improve the appearance of your skin AND make you appear more youthful. Plus, what’s a fabulous eye look without equally fabulous brows? (hint: the answer is nothing).

But what’s the downside to not having beautiful brows…let me first warn you that if you have little children in the room right now to put them to bed and brace yourself as you continue reading—-yeah, it’s that scary.

The downsides of not having beautiful brows are:

*looking much older than you actually are
*facial features could appear much larger or much smaller than they actually are
*complexion can appear to have lost some of its brilliance

or look at this

OK—I was being overdramatic, but I’m sure I made my point: your brows are everything.

Brow shapes have evolved over time and with changes in fashion. There was a time when thin was in when it came to eyebrows, but nowadays a thicker brow is the bee’s knees.

The ideal shape of your brow depends on your face shape.

Image

As well as spacing between your eyes:
Close-set eyes: make sure your brows aren’t too short—you definitely want your tail as it helps make the eyes appear more evenly spaced
Wide-set eyes: leave more hair in the inner parts of your brow (though not as far as a unibrow) to visually “close up” some of the space in between your eyes

There are several methods in which to achieve your ideal brow shape…
Tweezing: can take out one to a few hairs out at a time, is relatively inexpensive and quick, but can be painful and often leads to over-tweezing. Great for quick clean-ups. I love using slanted tip Tweezerman tweezers in conjunction with a pointed tip one perfect for the smallest, most stubborn hairs.
Waxing: warm wax is placed on the brow area using strips of cloth to remove several hairs at a time. Best performed at a salon or with a trained eye and hand. Not ideal for those with sensitive skin or those using dermatologist prescribed skin care treatments like Retin-A. I used to only get my brows waxed about five years ago, but my favorite person moved and I had several bad experiences: skin getting ripped off with the wax, breakouts, misshaped brows, and one genius got the wax in my bangs.
Razor: a tool that looks somewhat like a shaving razor is used to remove stray hairs and sculpt your brows. The razor can be super sharp so be sure you’re very comfortable with this method first.
Threading: a method which has origins in India and other areas of Asia. Actual thread is used to remove entire rows of hair from the brow area. It’s more precise and not as painful as waxing (although the first few times can be doozies). This is my preferred method of grooming my brows (thanks to the five year relationship I have with my brow stylist Rajni over at Aveda Natural Look in Queens Center Mall).

I always recommend getting your brows professionally groomed at least once a month (I get mine done every 1-2 weeks because I’m a brow fiend…lol) and then if you can’t get back to the salon, keep them up with careful tweezing in between appointments.

Since I’m still technically challenged, here’s a quick video from Seventeen magazine on how to shape your brows if you want to do your brow grooming at home:

What if you weren’t blessed with thick eyebrows? Or even little to no brows at all?

You can fake it by filling in the sparse hairs with:

Brow mascara/gel: comes in hues to closely match your hair color and is in mascara form. Use this to both tint and keep brows in place. Take the wand and carefully use it to comb through your brows. Use a disposable mascara wand to remove any excess. Clear brow mascara works wonders on keeping unruly brow hairs in place. Try MAC Brow Set.

Brow pencil: using quick, hair-like strokes, you can fill in the sparse areas with this. The idea is not to simply draw on brows (a la Marlene Dietrich), but to mimic the way brow hairs look. To blend the pencil in with your natural brows, use a clean, disposable mascara wand to “comb” through the pencil. Try MAC Eye Brow Pencil.

Brow powder: can be as simple as a matte eyeshadow close to your hair color applied with an angled brush

OR you can try a trick used by some eyebrow hair-challenged girls and apply a bit of Rogaine to the area with a Q-tip. I’ve never tried this, but some people swear by it. Proceed with caution, but see your dermatologist first.

Please no lacefront eyebrows though.

To add some drama to your brows, sculpt them with your preferred brow makeup item and add a highlight on the brow bone a la Rihanna (above). A highlight shade can be a sheer shimmery gold or silver color or a matte eyeshadow 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone. The idea is to create a contrast between the two areas. For even more drama like the brows sported by Lala, Kim K, and Kelly Rowland…

…use a cream concealer 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone (try MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer) on your brow bone and brow set about 1 shade lighter than your hair color on your brows. Fill in additional sparse areas with brow pencil as well as define the area where the brow hair meets the brow bone.

Tools of the Trade:

More M·A·C…

So *whew* I think that’s it! Did I miss anything? Have questions? See you in the comments section.

Thankfully, Deanna Netti-Cahill aka ‘The Brow Diva‘ popped in to give us some brow tips. The Brow Diva specializes in brow shaping at her salon in Rochester, NY and also has a line of brow gels, powders, and mascaras available in several shades (including shades for redheads) to help keep your eyebrows in tip-top shape.

Brow Mascara SRP $20.00

A matte, tinted gel formulated specifically for use in the brow area. Through altering the color of the brow hair itself, this product is perfect for covering gray hair, softening dark hair, or giving a touch of color to pale brows. Brush on brow hair in the direction of the hair growth (upward and outward), using the tip of the wand to apply color on the skin to fill in sparse areas. Available in 4 colors.

Brow Control SRP $20.00

A clear, silky gel that keeps unruly brow hairs in place all day.  Brush on brow hair in the direction of hair growth, upward and outward in a soft sweeping motion for flake-free control.

Brow Base SRP $25.00

A wax based product that is a must have for anyone suffering from sparse brows. May be used alone or in conjunction with other Brow Diva products for more intense color. Apply the Brow Base onto the brow using the Duo Brow Brush. Use short light strokes starting closest to the nose, filling in sparse areas and places where new growth is desired. Soften application using the spooly end of the Duo Brow Brush for natural, soft cover. Available in 6 colors.

Brow Powder SRP $25.00

A uniquely formulated powder that offers lasting color with the ease of sheer, soft application. This product is appropriate for all brow types. If you have naturally dense brows, this may be the only product you need. Using the angled end of the Duo Brow Brush, dab brush into powder and blend the powder into the brush by dabbing on the back of your hand. Apply to entire brow area using a light touch and short strokes starting at the base of your brow closest to the nose and blend up and out to naturally enhance your brow shape.  Available in 6 colors.

Ultimate Highlighter SRP $18.00

A sheer, matte cream works for all skin tones. This product provides a natural highlight to the brow bone and compliments your overall makeup look. Lightly dab beneath your brows with one finger, starting just before your arch, and blend outward. This product may also be used to highlight the inner corner of the eyes, the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones and even the cupid bow of your lips!

Duo Brush SRP $19.00

A dual purpose brow brush featuring an angled side for perfect brow product application and a spooly side to blend brow color and to hold brow hair in place for precise trimming.  Perfect for applying Brow Base and/or Brow Powder.

Deanna’s Eyebrow Tips

1. Invest the money in getting your eyebrows sculpted! This is something you only need to do every few months (maintenance is much less expensive.) The last thing you want to do is go somewhere that doesn’t specialize in brows and end up with a botched job. It can take 6 months to a year to fix a job that was done poorly by someone else. During this time, brows are a work in progress.

2. If you are between appointments and have a last minute date or special event and have to tweeze, tweeze only the obvious stray hairs and as few as possible! Use the Brow Diva products which are great for maintaining brows and keeping them looking clean between sessions.

3. A brow powder is the most important and universal product—key to have on hand. Some things to know: The color should match or compliment brow hair color. Less is more!! Apply with an angle brush at the arch and extend to the end of the brow. Apply what’s left on the brush to the inner part of the brow.

4. BEWARE!! A common mistake many people make (including many waxers) is over tweezing the area between your eyes. Keeping your brows longer on the inside makes your eyes look bigger, more polished, and makes your brows look longer.

5. The perfect brows are not too thin and not too thick. It is the middle ground you want to aim for. We are born with a natural canvas that an eyebrow artist can sculpt into its optimal shape. The arch also has a natural place that can be defined by the experienced brow sculptor. Do not try to make any shape changes on your own!

The Brow Diva studio is located at 3025 Monroe Avenue, Suite 103 Rochester, NY 14618

A first-time brow sculpting with the Diva starts at $50.00. For a list of studio services and prices, please visit www.browdiva.com

Save 20% at Sally Beauty (online only) no thru April 11th! Use code 555902 at checkout. You can get Ardell Fashion Lashes & Duo Lash Glue (two of my FAV beauty supply store products) as well as disposable mascara and lip wands and TONS of other beauty tools.

As part of our New Year’s Resolutions, My Urban Glamour Blog has vowed to keep you looking stylishly beautiful in ‘09. One way to really change your look is to have your brows properly groomed. Back in February ’08, I posted about the importance of the brows. Your eyebrows frame your face and believe it or not can help improve the appearance of your skin AND make you appear more youthful. Plus, what’s a fabulous eye look without equally fabulous brows? (hint: the answer is nothing).

But what’s the downside to not having beautiful brows…let me first warn you that if you have little children in the room right now to put them to bed and brace yourself as you continue reading—-yeah, it’s that scary.

The downsides of not having beautiful brows are:

*looking much older than you actually are
*facial features could appear much larger or much smaller than they actually are
*complexion can appear to have lost some of its brilliance

Still not convinced of the importance of eyebrows? Check out Hot Chicks with No Eyebrows. This isn’t a game.

Continue reading to learn more about getting beautiful brows:

Brow shapes have evolved over time and with changes in fashion. There was a time when thin was in when it came to eyebrows, but nowadays a thicker brow is best.

So how do you get the coveted beautiful brow? Since I’m still technically challenged, here’s a quick video from Seventeen magazine on how to shape your brows:

You’ll need these tools to get the job done:

(starting at top from left) Anastasia All About Eyes Kit $75 at Sephora; Sephora Eyebrow Palette $20 at Sephora; Benefit Speed Brow $16 at Sephora; Laura Mercier Brow Definer $20 at Sephora; LORAC Take a Brow $22 at Sephora; Tweezerman Animal Print Slant Tweezers $25 at Sephora; MAC #266 Brush (great for $19 at Nordstrom; MAC #204 Brush (great for brushing eyebrow hairs) $11 at Nordstrom; Beautiful Brows: The Ultimate Guide to Styling, Shaping, and Maintaining Your Eyebrows $7.99 at amazon.com

Not up to the challenge yourself? Let a professional handle it! While I can do beautiful brows on my clients, I let another professional do mine for me. Like I mentioned last year, I’ve been going to Rajni at the Natural Look Aveda Salon for the past four years to get my brows threaded. But one time a trip to Georgia became longer than anticipated. In a bind, I went over to the Town Center Mall at Cobb and had my brows done at spot called Da Arches and I was also very pleased with the results. Check them out:

(At left, if you look very closely, you can see how thin and misshaped my brows were! That was back in ’03/’04 when I would get them waxed at any old salon that had a free seat. At right, you can see how much better my brows look now with some thickness to them—they even make me smile…lol)

So there you have it! Make your brows a focal point in your quest to have ’09 be your most beautifully stylish year yet. If you’re still stumped, feel free to contact me with your questions.

P.S. Don’t forget to enter in the Rx for Brown Skin Giveaway! Entries must be in by 11:59 P.M. EST on Thursday, April 16th!