May 4, 2011

One of the first attributes of the face that I look at when doing a makeup consultation is the eyebrows.  Eyebrows are very important facial features, they help define bone structure and provide a natural frame for the face. Having shapely brows is essential if you want to achieve a more sculpted and youthful look.

Often people choose the wrong color and wrong type of pencil for their brows.  Here are a few tips on how to choose the right brow pencil and in the right shade.

I recommend using a powder or powder pencil for the brow rather than a waxy pencil or eyebrow gel.  Any type of wax or gel has a natural sheen and tends to look shiny or painted on, not natural.

Powder, and powder pencils blend more easily into the eyebrow hair and gives a matte finish.  Also powder moves less- so your shapely brows will last longer throughout the day.

When looking for the right color in a pencil or powder stay away from super dark shades! For all types of brunettes, red heads and dirty blondes, you want to choose a color that is at least one or two shades lighter than your natural brow color.  This way your brows look natural and less “filled in” and the color blends with your eyebrow hair.

For really light haired blonds or grey eyebrows that are not very visible, pick a sandy colored shade that is one or two shades darker than your natural eyebrow color.

For pressed powder:

Use an eyeliner brush and gently press the powder into the eyebrow starting from root and move up.  Please see my Spoon article if you’re in need of a guide to shape your eyebrows.  After you pressed in the powder take a dry mascara wand and brush the powder up and shape it.

For powder pencil:

Place the tip of the pencil at the base of the eyebrow (where the roots are) and try to mimic the hairs by making tiny dashes upwards following the natural direction of your eyebrow hair.  After filling in the brow take a dry mascara wand and brush your eyebrow upward and shape it.  Again see my Spoon article if you need a guide to shape your brows.

If need help choosing the right brow product click here for my TOP 3 BROW PICKS !