Hot Brow Summer

If COVID has underlined anything in the beauty world, it’s the importance of brows. With masks covering everything but the eyes, the heavy lifting for facial expression fell upon 5-6 inches of real estate.

If you’re a makeup beginner filling in the brows may seem a little overwhelming but fortunately it’s a more forgiving practice than many makeup activities. You might find the humble Q-tip becomes your best friend, this is part of the process!

Depending on your commitment level and time, there are several ways to go about filling in the brows. Pencils and powder are the fastest and easiest, brow mousse takes a little more finesse but is more durable.

I learned the power of the brow at my first beauty job working part time at The Body Shop in Bellevue Square during college. Pencils and powder were the only options back in 1995, we lined up the inside edge of the brow to the inside edge of the eye and made a line from the end of the nose, past the outer corner of the eye and where that pointed us was the end of the brow. The arch happened through the center the iris.

Filling in your brows this way is timeless and will rarely let you down as long as you use the right color. I shoot for close to the darkest color in your hair. I like a more natural look and have found the easiest way to soften the brow is to run through with a brow brush or toothbrush after placing the color.

If you live or work in a damp or humid environment (steamy spa anyone?) the pencil/powder may not have have the staying power you need to get through the day. Enter brow mousse! You’re following the same brow lines, just using a mascara-like wand to color the hairs and any skin underneath.

When using brow mousse, I like to brush brows first to get them in the shape I want.

Remember, mousse is built more smudge and water proof, it’s easier to add than subtract! Using our favorite Blinc Brow Mousse, make sure you wipe off the very tip of the mousse wand before you get started, it’s easy to glop on too much. Scrape the sides of the wand to take off excess product before building with a light touch. Gently clean up any smudges along the brow line with a Q-tip.

This should get you started, if you need help, call Auntie Sherry for a hands-on tutorial!