Eyebrows - please educate me ETA Update - YouLookFab Forum

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Eyebrows - please educate me ETA Update

Astrid

Veteran

The only makeup I use so far is mascara, lipstick and nail polish. And only from time to time, most days I'm completely bare faced. But some of you suggested accentuating my brows a bit with the pixie cut. I have never done anything to my brows besides plucking them (carefully) from time to time.

So what product is best? How do I use it? And if you have specific suggestions for a product for very light ash blonde brows, please speak up.

Thanks in advance.

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36 replies

Latest reply was from Astrid

E

Veteran

Do you have Target? I use a Sonia Kushak (sp?) eyebrow cream pallette & the colours are v ash blonde friendly. It lasts ages; in fact I think I've had mine for years so I don't know if it's even carried anymore. It's in a white case w four colours and comes w 2 mini brushes.

I've found cream looks more natural than pencil. I use some every day, to define my eyes w/o mascara. I just make small strokes with the brush following my brow's lines, so I'm darkening/filling in. My brows get lighter towards the ends so I use more there and less at the beginning (closer to nose). It takes me maybe a minute to do both & lasts all day. Hope that helps!

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Eva. We don't have Target, but good to know about the cream vs. pencil issue. My grandma pencils hers in and I don't want mine to look like that.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Hi Astrid - I use Clinique brow shaper powder. It makes my eyebrows nice and even looking but you can't tell I'm wearing it. The powder lasts all day with no harsh looking lines. It comes in a variety of colors and I think the lightest one might be a decent match. It kind of gives my eyebrows "presence" if that makes sense.

http://www.clinique.ca/product.....row-Shaper

E

Veteran

Haha! To keep it natural just follow the eyebrow hairs.

The other thing I like about my cream palette is it has a lighter and darker shade that both work w my natural colour (matches my hair, so I'm guessing close to yours), so I can decide how much drama I want. For application, first I smooth my brows w a little brush that looks a bit like a mascara brush. Then I apply w a mini brush that's more like a tapered paint brush. But that's just what came w the makeup; I haven't experimented w other techniques. Eyebrows, a swipe of blush, and some lip stick/balm make up my daily routine, plus mineral foundation depending on what my skin's doing. They take almost no time to apply or special effort to wash off at night, but have quite a big impact in making me look/feel more put together and, well, prettier.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks for the tip, Shannon! Clinique is available here, so that's definitely an option I'm going to look at. And yes, the "presence" is just what I want.

Thanks Eva. It wouldn't take much time to do more, but I guess I'm too lazy. I do have some natural color to my cheeks, so I don't really need blush. I do use lipbalm everyday, but it's not colored.

Meredith

Veteran

Do your drug stores carry Gosh products by any chance?

Marilyn

Veteran

I've been doing my brows for a couple years now and it makes such a difference. I never skip doing them.

I use Smashbox Brow Tech and I love it. It seems spendy for such a tiny jar but it lasts for a really long time. I apply it with a Smashbox Angle Brow Brush #12 but any angled brow brush will do. I apply the powder with the brow brush. Then I lightly brush my brows with a spoolie brush which softens the look a bit. The spoolie brush is great for toning things down if the powder looks a bit much. You can then brush on some wax to set your brows......but the powder is just fine on it's own as well.

I would not recommend a pencil. It doesn't look natural IMO. I like powder because you can use as little or as much as you like and it blends right in and looks natural.

I use to pluck/shape my brows but I let them grow in for a more natural look. I just pluck the stragglers that pop up underneath.

Smashbox's application tips are on the Sephora page and my second link is a brief review / how to. Third link is an example of a spoolie brush.

http://www.sephora.com/brow-te.....Id=1241025

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/sl.....brow-brush

http://www.target.com/p/sonia-.....A-11909007

Astrid

Veteran

Okay, I looked up the Clinique brow powder and they don't seem to carry it in Germany? Strange. They just have a pencil.

Meredith, that doesn't sound familiar, so probably not.

Thanks for the tip, Marilyn. Smashbox seems to be available here, at Douglas. Oh and I don't pluck my eyebrows much either. I just pluck the stragglers underneath and between brows. Going to go look at the links now...

Anonymous

http://www.sephora.com/anastas....._mmc=ppc-G

This is the brand I swear by. I use one of their very fine pencils, and don't find it fake looking at all. I always finish with a brow gel - my favourite is by benefit.Some pencils can indeed look fake, and I also like using brow powder (Bobbi Brown) , but I"ve never been as loyal to an item or brand as I have the Anastasia line.

I have very very fine, sparse and medium-coloured brows, and I will not go out of the house, or even AROUND the house without them done. It's that much of a face-maker to me

crutcher

Veteran

My wonderful brow secret is ELF brow kit...It is super cheap and rivals Bobbie Brown...I found it on Makeup Alley which received raves and I fell in love with it ever since...There is a brow powder and a creme...Hope this helps...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Even though I have dark brows, I've just started using a brow pencil in the last six months to fill them in just a bit where they are starting to thin slightly -- I think the recent trend towards fuller, stronger brows made me more aware of mine, and it's a common thing to lose some brow definition when you reach perimenopause. I have two: the Sephora brow pencil, and the Rimmel. I really like the Sephora because it is waterproof and stays put extremely well, but it's a little pricey and wears out fairly quickly. I decided to try the Rimmel as a cheaper alternative, and it does the job pretty well.

http://www.sephora.com/retract.....of-P286513

http://www.drugstore.com/rimme...../qxp345372

It's really quite easy to use them. Just follow the natural brow line and keep a light touch with short strokes. Touch up any extraneous bit with a Q-tip.

Anonymous

Astrid I had to go back and find some close ups of your face. I think your brows look just fine. They have a nice shape and do not look sparse. Since you wear glasses making your brows bolder may compete with your eyeglass frames. If you feel a need to fill them may I recommend Anastasia brow products. Her blonde brow products have a bit of red in it. I use her dip brow gel in taupe which is an ashier color. I use the taupe to match my eyebrow color and not my hair. I just fill in because my brows are sparse.

If you want to really highlight that pixie I would recommend a really nice lipstick to wow your face. I prefer to focus on one feature to bring out one's natural beauty and I think you have a great smile.

Hope you are enjoying your pixie!

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Lisa. That brand only seems to be available online, imported? We do have Bobbi Brown here though, I could even try to brave the SA to have them demonstrate for me. Of course the price is rather through the roof, looking at their website. I guess I could pay 20€ for a quality product if I knew I would really use it, but 50€? Rather not.

Louise

Veteran

I prefer powder, I find it the easiest to work with and the most natural looking. I have an Urban Decay brow box and a very fine brush from Mac. I've also found you need to go a shade lighter than you think x

Helena

Veteran

Astrid, if you go the Bobbi Brown route, their online consulting service is AWESOME for help with colors, products and techniques.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Crutcher!

Thanks Janet! We do have Rimmel here, seems like that would be an inexpensive option to give it a try. I don't want to spend a lot of money if I don't even know yet whether I want to use it or not.

Thanks Lara! You're right, my brows aren't sparse. But I do think they're fairly invisible. Now that isn't a bad thing and I'm used to it, but most pictures you see of pixie cuts accentuate the brows more. I don't want to add dark prominent brows or anything, I just want to make mine a tad more visible. "Presence", as Shannon said. At the moment I have one lipstick I'm using regulary, a rosy nude by Astor. It's just the barest hint of color and not super visible from far away. When I tried more obvious lip colors in the past it always looked off. Generally I'm getting overwhelmed quickly by too much color. It's the case for all soft summers, I think. And yes, enjoying the pixie very much!

Thanks Louise. I think if I decide to spend more I'm not going to buy anything without asking for advice in the store. Definitely not ordering online.

Thanks TG!

deb

Veteran

Astrid, I Use the Tarte EmphasEyes. I am not a pencil per say, but I like this one because it rolls up and always stays pointed. I think that is the issue with pencils, they flatten out and give that dreaded drawn on look. I am not fond of powders because they seem to look too heavy on me. Is there a store where you can go and try several types and colors?

http://www.sephora.com/emphase.....Id=1180116

E

Veteran

This is the the palette I use, just so that you can see what colours that match my eyebrows well look like in their packaging. I can actually wear 3 of the shades (the reddish one is the exception obviously) depending on the drama level I want.

If you're looking for soft summer lipstick ideas, I love Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie & Sugar Plum Fairy. I'm wearing one of those in almost all of my outfit pics; they're both like my lips only more colourful & they both somehow enhance my eyes.They have a nice texture too, although they do wear off in the middle. L'Oreal Spicy Pink reads as a darker shade on me, so I like having it as an option when I'm more in the mood for a burgundy-ish lip. But it has a funny smell to it & the texture is more drying, so I definitely don't wear it everyday.

Anonymous

Astrid, check Anastasia Beverly Hills for tinted brow gel that has a mascara wand to apply the gel to the brows. It may just give you the hint of additional color you are looking for.

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

Astrid, if you have enough brow hair but feel it's too light, one option is to use a light mascara to add some color and thickness to the hairs. Yes, dying is an option, but should be done by a professional. The mascara also helps wrangle any strays you may have.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

I get mine plucked and dyed by my hairdresser. This gives the definition I need without having to use too much product, which always smudges and never seems to look natural.

Then again, I am completely incompetent with anything more complicated than lipstick and face powder.

Meredith

Veteran

I think Rimmel or other inexpensive brand will be fine. The gosh brand I recommended is a cheap one and I personally use elf like crutcher. It's just $1! At worst the color with a cheap brand will just fade over the day. I always find Lisa's videos helpful for makeup how to's. She talks quite a lot, but if you skip to minute 3 she goes over pencil applications and she discusses powder at minute 7.

http://www.lisaeldridge.com/vi.....JDDoIpOLCR

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Deb. We do have the usual department stores that carry all kind of brands. Also stores just for makeup, which I never go into because the perfume stink makes me want to heave...

Thanks Eva! It's helpful to look at the picture. Those Revlon Lip Butters look lovely. Revlon doesn't operate in Germany anylonger, but they have the Berry Smoothie available on Amazon. I might try that one.

Lara, that brand doesn't seem to be available here. But I've seen something similar on the Bobbie Brown website.

Thanks Dashielle. Sounds like a good idea in theory, but I think mascara that is light enough might be hard to find. I felt rather lucky to finally find grey mascara instead of black or dark brown recently.

Thanks approprio. I definitely don't want anything permanent, I don't even know yet if I'll like the look. And my hair isn't dyed either. But I can see how that could be an option when you're settled in your look.

Thanks Meredith. I agree, I think experimenting with a drugstore brand would be a good idea to start with. Thanks for the link to the video.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I am a big fan of eyebrow pencil because to my eye it looks more natural than powder. Check the Anastasia pencil below.

I also shape and dye my own brows - which takes a little practice - but it's so easy when you get the hang of it. Have been doing that for 18 years.

I think a strong brow line frames your face. It's like having a strong shoulder line for your face.

My suggestion would be to have your brows shaped and dyed professionally first - and then try to do it yourself after that. Daily brow pencil is a must in my style life.

Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Perfect' Brow Pencil

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

I have rather sparse and light brows, but they do form a decent shape. On CocoLion's suggestion I have taken to using the MAC pencil in Fling -- it's definitely ash friendly. I have tried other pencils, e.g. Clinque blonde -- and that one is too yellowy for me. The Fling doesn't look unnatural at all, I don't think -- on me, it really doesn't show as such - it just darkens the hairs that are there, and that is enough.

I believe that doing one's brows is more important than anything else! I mean for those of us with lighter brows. It is SO face-defining. I will happily go without mascara if need be. But my brow colour is a MUST.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Angie. I don't want to pay to have it done professionally, I also like the shape of my brows as they are. I don't think they need any shaping besides what I've been doing already, I wouldn't look like me with thinner brows. I might give pencils a try then. I guess I just need to get a decent color and make so that it ends up looking natural.

Thanks Suz! I just looked up the MAC Fling and the color looks like it could be a winner. Thanks for the tip. The nearest department store has a MAC counter, so I might ask for a demonstration.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Astrid, your brows are very light. You might want to change their shape when you darken them.

Astrid

Veteran

Angie, maybe you're right. But with the shape as it is you can't really do much besides taking away more and I don't think I want that. I guess I will see how I feel about it once I've used some product.

Anonymous

I'm joining Angie with a definite vote for pencils and for saying that a stronger brow definition adds a fab frame to your eyes... but... I am totally and utterly useless at sharpening ordinary pencils as I always snap off the end in the sharpener! So I always buy a twist up pencil by Clinique : http://www.clinique.co.uk/prod.....-For-Brows It loos as though the lightest shade is called soft blond and looks as though it would be great for you. You need to do little feathery strikes that look like they echo the hairs of your own brows. You can always just do a quick swipe with a brow brush to blur a bit afterwards for a natural look.

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