Unexpected hair inspiration

L'Abeille

Julianne Moore in Hunger Games: Mockingjay (1)! If you haven't seen it yet... she plays the president of a militarized district (so everyone is in baggy grey jumpsuits). And she has the most stunning, straight, just-below-shoulder length grey hair. I was floored when I saw it.

I had been thinking, I might get a trim on my (straight, grey) angled long bob over the holidays--it has just got past the awkward stage of breaking on my shoulders... but this engineered a change in plans. I am going to let it get a little longer instead. That's always a bonus in winter, because of the climate control factor: down around my neck is very warm and insulating (good for commutes before the car warms up), and up in a pony or bun lets me cool down fast. Also probably a good idea since I seem to have started hot flashes and I don't know how bad they might get...

Instead, I decided I am going to get my eyebrows back. They were always one of my more prominent features, but they almost faded off my face as I got more grey in my hair. I didn't miss them so much at first, because I started wearing glasses around the same time and I find that striking dark frames bring back the contrast my face demands. But still...

So when my daughters were home for the holidays and wanted to go to Sephora, I had someone give me an eyebrow tutorial and bought a (not cheap) pencil. So far I have been good about using it every day right after the moisturizer. It's funny, when I first had them done I felt like an emoticon--like suddenly all my emotions were visible on my face. Now when I look in the mirror after doing them I don't notice anything, because my face looks the way it should.

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9 years ago

Inspiration

13 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Anonymous

Julianne Moore looks very striking. Could be a fab look for you. I'm with you on the hair keeping your neck warm. I love how mine does that too. And then instant cooling when tied up! Great job on eyebrow emphasis too. I'm a firm believer in them framing the eyes.

9 years ago

Sheila

Veteran

My hair has this high contrast streak in the front as well. When I grew out my hair a two years ago I really wanted white curly hair.... and I ended up with a white streak in the front only.... It was exactly what I did NOT want. But I have grown to like it over time.... it was nice to see J. Moore with her hair... but I like her better with her red still.

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9 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Ah, yes, the eyebrow pencil--a senior woman's best friend! I never could figure out why anyone would bother with the thing until I hit my early 60s and found it made such a huge difference to my overall look. I think it's because the fading is so gradual, unlike finding gray hairs on one's head, that disappearing eyebrows are off most people's radar.

My make-up stylist recommended a pencil and a spiral brush over powder so I could control where and how much I filled in the color. She also recommended going lighter with the shade instead of trying to stay within my "normal" color. My brows were always quite dark, but my pencil is a dark blond shade. I was afraid of ending up with Joan Crawford, emoticon brows, but as long as I stay with the dark blonde/light brown range, the effect is quite natural and very flattering.

9 years ago

deb

Veteran

I like the hair idea and totally understand the eyebrow situation. I have always had very blond hair with very dark brows. I am finally getting white hair on my head that is really not noticeable but the white hair in my brows is a different story. Not sure how I will address this in the future because the pencil does not cover that well.

9 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

Funny--for at least 2 decades I grew more white hairs in my eyebrows and I mostly plucked them. Now I'm letting my hair grow out gray (or whatever color it is with blonde highlights) my eyebrows all come in dark. I do use a little pencil on them when I want to be quite dressed up. Who knows what comes next.

9 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I am a FIRM believer in dramatic brows at any age because they frame the face. GO FOR IT.

L'abeille, are you South African?

9 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That looks like a great cut, L'Abeille. And I am a firm supporter of eyebrow pencil, too! My brows have always been light and sparse but I really love my MAC pencil for filling them in!

Sheila, you are so pretty!! I love your hair colour.

9 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

How exciting! Terrific insight on the hair. And it's great to hear you are enjoying having your eyebrows back. I went for a brow makeover several years ago and felt it made a huge difference in my appearance, too. I use the Anastasia kit to do them every day.
Sheila, you are stunning!

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9 years ago

Sheila

Veteran

Now that my hair is white around my face I had problems with my regular brow pencil look almost red. I went thru a series of products and ended up with Clinique Power in Charcoaled. There is also a good Lise Watier product that is very cool as well .
I still have a fair bit of white in one of them and use a taupey Elf mascara like concoction. I also have a Jane Iredale brow mascara but that is too red. Paula's products are borderline - her Sable Eyebrow mascara I use once in a while. I know this picture looks crazy but last year I was in an eyebrow crisis and basically tried everything to get rid of the red. These are some of my swatches.
BTW : Thank you Suz and Firecracker... it is funny as I had dyed my hair for years and had no idea what color it was. I always thought I was blonde ! Apparently not, ha !
Good luck L'Abeille !

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9 years ago

tulle

Veteran

Thanks, Sheila, for the brow color tips--it can be very difficult to find pencils that don't skew too brown. I have found that mixing strokes from a taupe pencil and a gray one looks most natural on me right now. I've always had strong brows several shades darker than my ash blonde hair, and took them for granted until I turned 60. Now, a couple of touches with the pencils in strategic places makes me look like myself again. As Angie said, eyebrows do so much to frame the face. By the way, your pewter hair is incredibly glamorous!

Good luck with your hair inspiration, Abeille! J.M. did look very striking in that film, and I'm sure you will, too.

9 years ago

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

Another vote for "doing" the brows. Mine haven't gone grey yet, but they ARE thinning (and not due to over plucking!) so I have been filling in for some time. I recently splurged on the Anastasia brow stencil kit and I wouldn't do it again. For $20, only one of the 5/6 (can't remember) templates even comes close to fitting in length, much less shape. I'm using the small one and adjusting it over once half the brow is done...the benefit (however costly) is that my brows are quite asymmetrical, and although I appreciate that all faces are asymmetrical, it was becoming obvious. Now at least I fill in the same amount on both sides! I use an angled eyebrow brush that has a "spoolie" on the other end (for brushing) and either gel, powder or pencil, depending on the mood. I've thought about trying one of the over the counter brow re-growth options, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Good luck on finding your perfect option!

9 years ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

Thanks all for the support and encouragement!

I am using a taupe pencil with a spiral brush on the other end. As I recall, it was the only light-coloured non blonde option in the Sephora store, but it seems to work fine. (I had the demo make up one brow with that and the other with an ash brown, which everyone agreed was too dark.) Unlike putting on mascara which is a disaster in multiple dimensions, applying this is easy, as I can do it with my glasses on and thus see what I'm doing.

Angie, I am Canadian, but I lived in South Africa for 8 years (most of it in Cape Town). IE, long enough to become addicted to the local treats (melktert! Cape seed loaf!) but not long enough to master making them myself. My 2 youngest were born there and the 2 eldest have been back for visits already--one even went to UCT for her Masters.

9 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

WOW. L'abeille. I had no idea. Then you get that Cape Town - the Atlantic sea board in particular - is THE most naturally beautiful place in the world. Nothing seems to come close in my mind, and I've been very fortunate to travel the world. Greg is Capetonian - he has a gorgeous accent. Although I grew up in British Hong Kong and am Dutch, we both went to UCT. THE MOST STUNNING CAMPUS in my book. Cecil John Rhodes did a good job picking that location. Greg's parents are also Capetonian, but they moved to KZN a few years ago. We just visited them and I had Cape seed loaf with lots of butter, which was delicious. What brought you to SA?

Have you ever thought of dying your lashes and brows? You might like that effect too.

9 years ago

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