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Lazy Beauty: How To Shape Eyebrows at Home
There are those weeks, you know, between your brow threading/waxing/shaping appointments where your brows are almost ready for a clean-up… but not quite. Brow shaping at home is easy… if you know what you’re doing. Consider this the lazy girl’s guide on how to shape eyebrows at home. Some of these tips may be unconventional but I’ve found this is what works best for me (and my lazy beauty habits).
First, don’t use a magnifying mirror. Super close-ups of your brows may lead you to over-plucking. This may sound crazy but I actually prefer plucking my brows in my car. It’s the natural lighting I tell ya. If plucking brows in your car isn’t your thing, use a mirror in a well-lit room in your house.
Ditch the pencil trick when it comes to determining your ideal shape and use Anastasia Beverly Hills “The Golden Ratio” technique. Instead of trying to measure the angle of your brows, these stencils shows you your ideal shape by allowing most of your natural brow hair through the cut out without leaving too much skin exposed. Then you’ll know to only remove the hairs that fall above or below your stencil. I use these stencils all the time and it saves me so much time and anxiety as opposed to holding up a pencil and measuring.
With a spoolie brush, brush eyebrow hairs upward. Trim any tiny hairs that are longer than usual.
If you have a low threshold for pain, I highly suggest tweezing after you shower and AFTER your period is over. Tweezing can be painful right before Aunt Dot comes to visit and tweezing post-shower opens up follicles so it’s easier to remove unwanted strays. Also, make sure you grab the right kind of tweezers. Sharp, slanted tweezers will grab those stray hairs and won’t pinch your skin.
Fill in sparse spots with a pencil, tinted fiber gel or powder. Set your refreshed brows with a clear gel. This will also prevent smudging. You can check out my post on my favorite brow tools and products here for recommendations.
Check out previous posts in my What About Brows series here.
Have a question about brows? Need some help on deciding on a brow product? Tweet me @politics_pretty #whataboutbrows
Ask Kara: Your Brow Questions Raised (and Answered)
Which is better: waxing or tweezing?
This is a loaded question but here it goes… it really depends on your skin type and preference. If you have coarse brow hair, waxing is the best option because brow hair will grow back thinner and softer (typically waxing only warrants a trip to the salon every 4-6 weeks). If you have sensitive skin, I’d say ditch waxing and tweezing and book yourself a threading appointment. Threading uses a string to remove hair so it’s more delicate on your skin and won’t lead to irritation like waxing does. Tweezing is ideal for anyone that needs to get rid of pesky strays every now and then. Just keep in mind you don’t want to over pluck.
My eyebrows have no arch. How can I fix this? Help!
Arches are crucial to a bold brow. I may not be the fairy godmother of eyebrows but here’s a quick-tip to creating the illusion of one: Brush brows up and angle them out with a spoolie brush (like Anastasia’s Brow Wiz). Then apply a brow lifting highlighter (my favorite is Benefit High Brow Glow) under the outer half of your brow.
Is it safe to tint your brows?
I’ve actually never tinted my brows (though I have tried lash tinting… and loved it!) but as long as it’s done by a highly experienced brow aesthetician, it’s worth trying. Tinting your brows can give you a thicker style and even a more youthful appearance. Brow dye can be customized to any color you want and they usually last about 4-6 weeks. Happy brow tinting!
What tools should I keep at home for eyebrow maintenance?
In terms of essentials, I’d recommend a white eye pencil to mark boundaries of your brows when you’re shaping at home, a pair of tweezers, a brow pencil or gel fiber to fill sparse areas, and a spoolie brush. You can check out more of my favorite brow products here.
Who are your favorite brow beauty muses?
Right now I’m obsessed with Lilly Collins, Rooney Mara, Cara Delevingne, Camilla Belle, and Emma Watson’s brows. You can check out more of my brow inspiration on my Pinterest board here.
Image via Pinterest
Have a question about brows? Tweet me @politics_pretty #whataboutbrows
Tools of the Trade: The Best Brow Products
In the second installment of my What About Brows series this post is all about shopping and selecting the best brow products and tools for your busy/expensive or inexpensive/crazy lifestyle. Before we can dive in to topics like, how to shape your brows at home, waxing versus threading, etc. etc., I thought it would be best to break down the best pencils, powders, gels, and tools. I rounded up the best brow products for every personality, every hairy situation, every budget, etc. Just call me the Goldilocks of brow worthy products. ; )
Continue reading “Tools of the Trade: The Best Brow Products”
20 Things You Didn’t Know About Brows
I’m thrilled to debut a brand new mini series on the blog: What About Brows? Sometimes I forget about my brows. I mean, can you blame me? I have bangs. Poor little brows, I’ve neglected them for so long but now it’s time for me to go where my brows have never gone before (OK— not ever, more like… not in a while)… the wonderful world of tweezers, waxing, threading, pencils and gels and more brow worthy products. Over the next several weeks, I’m on a mission to try every brow service out there, every brow raising product and everything else in between. But first, 20 things you didn’t know about brows.
