Thick, strong, and deeply-coloured, brows are taking centre stage on your face this fall. Dark and lush on the runways at Gucci, Stella McCartney and Max Azria. At Oscar de la Renta and Jean Paul Gaultier, the brows were full, yet tidy (
view our favourite bold brows here). Getting this dramatic look is easy—just get ready to spend some time apart from your tweezers.

Grooming

The first step to achieving a perfect pair of bold arches is to get your grooming habits in check. “If you’re maintaining a full brow, then maintenance would be the same as your usual appointments, 4-6 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows,” says Denis Translado, resident brow trainer at Lure Salon in Vancouver. In between appointments, put down that tweezer! Only clean up hairs that are obviously out of place or it may affect the shape your brow designer has created for you. When it comes to removal, Translado prefers tweezing, since there is less aggravation to the skin. “Waxing can cause sagginess in the delicate eye area,” explains Translado. Who says waxing can cause burns, bacterial infections or rashes, if not done by a trained professional.

Create It

Once you’ve got your brow shape, it’s all about shading in your arches using the right
brow products and application techniques. First, determine what shade of pencil or powder works with your brows. Blonds should veer towards colours that have more of an ashier tone, while brunettes can get away with going a little darker than their natural brow colour, especially if you want to create a really prominent brow, says Ashley Manias, National Training Manager for Benefit Cosmetics. “Something a shade darker than your hair isn’t a bad thing,” admits Manias. When it comes to what makeup you should use, Manias finds women tend to be fearful of the pencil, but don’t be! It actually works well with powder. A waxy pencil, like Benefit’s Insta Brow Pencil, $25, is great for filling in sparse areas. “The wax will keep unruly brows from sticking up,” says Manias. And it also helps the powder adhere to the skin. Use thin-like brush strokes, then shade in brows with the powder. A spooly brush (a spiral brush for brows) can then be used to help blend and prevent it from looking like you’ve drawn your brows in. “Finish with a clear brow gel to help keep brows in place,” says Translado.


Thin brows? Fake a fuller look with our expert tips on the next page …

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Fake it

Don’t have thick, lush brows, but want to get the look in time for fall? Adding fullness to thin brows can be tricky. “Match the brow makeup to your eyebrow’s natural colour,” says Jane McKay, M.A.C. Cosmetics Senior Artist. “Although if you colour your hair, feel free to match with that shade.” Since most people’s natural brows are not all one colour, two pencils of varying degrees of darkness can help create the appearance of natural looking hairs. When using the pencil to fill in the sparse areas, going just outside of your natural line can help increase the thickness. Remember to blend well and use quick, brush-like strokes. “For a full look, apply an eye shadow using a brush that fills in the brow with a smudged in appearance versus linear and crisp,” suggests McKay. “I use a #214 Short Shader brush.” If you have unruly hairs that need to be tamed, set them with a gel or clear mascara and voilà!


Read more:

The best bold brow product essentials

Our favourite bold brow looks from the runways

Fall 2011 beauty trend report: 8 hot looks