Poor Catherine Cambridge. Out she stepped recently, sporting thicker, stronger, darker eyebrows — only to be told that they have aged her. Yes, even the duchess can fall prey to the trickiest of beauty issues: the overdone brow. A tiny change can make a monumental difference to your overall appearance, and with one survey suggesting that the average British woman spends £200 a year on eyebrow care, it’s clear we are realising the power of the brow. So what went wrong for her?
“It looks like she has been too heavy-handed with product, and also removed too much off the ends,” says Nilam Holmes-Patel, the founder of the beauty brand High Definition. The brow expert Tracie Giles wonders if the duchess has been too influenced by the current catwalk trend for bushy brows: “She needs to remember that one look doesn’t suit all, and a heavy brow isn’t for everyone.” Meanwhile, if Mac’s artistic director, Terry Barber, had a chance to chat to the duchess before her brow boo-boo, he would have told her that, these days, it’s more about building texture than creating a block shape.
If you’ve gone too heavy with the brows, don’t despair. “You need to step away from the tweezers and let them grow out. The cycle of your hair growth is from 8 to 13 weeks, so you’ll need to be patient,” says Shavata Singh, the founder of Shavata Brow Studio. In the meantime, you can apply a brow conditioner such as RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum (£37) twice a day, and go easy on the colour. Barber also recommends a brow comb (£4.50, Boots) to break up harsh, flat colour. “It will give a softer, more subtle finish,” he says.
Your brows are also a key anti-ageing tool. “Getting it right can turn back the clock and rejuvenate the face,” Giles says. Benefit’s head make-up artist, Lisa Potter-Dixon, adds: “If your brows start in the right place, your nose can look smaller. Perfect arches can have an eye-opening effect, and symmetrical ends give your cheekbones a good lift.” So, here’s your foolproof, root-to-tip tutorial on all you need to know before you break open the brow powder.
Newbies, start here
First things first: book in to see a professional for advice on shape, colour, style and maintenance. The Shavata, Blink and Benefit brow bars all offer free consultations. When it comes to DIY, “Stick to a silhouette that’s as close to your natural shape as possible, and fill in the gaps rather than adding product to the whole brow,” says Holmes-Patel. Even better, opt for a clear brush-on gel such as Mac Brow Set (£14). “Brushing hairs up and out opens up your whole face,” says Barber.
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Shading: the new brow buzzword
“Lots of my clients are asking for a softer, textured brow that almost looks undone,” Holmes-Patel says. Think of it as shading, rather than colouring in. Barber suggests Mac’s new Big Brow Pencil (£16), as it offers less pigment and more wax. “We were seeing too much excess product on the skin rather than on the hairs. These crayons deliver semi-colour rather than an opaque finish.”
Overpluckers, we’re talking to you
If you’re trying to bounce back from the overzealous tweezing of your teenage years, apply RevitaBrow Advanced (£91) daily to help strengthen damaged hairs and nourish the surrounding area. Otherwise, opt for a tint: the Shavata Brow Studio has seen a 20% increase in tint bookings in recent months. It darkens even the finest, lightest hair. If you’re up for a longer-lasting treatment, try Giles’s Nano Needle Brow Mapping System (from £495, traciegiles.co.uk). She plans the perfect brow with a pencil, applies an anaesthetic gel and uses nano-needles to achieve natural, groomed symmetry that lasts for up to 18 months.
Try these
The wand L’Oréal Paris Brow Artist Sculpt, £10. Use the cone-shaped point for shaping arches, then fill in with the nifty brush. The crayon Mac Big Brow Pencil, £16. Your go-to for a soft-focus, subtle finish. The corrector Blink Brow Bar Brow Corrector, £17. This marker corrects smudges for a flawless line. The tool Billion Dollar Brows Brow Buddy Kit, £22. This takes the guesswork out of getting a symmetrical finish.
