All About the Brows

Over the last couple of years, brows have become a thing - a real issue. I only really started taking makeup seriously when I was about 16. From my experience, eyebrows were not seen to be that important. If you were lucky enough to have perfectly shaped natural brows, you rocked it. If you didn't, you didn't. It wasn't a big deal.

With the recent advances in technology, social media and fashion and beauty culture, eyebrows are now deemed to be one of the most, if not THE most important facial feature. Everyday I scroll through my Instagram feed, and my eyes are instantly drawn to the brows of every perfectly-posed selfie that pops up. It's got to the point now where people will judge you on your eyebrows, and I don't even know if there's anything we can do about it!

I probably spend 10 minutes perfecting mine during my everyday makeup routine, and I refuse to leave the house unless my brows are done. When I did start making an effort, I struggled to get the correct shape for my face. I didn't really know what products to use to achieve the best look for me. Everyone has different eyebrows - mine are quite dark naturally, but sparse, so I do have to almost create a shape that isn't there.... sometimes you gotta fake it till you make it! I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to pain, so I don't get mine waxed or threaded. If you do have that done though, you're off to a head start!

I'm always complimented on my brows these days, so I thought I would share with you some of the amazing products that are out there. It's definitely a case of trial and error, but you'll get there! There are hundreds of helpful tutorials on Youtube too!

  For everyday affordable brows, I use the Loreal Brow Artiste pencil (available here). This is perfect for a quick brow fixing. I use the wax end first to go over the general shape, and then outline the whole brow lightly with the pencil, leaving the front ends lighter. I then fill in the rest of the brows using a matte brown shadow from Natural Collection in the shade Mocha/Latte (available here). I use an angled brush from Morphe and once again, keep the front section more lightly shaded for a subtle ombre look. To clean up the edges and define the arches, I use a real techniques detailer brush with some concealer from my Louise Young trio.

For an even more perfected look that won't budge, I live for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (available here). It's slightly more pricey than drugstore brands, but still only £15 for the pot which lasts forever as you only need a tiny amount. When I purchased this, I also got the Anastasia duo ended brush (available here). These work perfectly together. I use the spooley to brush my brows into place, and then use a small amount of the gel on the angled side to outline the brow.

 There are a ton of different shades, but depending on how much product you put on the brush, you can achieve a lighter or more dark, dramatic brow.  I use much less product to fill in the inner section.

Although this is more time consuming, I prefer a gel-type product as I can totally reshape my brows. I use my Louise Young concealer again to define and clean up edges.

Sometimes the Dipbrow can make my brows look quite flat, so I make them look fuller and set them with the Loreal Brow Artiste Plumper (available here).

Do let me know if any of you have recommendations for other amazing eyebrow products - I'm open to trying anything! I'm wondering whether to try a lighter brow colour, as I'm gradually making my hair blonder. What do you guys think? I do still love a dark, daring brow!

Hannah x