Techniques for Keeping Your Brow Game Strong Part 1: Tweezing, Waxing, & Filling
Although tons of beauty and fashion trends from the ‘90s are back in style, the days of overplucked, rail-thin eyebrows are over. Full and defined brows like the ones on Cara Delevingne, Zendaya, Kiernan Shipka, and the Kardashians are in, and techniques such as tweezing, waxing, and filling are just a few methods of transformation. Check out these three techniques below to keep your brow game strong.
Tweezing
Tweezing (or plucking) your brows is one of the most common and simple ways to upkeep your desired shape and get rid of random hairs that grow out of line. Salons tend to offer tweezing services in tandem with waxing, but if you need to tweeze your brows at home in between salon visits, it’s fairly easy to do.
Purchase a pair of tweezers, such as the Tweezerman Slant Tweezer, and brush your brows into place in order to see which stray hairs need plucking. Grip the tweezers and center them around the root of the unwanted hair, squeeze, and then pull out the hair in the direction of growth.
Don’t get tweezer happy! Pluck conservatively and avoid magnifying mirrors, as they tend to make it easier to overtweeze. After you’re finished, ice your brows to reduce redness and swelling.
Waxing
Waxing is a popular, quick, and inexpensive method to shape your brows. Unless you’re well versed in the ways of hot wax (most of us aren’t!), we recommend heading to a salon for a waxing appointment. Show your waxer your desired brow shape with photos, and once you feel confident that your brow dreams are understood, lie down and relax.
Your stylist will apply warm wax with a stick to your eyebrows, smooth it down with a piece of fabric, and pull in the direction of hair growth. Waxing tends to have the longest period of regrowth, so if you have thick or unruly hair, waxing might be the best option for you. However, if you have significantly sensitive skin, you may want to find another method. Waxing usually leaves the skin around the eye temporarily red and irritated. To reduce redness and swelling, apply aloe, ice, or other after-wax treatments.
Filling
In addition to hair removal methods, you can also add shape and definition to your brows using makeup. Adding makeup to give your eyebrows a bolder look or simply to even them out is called filling your brows.
Fill in the sparse sections with brow powder, add definition with pomade, or outline the shape of your arches and ends with an eyebrow pencil. Comb them out using a small, clean spool brush, or use a brow gel similar to mascara.
Brands such as Anastasia Beverly Hills and Glossier have skyrocketed to popularity for having brow products with rave reviews that make it easier than ever to get Instagram-worthy eyebrows at home, including Anastasia Beverly Hills’ DIPBROW® Pomade and Glossier’s Boy Brow.
Next month, we’ll cover alternative methods of brow shaping, such as threading, microblading, and tinting. Whichever method is your go-to for shaping and defining your eyebrows, do your research and never be afraid to ask questions before getting them done.
Pinup Salon offers brow shaping services, and we would love for you to set up a consultation or appointment today!