Next to ” How do you wear red lipstick?” the second most question I’m asked by readers is, “How do you get those amazing eyebrows?” And the answer is, “At the hands of a highly skilled professional!”
Brow maintenance is a highly underrated factor in created a perfectly polished look. But a DIY job is likely to be a DIYD job (that’s Do It Yourself Disaster). There are two things that ever woman (and a lot more men) should have at their disposal – An eyebrow guru and the perfect eyebrow pencil.
As someone who is naturally blessed with eyebrows of Brooke Sheilds follicular proportions, I learnt very early on that keeping them under control would make a break or girl come high school. But it took me some time to find just the right person in which to place my trust for this highly skilled operation.
First, my disaster story. And like all good disasters, this takes place on the eve of my wedding.
As a well organised bride with 24 hours up my sleeve before my Vegas wedding, I made the mistake of visiting a local beauty parlour for a bit of a touch up. I didn’t think that my brows were particularly out of control, but I did want them to be perfect for the next day.
(Aside – I should add here – NEVER have your brows done less than 48 hours before a big event as you’ll sometimes experience redness, swelling or a reaction to waxes that you’d hate to happen just then).
Right, so I showed the technician a photo of how I usually styled them and let myself relax on the table. About ten minutes later she smiles and chirps at me, “All done. Wanna take a look?” Having no inkling of the horror that awaited me I took the mirror from her hand and looked up…and it was a moment right from a Hammer film. I had no eyebrows!!
Okay, so maybe not exactly none, but what I didn’t know was that the trend in Vegas was to shave them off to little more than stubble then pencil them back in again. Oh dear god. I immediately broke out in a cold sweat, grabbed my bag and headed for the nearest department store to try and track down my saviour in pencil form.
Still to this day I hate the close up photos from my wedding because I just don’t look like me. And let that be a lesson; before trying out someone new to wax your brows, first test out their rudimentary skills as a bikini waxer, then ask to see their book of before and after shots. Brow shaping is an art and a science, and more importantly, it is one that EVERYONE will see.
To find the right eyebrow technician, choose someone who has been in the game for a long time. Someone who takes the time to analyse your face shape, as well as your life style (do you generally wear much makeup?), what style you’d like to replicate, (high glam, free spirited, silent film star…) and is able to translate all that information into the correct solution for you.
Just like hairstyling, I also suggest taking along pictures of brow shapes you love so that nothing is lost in translation, but keep in mind that what will work on you will be a version of your ideal.
I personally recommend brow tinting for everyone, not just light blondes; but do remember that tints come in many different shades so if you only see blue black on the technicians swatches, maybe give it a miss!
I don’t recommend getting your brows tattooed, because just like hemlines, the fashion for brow shapes change. And not only that, as your face changes with age, your brow shape can be an instant facelift and you don’t want to rob yourself of that option.
So in the spirit of sharing and caring, I took along my camera yesterday when I went to visit with my own personal Eyebrow Queen, Eileen Harper. Elieen has been looking after me for at least ten years now, and with more years in the beauty industry than I’m sure she’d care to mention, I have the utmost trust and faith in her work.
After a few months of travelling around, I hadn’t been for a touch up in a while. Here’s how things looked before hand..
Okay, they’re not so dreadful that they’ll jump off the page and smoother you, but the could certainly do with some attention and cleaning up.
.
It all looks rather surgical, but that just goes to show what a precise operation it is..
No, this isn’t me screaming in pain, but in fact laughing hysterically at how ridiculous it is to be taking one handed photos of yourself while having your brows waxed. It was very hard to hold still and serious during the ‘operation’ while we shot these.
.
And that’s one side done.
You can see how this is a far more involved and multi stepped process that just lining yourself up in the mirror, tweezers in hand. After both my brows have been shaped, I then have them tinted with some dark brown or blue/black tint. This is especially handy if you don’t want to pencil them in for drama each day, or if your heading off on a swimming holiday. And that’s the salon part done.
For those of you in Melbourne, you can find my own personal Eyebrow Queen at Eileen Harper Beauty Therapy in Canterbury on (03)9836 2294.
The next day, after any redness has subsided, they are ready for the final touch. I almost always pencil my brows for a crisp dramatic frame. Rather than using an actual brow pencil though, I use the Dior Powder Eyebrow pencil in sable. In is much easier to apply than a hard pencil, easier to blend and build to the desired intensity. Using the brush on the end of the pencil, I groom them into shape, then with fine, short feathery strokes, I finish of the shape I want for the day.
And that’s it. Brow perfection!
I’ve always been too scared to get my eyebrows waxed. But they do look so much nicer when they’re done. I might have to bite the bullet.
It’s great to see how it’s done.
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Wonderful post! I really need to do this too. Always been scared – same as Nicole!
This was great Candice! Thanks for sharing : )
I have been insisting for years to all that will listen that old hollywood style eyebrows are a must for any gal. The technique used on your lovely face is exactly how it should be done. I too always insist on a great tint……perhaps u could go darker. LOL . No really your perfect. Thanks for sharing and being a believer in the importance of great set of eyebrows. x
Your eyebrows are indeed perfect! The ‘surgical’ photos are great
I am terrible in that I just pluck mine. Shame I know! Maybe one day I’ll have a go at going to a professional.
Have you ever had threading done? The Vogue forum has a huge thread dedicated to it.
I use Benefit’s Brow-zing for the colour. It’s not too bad but I use the brushes left over from my Chanel kit that eventually ran out. I don’t think they even make that kit anymore which is a shame as it was really good.
Like this but it only had one colour and the wax
http://au.strawberrynet.com/makeup/chanel/le-sourcil-de-chanel/25186/#DETAIL
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Esz: No I’ve never had threading done, it seems so time consuming. And yes, the Benefit Browzing is great too. I haven’t used the wax but I really should try it out.
after having yet another disastrous eyebrow waxing and tinting – I might have to give her a call. Even if it does mean 2.5 hours each way on Public transport!
Mrs. McAwesome recently posted..The Week That Was…
Mrs Mc.Awesome: Well you could always read a lovely book on the way and make it a day out of relaxing for yourself. I’d wager you don’t get too many of those!
You are so beautiful! I’m also a person with natural thick eyebrows and most of the time I have no idea what to do with them. I usually get them waxed 2-3 times a year and keep up the maintenance myself with my own tweezers, seems to work well and after some practice I am noticing I’m getting better. Never got them tinted though, I may try that!
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I don’t suppose Ms. Harper perhaps has clones or protegees in other countries around the world? Ah well, I’ll have to keep up my own search. But…
First test out their rudimentary skills as a bikini waxer
Eeeeek.
Wednesday: Yep.. I once went to a new salon and decided to have a bikini wax before she did my brows. After coming off with 3rd degree burns I knew I’d made a very bad choice, but at least I could deal with the fall out in a more discrete manner! Eeep!
Just gorgeous-she does them beautifully.
I too had a horror eyebrow incident. The lady did them so badly that they were pencil thin, uneven, and my eyebrows were swollen for 4weeks. It has taken me nearly 15years to grow them back to presentable (I have thin hair, and it takes ages for my eyebrows to grow). Thankfully I have found a wonderful girl, Natasha, who does them for me now. She uses a little wax, but mostly plucks, because I get so nervous doing it. I’m comfortable enough with her now that I don’t need to check a mirror constantly. And tinting is a godsend- it picks up all the fine hairs that you normally can’t see. Thanks for sharing the photos-some of them gave me a giggle
Alli: Swollen for 4 weeks?! You must have had an allergic reaction, I’ve had that happen before from the after wax cream that can often have things in it we’re sensitive to. For me that’s tea tree oil, and that’s very common. I can imagine how careful you’d want to be now!
Hi,
I waxed my eyebrows. It was quick, almost unpainfull . The technician told me to stop because at my age is better avoid it, the skin would be flaccid easily . So only tweezers for me.
Debora: Hmm I’ve never heard that.. the skin should always be held taught so it doesn’t stretch out with the wax anyway. But if she’s doing a great job with the tweezers, keep it up.
Hi,
I trained as a beauty therapist and we were told that by our waxing tutor. Repeated eyebrow waxing can loosen the delicate skin of the eye area. Threading is slightly more time consuming but when done by an experienced therapist it does give a beautiful defined finish without the worry of allergic reactions to wax which is a problem that i have( the tea tree one as well!!). I tweeze myself and swear by a good eyebrow tint in the right shade for your skin tone.
Thanks for the great post. I definitely think every girl has an eyebrow horror story, me included. Like a previous commenter, it took mine years to recover and they are still permanently “off” as some of the hair won’t grow back on the inner and outer corners. A brow expert and tinting are a must!
Also, I must say that the quality standard for waxing is generally much higher in Australia than in the U.S. I am (sadly) not surprised that your horror story happened in Vegas.
Lisa: There is SUCH differing levels of service offered here and it seems the more people search for ‘cheap’ alternatives, the worse the offering becomes. People forget that the “peanut & monkeys” rule applies to services like this as well. If you have a good recommendation for somewhere near you, please feel free to post it too.
I love your blog, only you could make getting eyebrows waxed look like fun! XD I’ve been playing with the idea of getting my brows done but short of trimming them with manicure scissors, I’ve never gone for it. After seeing your results, I’m actually considering going for it. ^.^;;
Paige Halsey recently posted..when will my life begin
Paige: Ha Ha! Yep, I couldn’t stop laughing!
Wish I had read this earlier, I got mine done last night and the girl just didn’t stop! I look weird, like I have no eyebrows!
Yours look awesome btw!
Neena recently posted..News Updates Then 2 Polish Reviews!
Neena: Oh No!! Make sure you go and get yourself one of those great pencils and learn how best to use it, that will get you through.
My dear friend, I thought you had forgotten about me. I am so glad to have you back on board.
You are soooooooooooo beautiful
Much love and a wonderful weekend.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sacramento: No, never forgotten!!
What a perfect shape! I love this look and I’m not a fan a lot of the thinly shaped brows that many beauty salons are peddling. If you’re in Sydney and want the natural eyebrow look–but polished and with the natural arch–I would highly recommend Designer Eyebrows by Samantha in Parramatta: http://www.designereyebrows.com.au/. I’ve been seeing her for the past few years, but first I had to grow out my overplucked eyebrows, which was a long process but so worth it.
Pristine: Thanks for the Sydney tip!
How on earth did you take photos of yourself? Incredible!
I might look her up.
My “rainbow eyebrella’s” (rainbow umbrella’s – my eyebrows) named by my 4year old daughter, could definitely use some shaping.
Thanks, Lorri
Lorri: Ah kids huh? They’re so funny! Yes, do look her up, she’s amazing. And yes, I did take them myself. The camera (Panasonic Lumix G2) has an articulated LCD screen that means I can see what I’m shooting.
Personally I haven’t had a really good eyebrow wax once, so I do them myself. At least then I know I didn’t waste any money if they’re not 100% perfect. I actually use hair removal cream for the shape and for the next two days I pluck any hairs that start showing and they’re all good for a couple of weeks. My eyebrows are very fine and sparse so it’s not a big job anyway. I also use a brown eyeshadow to fill mine in as pencils looks to harsh on me.
Yours always look fabulous and I’m always very jealous of anyone with beautifully sculpted brows!
any suggestions of salons over near the westside?