[sidebar]Eyebrow Color
Generally, you should match the exact color of the eyebrows rather than your hair color or a color you think would look better than what already exists. You don’t want to see a difference between the eyebrow hairs and the shadow or gel used to fill them in. However, if you have pale eyebrows and want to darken the eyebrow color, use a soft shade of brown that is as close to your eyebrows’ natural color as possible. If you have red hair and brown eyebrows, using a red pencil or red-brown powder will look unnatural; just stick with brown. If you have blonde eyebrows, you could use a slightly darker blonde or taupe color on your eyebrows to make them visible. For those with well-shaped, naturally full eyebrows, a clear eyebrow gel is a great option for lightly grooming the eyebrows without adding any color. You can also spritz some hair spray on an old toothbrush and comb through your eyebrows, or add a dab of nonsticky styling gel to keep unruly eyebrow hairs in place. [pagebreak]
Eyebrow products and application
Powder eyebrow colors or eyeshadows used to fill in the brow should be applied using a soft-textured powder (either an eyeshadow or a powder designed for the brow; both work great) that matches the brow color exactly and a soft wedge brush or a tiny eyeliner brush. Follow the basic shape of the brow. Fill in only at the front or underneath the eyebrow, or through the eyebrow itself. Avoid drawing on color above the eyebrow. For a softer look, brush through the eyebrows using a clean, old toothbrush. Eyebrow pencils: These are a perennial option, but be careful when deciding which one to use. Eyebrow pencils can produce a greasy, hard look and mat the eyebrow hair, and too often you end up looking like you live in another decade. If you are presently penciling your eyebrows, seriously consider changing to powder. If penciling doesn’t look absolutely natural, don’t do it. Many makeup artists use both pencil and powder to create natural-looking brows for women with little or no eyebrow hair, and this can be a great alternative. This way you can get the control and delineation of a pencil, and then soften and shade the effect with a powder. If you decide to try this, look for eyebrow pencils that have a firm but smooth texture and slightly powdery finish. Avoid using any eyebrow pencil that is painful or that applies color too dramatically or thickly. Application: To apply the powdered brow color or brow pencil, brush the eyebrow up with an old toothbrush and then apply the color with an angled wedge brush, filling in the shape of the eyebrow between the hairs where needed. If your eyebrows are set high, away from the eye area, and you want to reshape them, place the color directly under the eyebrow. The closer the eyebrow is to the eye area (meaning the height from the eyebrow to the lid or eyelashes is small), the more you should fill in the color in the existing eyebrow itself rather than shading just below the brow. As much as possible, work only with the hair that is there. The idea is to shade rather than draw on eyebrows. Do not place your eyebrow color, whether it is pencil or powder, more than one-quarter inch away from where the natural hair growth stops. It simply looks fake and accentuates the fact that there is no brow there in the first place! Colored eyebrow gels: These are a fairly recent development and a good option for making the most of sparse, light-colored eyebrows or for giving a thicker look to most other eyebrows. These eyebrow products look like mascara but they have a much lighter consistency. Application: Apply the color through the eyebrow in much the same fashion as you apply mascara to the eyelashes. Brush the wand through your eyebrows, being careful not to get the product on the forehead or other areas of the skin and not to leave the eyebrows standing straight up. Excerpted from The Complete Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty by Paula Begoun. More from Prevention: Are Your Eyebrows Aging You?
