Brow Power
Posted: Wednesday 27 October 2010 09:00am
I’d never given much thought to eyebrows except as more hair to pluck, paint, preen and primp (in my case, very randomly).
Celebrities whose pair literally defined them would interest me: think teen temptress Brooke Shields’ bushy-browed beauty when the ultra-thin, over-arching trend of the 70s still had its iron grip on tweezers. Or Joan Crawford and her terrifying – but much-mimicked – power brows of Hollywood’s halcyon 40s.
But it wasn’t until I witnessed a French farce-worthy exchange at a dinner party a couple of years ago that the power of the brow began to take shape on a personal level.
Throughout the evening a stunning friend had her tablemate absolutely captivated, staring slack-jawed to the point we practically had to wipe drool from his chin.
Finally, over coffee, he summoned the courage. “Gabrielle, I have to tell you something,” he faltered. “You have the most beautiful … eyebrows”.
And so a fine romance ended before it began, not least because, in hysterics, she sprayed a mouthful of espresso over her admirer.
Of all gorgeous Gabrielle’s attributes, to be smitten by her eyebrows seemed very bizarre. At the time. Yet it got me thinking: she did indeed have a particularly impressive pair, of brows. They were a compelling feature of her beauty.
Then when I came to launch Younger You this year, I found myself surrounded by women (colleagues on sister sites Primped, The Knot and homehound) with drop dead gorgeous eyebrows. Like Gabrielle’s dinner companion, I couldn’t stop staring. I couldn’t resist brow power any longer.
And that is how I discovered Lien Davies (left), a brow and make up expert who has turned tweezing into a high art form. My eyebrows will never be lust objects but now they have a discernible shape, they are tidy and they give my face a new balance.
I no longer wake in (as much) fright at the woman returning my stare in the bathroom mirror each morning; the one whose features used to rather resemble those of Picasso’s deconstructed Weeping Woman.
“Many women don’t realise the potential of a well-sculpted brow,” says Lien. “It has the power to completely transform your face from ordinary to amazing. “Well tended brows frame and illuminate the eyes, contour your cheekbones and can even erase years and kilograms off your face. Think surgery-free facelift!
“Thin, unkempt or asymmetrical brows easily detract from a woman’s natural beauty. For example, thin brows make eyes look puffy and tired (hence older) while uneven brows make the overall face look lopsided.”
Lien cautions against following brow “trends” – however much you might admire your favourite celeb’s (for the record, Lien’s personal favourites are Kim Kardashian and Mila Kunis “for their striking, soft angular arched brows. This particular shape flatters most women and it exude confidence and sex appeal”).
“Brows should be shaped to suit an individual’s face shape and beauty style,” she says. “I prefer to maintain a person’s natural brow thickness while tweezing them to perfection. For example, thinner brows flatter a delicate face. For women who are blessed with strong brows, this signature beauty should be treasured.”
Lien uses tweezing and trimming to achieve results – never wax. Before, during and after tweezing, she uses her signature three-point pencil technique to ensure a unique shape the exactly suits each face. Also to identify where the eyebrow should arch – if, like me, your brows are the result of years of home maintenance (I use the term lightly), the arch will be anywhere except where it should.
She recommends investing in professional eyebrow shaping, at least until you have the technique – and the right shape for your face – nailed.
“Besides having an expert look after your brows every four to six weeks, you can maintain them in the interim by filling in sparse or short ones with brow powder or tame them with a clear brow gel. I love using Bobbi Brow Eyeshadow Powder (also used on brows) in Taupe, Sable and Mahogany and Laura Mercier Brow Definer for super definition and long-wear (this is my personal favourite).”
If it’s something you don’t have the time or money for, her videos will give you a good grounding for the DIY experience.
