Your brows are like the "basic white T-shirt" for your face. You can dress them all the way up by copping a defined, Instagram brow, or keep them au naturel with a feathered, bushy look that's popular on the runway. If you're leaning towards the latter, then you've come to the right place. Ahead, we present makeup artist-approved techniques for copping that coveted fluffy brow celebrities and models love:
1. Soap Brows
It sounds a little crazy, but substituting your brow gel for soap can actually give you the fluffy arches of your dreams. We learned this trick from London-based makeup artist Nikki Wolff, but we swear you don't have to be a pro to master it! Here's what you need to do: Spritz some setting spray onto a tin of clear (or tinted) brow soap, and then rub a spoolie brush on the surface of the damp soap. When the brush is covered in product, use it to brush your brow hairs upwards to give them that full, feathered look.
SOAPBROWS Brow Soap and Facial Mist, £19 (approx. P1200), West Barn Co.
2. Brow gel + Brow Pencil
Though eyebrow gel is typically used to set your brows after filling them in, it can also do wonders on its own. Makeup artist Anthea Bueno, for example, loves applying it on bare brows to add texture. "It coats the brow hairs and you can see that you actually have more brow hairs than you thought you did," she explains. For a volumizing effect, opt for a brow gel infused with small fibers like Anthea did in the tutorial below. For a subtler finish, go with a clear brow gel with strong hold.
This technique will help you achieve a more natural-looking arch as well, since you'll find yourself using less product than usual. A brow pencil with a slim tip can help you create thin strokes that resemble real brow hairs in case you still need extra help after that layer of eyebrow gel.
(Skip to 1:30 to see this technique in action!)
TOM FORD Brow Perfecting Pencil, price unavailable; Fiber Brow Gel, price unavailable, Rustan's Makati
3. Eyebrow Powder + Eyebrow Pen
If you don't have a lot of brow hairs to work with, your choice of brow products are crucial when going for a natural look. An eyebrow powder applied using an angled brow brush is one of your best options, because unlike a pencil or a pomade, powders have a softer finish that'll make your strokes more realistic. In case you still find the powder too dark, cop makeup artist Mark Qua's method of spraying some setting mist onto the brow powder, which dilutes the pigment even further. Once that's done, dip your angled brush into the damp powder and lightly fill in your brows with it. For areas that need more definition like the tail of your eyebrows, you can opt for an eyebrow pen for fine yet pigmented strokes.
(Skip to 2:20 and 3:15 to see how Mark does this technique!)
TEVIANT Eyebrow Duo Powder, P995, SM Megamall; MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist & Fix, P700, TriNoma
