How To Get The Full And Fluffy Eyebrows From Your Younger Years, According To The Pros
Eyebrows have seen their fair share of trends throughout the years, from the pencil-thin and sky-high brows of the '90's and 2000s to the ultra-carved "brows on fleek" trend of the 2010's and now, in their most lawless form, the bushy brow.
Benefit's global brow expert, Jared Bailey , describes this perfectly imperfect brow as "lived in layers. These brows don't have crisp, defined edges. They are fluffy and full of contrasting colors that embrace a more natural, lush-looking brow."
Bailey has had a front-row seat to the many eyebrow evolutions over the years. He suggested that bushy brows, á la Brooke Shields in the 80s, actually became popular as a kind of opposition to the overly-done days of "baddie-Instagram" yore.
"I think this trend is relevant given the times we're living in. After the last year or two in lockdown, most of us have said goodbye to a full face of makeup and the carved-out 'Instagram brow,'" he said. "We're wearing less makeup and reaching for products that are quick and easy to use, look natural and help our features pop."
Brooke Shields circa 1982 in New York City. Images Press via Getty Images
Brett Freedman , a Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist with a knack for eyebrows, described the key elements to achieving what he called "non-cookie-cutter brows."
"Brow hairs are brushed up and out, so brow gel is a must ― the furrier the better. In the past, a properly tailored brow would be defined, and the brow hairs were pomaded into place and directed toward the temple in line with the top of the brow. Now we want those 'spikes' to break the top brow line," Freedman said.
Bailey recommends product layering as a way to create dimension and realistic volume.
"Layering multiple shades and formulas together is key. Similar to your complexion, when you use one color alone, the result is flat and one-dimensional. The same is true for brows: One color will result in a lifeless look. Always opt for multiple shades, but with the same undertone," Bailey said.
Freedman added that no matter which way you choose to style your brows, they "are the one feature we can change ourselves (without surgery) that can alter our appearance."
"Over the past few years, brows have become the new playground of self-expression. [They] bring balance and proportion to your face and eyes and are fundamental no matter which type of brow look you are leaning into," Bailey said.
Dermatologists have previously told HuffPost that eyebrows do get thinner with age, so if you don't have naturally lush brows, don't fret, because there are some tricks and products that can help create the illusion of volume. Put down the tweezers and keep reading to see what products these makeup artists and brow pros use to get beautifully trendy unkempt brows.
The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.
Amazon
An ink-like pen that creates hyper-realistic hair strokes
Our pick:Though none of our experts suggested this Faux Brow pen by L'Oréal , it's a magic brow stick that I've been using for over a year to fill in the gaps in my brows. What I like most is how this pen accurately mimics hair strokes, creating a very convincing effect that blends imperceptibly with your existing brow hairs — or creates a new brow altogether. In fact, many people with alopecia swear by it.
Part of what makes this product so effective at creating those hair-like strokes is the ultra-fine felt tip, which is two-pronged with slightly different widths on each tip. The reason for this is that, when you look at natural eyebrows, not all hairs are the same thickness, so it really adds to that organic-looking brow.
You also don't have to set the finished product in any way. Once it goes on, the ink-like product dries down almost immediately and stays put. And when I say "stays put," I mean it literally. I can rub harshly, spend hours sweating, I can even run my brows under water, and the delicate hair strokes remain intact, without any smudging or product bleeding into the surrounding skin.
It comes in eight realistic shades.
Glossier
A complete Glossier brow routine
Jane Meng
, a New York-based makeup artist, said brow products like Glossier's Boy Brow eyebrow gel marked the beginnings of the no-fuss brow look. Twelve-odd years later, it's still a popular choice.
This brow essentials set from Glossier
contains their tinted grooming pomade Boy Brow, which fluffs and shapes brows, and their Brow Brow Arch pencil, which has a precision edge for hair-like flicks and a flat edge to fill sparse areas. It comes in nine shade options.
Ulta
An at-home brow tinting kit
For less-defined, lighter, or sparser brows, nearly all of our brow experts recommended tinting to provide a fuller yet natural-looking base. Based on this guidance, we chose Ardell's eyebrow tinting kit , an easy way to tint brows that can last for up to two weeks and comes in four flexible shades.
Benefit Cosmetics
A precision eyebrow pencil that's waterproof
Bailey recommended a technique called brow mapping, which entails identifying a shape that's going to bring balance and proportion to your face.
"Start by finding where your brow should begin by following a straight line up from the dimple of your nose to the front of the brow and make a mark," Bailey said. "Next, find where your brow is naturally at its highest by measuring from the outer edge of the nose across the center of the eye and make a mark. Finally, mark where your brow should end by following a diagonal line from the outside of your nose to the outer corner of your eye. This will show you where your brow should end. After you make the points, connect them by lightly sketching from point to point. Any hair that falls outside of the shape can be removed. The hair that falls inside the shape is what stays."
He uses Benefit's Precisely, My Brow Defining Pencil
to provide ultra-fine strokes that can also be blended out to create a more feathered look. It comes in 12 shades and has a waterproof formula.
Amazon
A castor oil serum for lashes and brows
Makeup artist MJ Bornales suggests applying castor oil to your brows every day. We selected this lash and brow serum , made from cold-pressed castor oil, which is rich in healthy fats and may lubricate the hair shaft and decrease the chance of breakage.
Sephora
A micro-fiber brow gel to make sparse brows look thicker
Benefit's Gimmie Brow tinted and volumizing brow gel
is what Bailey recommends for brows that are not naturally thick, largely because it contains tiny micro-fibers that stick to the hair, creating the illusion of greater thickness.
"Try a stipple-and-sweep technique," Bailey said. "Simply stipple the tip of the wand onto your skin to add the pigment and then sweep the bristles of the wand over that exact spot to create a natural, hair-like texture."
Charlotte Tilbury
A tinted eyebrow gel that won't make brow hairs stiff
When she's working on eyebrows, Meng told HuffPost that she likes to start off using Charlotte Tilbury's Legendary Brows tinted gel
, which contains glossy emollients, conditioning vitamin E, and a natural elasticizing wax that offers a softer hold.
"I apply it up, down, right, and left to grab every little hair possible. I focus on just the hairs to make sure it doesn't transfer to the skin," Meng said.
Sephora
A way to get the laminated brow look
Meng told HuffPost how to get the latest iteration of the bushy brow look: the laminated brow. "I apply a thick layer of the Refy Brow Sculpt and Shape gel
in an upward motion. Using the attached brush or a clean mascara spoolie, I brush it up while pressing against the skin. This gives the glossy, pressed look versus a textured one," Meng said.
Refy's consistency is unique because it's more of a hybrid between a gel and a conditioning wax that's extra effective in keeping hairs in place. Its formula also contains a moisturizing and antioxidant complex.
Amazon
An affordable micro-fine eyebrow pencil
To fill in any sparse gaps after using a brow gel, Meng told HuffPost that she likes to use NYX's Microbrow mechanical pencil to achieve "quick upward strokes to mimic hair." This pencil has an ultra-fine tip for precise application and a slightly waxy formula for longer-lasting wear.
Amazon
A Korean eyebrow "tattoo" pen and powder base
Bornales' favorite way to fill in the gaps is to use something more dimensional, like this inky eyebrow pen by K-Palette . Create a few dark hair strokes over a powdered base. Those with oilier skin may find this stays on longer than more traditional brow pencils.
Ulta
A velvety powder duo to help add depth to your brows
To help create fuller brows, Freedman recommended using "a brow powder that's a touch lighter than your brow hairs. You want a 'shadow of definition,' not a solid fill-in. This will give depth. When you brush your brow hairs up and out with gel (which even clear gel will darken them a touch), you want them to really pop against the 'drop shadow' definition underneath," Freedman said.
Based on his guidance, we chose to include the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow powder
, a dual-colored and is finely milled powder for smooth application and a buildable way to customize your desired degree of fullness.
Amazon
A double-ended tool to brush brows and apply product
Just in in case you don't have a designated tool to apply your brow products, we thought to include this double-sided brush , which has an average of 4.4 stars across 16,200+ ratings on Amazon. The spoolie side can evenly apply waxes, gels, or tints, while the ultra-thin angle brush can apply powders and liners with precise strokes.
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