Missing your usual eyebrow tidy-up appointment and unsure how to tackle and tame them yourself? Thankfully Arif Khan, senior pro artist at Space NK is on hand to help. Here is his guide to taming and shaping your brows in less than five minutes…
2 Minutes To Give Them A Quick Tidy With Tweezers
“First things first, start by making your brows look tidy,” Arif says. “Remove any stray hairs between your brows, those above and the ones way below. But, don’t get too carried away.” A lot of us are still recovering from those over-plucked 90s brows, so step back and look again before you tweezer each brow.
30 Seconds To Trim The Tops
“Next, brush your brows upwards and if the hairs look slightly longer in places, carefully trim them. Do this carefully and gradually, so you don’t take too much off.” If you’re a little wary of trimming your brows at home, Surratt Expressioniste Brow Pommade helps to fix unruly hairs in place. Simply brush the gel into brows and then use your usual pencil to fill in any gap.
2 Minutes To Define And Perfect The Shape
Whether you’re using a gel, such as Chantecaille’s Full Brow Perfecting Gel or a pencil (we love Laura Mercier Brow Pencil), filling in any patchiness and giving your brows some subtle definition will make them looked instantly more groomed. If you aren’t sure how to find your brow shape, Arif suggests using the brow mapping technique (below) with a fine tip pencil.
- Hold your pencil from the corner of your nose pointed straight up. This is where your brow should start. Make a small dot here.
- Keep your brow pencil touching the corner of your nose and towards your pupil – that’s where your arch should peak. Mark another dot.
- Then, keep the same touch point on the side of your nose and point the pencil towards the outer corner of the eye. This is where the final point should be and your brows should go no further than this.
- Try not to let your brow tail go lower than the start of your brow as the higher the brow tail the more lifted your eyes will look which in turn means a more youthful look all round. Winner.
And, If You Have A Little More Time…
Eyebrow tinting yourself may be a little daunting but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a great way to achieve more fuller and natural-looking brows with long-lasting results. “Generally, tinted brows will last around 2-3 weeks,” says Arif. Be sure to pick a colour which is in line with your hair colour or perhaps even slightly lighter. If you are fair to medium blonde, then opt for a shade slightly darker however. “For anyone with fine hair, the tint will show you hairs that you thought you never had – just like magic,” he adds.
“My biggest tip is to do a patch test before. Mix up some of the tint and apply a small amount behind the ear or your inner elbow. Wait the full 24 hours to see if a reaction occurs. If not – you’re all good to go.
How To Tint Your Brows
- Mix your brow tint according to the instructions and apply to brows liberally but being careful not to be too messy.
- To apply the tint, use a stiff angled brush such as the Space NK 304 to create your ideal shape using the tinted dye. The synthetic hairs of this brush means it won’t pick up any of the tint and it’s easily washed from the brush.
- Leave on for 5-10 minutes and use this time to clean any areas with a cotton bud or to refine your shape even further.
- Finally, remove with a cotton pad that’s been soaked in warm water and voila – brand new brows.