An Ode to Brows: And How to Make Them Great

From the plucked-thin pencil brows of the 90s and 00s to the bushy, thick, unibrows of today, the eyebrow deserves a round of applause. An ode to brows: for making and/or breaking a look, and for completing the face. And the best thing is—no matter what’s trending, how you choose to keep and style your brows is completely up to you, and there are so many new ways to do that now. Here’s a concise and comprehensive breakdown on how to get the best brows of your life—or, at least this stage of it.

WAXING VS. PLUCKING VS. THREADING

Though a painful string of words, these are the easiest and most affordable ways to keep your eyebrows groomed and in line. Waxing has its benefits, as it’s quick, cheap, and effective. Waxing will remove unwanted hair from the area and keep it from returning from up to 6 weeks, while also being a process that can be done in a salon or at home for under $10. It can be painful though, and many people with sensitive skin can have adverse reactions to the wax. If that’s a problem for you, threading might be a better option. It’s another hair removal process that typically stays gone for about 2 months. It’s a salon-only process, but usually provides a much cleaner brow and no solutions to react to. Plucking is an old school, at home way to keep your brows groomed—and it’s a lot lower on the pain scale.

PENCIL VS. GEL VS. POMADE

For gentle, natural brows, a pencil will be your best friend. The “woke up like this brow,” as I like to call it, is best achieved with a small pencil and a spoolie or a firm toothbrush (yeah—crazy but great). MAC and pixi make great brow brushes. For a more structured, seamless brow, a pomade like ABH’s classic would be best. Applied with a brush and a steady hand️‍, a perfectly sculpted brow can be achieved to last all day with a pomade. The pencil vs. pomade battle is not one of function, but of style and personal preference. But, to seal off either one of these products, a brow gel is usually necessary to keep your brows in place all day. Try Colourpop in clear, or a tinted shade to match your natural brow color!

WHAT’S MY SHADE?

My personal rule of thumb is to match my brow product to my natural brow color or the root of my hair—these tend to be the same, or extremely similar (and for me they are). Many people prefer to darken their natural brow, and in that case—stay in the same tone (warm/cool/neutral) as your hair. MAC and ColourPop have an extensive shade range for brows—fitting platinum blondes to silvery grays to the reddest of redheads. If you still haven’t found a match, or if you don’t feel comfortable with color just yet, elf makes a clear brow pencil and brow gel.

Good luck in nailing your perfect brow routine—and give them a round of applause for all that your brows do.