Right, you can’t say I haven’t given you everything you need to get your natural brows looking fleeky AF. What with How to Grow Show Stopping Brows as your baseline, giving you actual magic which will grow hairs on your face, right through to The Science of Perfect Brows which hits you square in the face with the two main trends for brow shape, and how to determine the shape for your own face – you’re pretty well looked after Voyeurs.
Assuming you’ve read and acted, here’s a guide to what’s hot, and what’s definitely not, in the world of brow maintenance. Now as you know 2017 was the year that brows were compounded as a whole separate area of the beauty market. From waxes and transfers to stencils and pencils, the beauty shelves were awash with products claiming to give your brows added zing. But they aren’t cheap, and it’s a marketplace that’s difficult to navigate when every product claims to be amazing. so, you’ve put in the work, you’re sporting a bushy set of Fashion Brows. What now? Well a lot of those products, you don’t actually need and you’d be better off keeping that hard earned cash where it belongs – in your wardrobe.
Well, my baseline is always a brow tint. Go to a professional and ask them to use the HD Tint in a shade that’s just slightly darker than your natural brow colour. I use The Wax Bar in Newcastle but most beauty salons are au fait in tinting brows. When I’m done I ask them to take the excess off and leave whatever else behind which I remove myself at home. This makes a tint last a full fortnight but on the flipside you look like a crazy person and therefore must go immediately home from the salon and never, ever look anyone in the eye on the way home.
So, home use products for brows, it’s a literal minefield but here is everything you need to keep your brows in check and one to steer well clear of…
NOUVEAU LASHES CONDITIONING SERUM £19.99
Nouveau’s super conditioning Lash Serum is a staple beauty product. I have two tubes on the go at all times, one for lashes and one for brows, whilst Nouveau do produce a specific Brow Serum in a purple tube, don’t bother with it and opt for this one instead. When I’ve washed my face, toned, moisturised and my Lumigan has dried, I coat my lashes in this. It makes them look thick, lustrous and glossy and sets them in shape ready to be pencilled in. It’s super gentle and not at all sticky so there’s no risk of ending up with makeup stuck in your brows with this product.
TOM FORD BROW SCULPTOR £36
This cult brow shader is at the more expensive end of the scale when you consider that you can pick up a brow pencil at The Body Shop for just £7. Stop buying other brow pencils, this is the real deal and will change your brow game forever. Made of wax and sculpted into a blade shape, you can reach the areas under the hairs with ease and there are no tell tale signs or powdery finish like you get with some brow products. It has a built in blade rake style sharpener and a brow brush too making it a brow powerhouse. I’m going to make a bold statement here and say this one is even better than Anastasia Beverley Hills Voyeurs. Yes really. Once you try it you’ll never buy another brow pencil again, I have three; one in my car, one in my handbag and one in my bathroom. It’s worth every penny.
MAYBELLINE TATTOO BROW
Maybelline Tattoo Brow is just awful. The premise is that it’s a super temporary tinting product you apply at home, the reality is somewhat different. It’s messy, difficult to remove and tears out precious brow hair with it. That’s not even the worst part, the tint is on a red base meaning that it’s inevitable that at some point between applying the product and the tint fading some two to three days later, you will end up with ginger eyebrows and surrounding skin. Which might be fine for red heads but for everyone else it means spending three days inside or wearing a balaclava. This is a no go and for £12.99 it’s an expensive way of ruining your face framers. I was horrified after using this on myself and almost resorted to a Sharpie. Yes Voyeurs, a fucking Sharpie. Avoid, and Maybelline if you’re reading this, do better.
Pixie xo