Brow how

Move over red lippy. The new accessory around town is big, strong brows. But before you dismiss this trend as just a fad, remember “a well-manicured brow frames the face and opens the eyes,” says Sydney-based brow guru Ilona Sophie from Gallo Hair.

But if you don’t know your arch from your elbow, don’t be flummoxed. bh quizzed Ilona to get the lowdown…

How do you decide the perfect shape to suit your face?
Start with a professional brow consultation to work out the best shape for your face. Your eyebrow specialist will determine a shape to suit your individual features, including bone structure, the shape of your eyes and density of the hair.

Any tips for achieving the perfect arch?

What do you recommend: plucking or waxing?
Waxing cleans up the stray hairs and will give the brow a much cleaner line, however tweezing will define the overall shape, so the two really go hand in hand.

How often should we pluck?
I suggest seeing a pro at least four to five times a year. But when you’re maintaining your brows, it’s better to sit down on the same day each week and clean up the regrowth. This way all the hairs that need to be tweezed out will be about the same length and therefore, easier to spot.

What’s a quick fix if we’ve over-plucked?
Leave the hairs to grow back as much as possible. In the meantime, hide those tweezers and grab a pencil. Lightly filling in your eyebrows will help them to appear fuller. You just want to shade in the skin where the hair should be.

How do we keep stray hairs in place?
You’ll need a brow brush/comb with shorter, thick bristles. Brushing the hairs in an upward and outward motion every time you apply your make-up will help train your brows to stay in place and keep them looking tidy.

Is trimming ok?
Avoid trimming completely; when you cut the hair, the edge becomes blunt and doesn’t stay in place as an uncut hair would.

Is a brow pencil necessary?
Almost every woman needs to fill in her brows as part of her beauty routine. When done correctly, filling in the brows will give definition and fullness, without looking unnatural. Always use a dry pencil, one that doesn’t have a wax-base and won’t smudge once it has been applied. You can test this by drawing a line on the back of your hand, and running your index finger over it. If the colour doesn’t smear, you know it will last all day.

What colour do you suggest?
For light hair, use blonde and taupe shades. Medium to dark brown hair demands tawny or brown shades. And black hair or dark complexions suit grey shades.

What can we do if grey has started to set in? Are there any products out there to help?
If you have an odd grey hair or two, tweezing them out won’t cause any harm. However, if you’re finding more and more grey hairs sprouting throughout the brows, there are a few options available. Some eyebrow powders can help. If not, depending on the colour of your head hair, a brow specialist can lift the brow colour by a few shades and put a warmer colour back in using a natural dye, which will cover the grey hairs.