Top brow filling tips

When it comes to filling in your brows, should you use a pencil or powder? What should you do when you’ve gone a touch too far with plucking? Where do you even start when you want to tint your own brows at home?

Brows can be confusing. And if you mess up…well, it’s not so easy to hide your mistakes. So that’s why we got in touch with Jazz Pampling, brow artist extraordinaire (she’s responsible for model Samantha Harris’ to-die-for brows) to answer a few of the most common eyebrow questions. Not only does she do a seriously good job shaping brows (think natural, striking, and utterly fabulous), she also knows a thing or two about how you can best maintain your brows at home.

Is it better to use a pencil or powder to fill in your brows?

I like both, it really just depends on what you are more comfortable with and the finish you prefer. Powder will give you a softer result; pencil will create a more defined finish. The main thing is to ensure the colour is right for you and that you can use the product. I love MAC Eye Brows pencils as they are easy to use and the colour range is great.

Tip: If you have to cover up a scar that runs through your brow, Jazz suggests using a pencil that’s a shade darker than your brow on the scar as powder isn’t strong enough.

What’s the best way to fill in brows that are a bit sparse?

I work with two colours when I fill the brow. I like to put a lighter colour through the entire brow - the trick is to not be afraid to take the colour right to the edge of the brow, if you only put the colour in the middle of brow you are not defining the brow at all. I then use a slightly darker colour to fill any little gaps.

Tip: Jazz suggests using an angle brush to taper the tail of the brow.

Do you have any tips for plucking your brows at home?

The advice I give to my clients is to not try and create super-defined brows, know when to pull back. Brows don’t grow back easily if you over tweeze them! When tweezing the brow in the middle, try not to make it too wide. The wider your brow is through the middle, the wider your nose can look. Don’t worry about tweezing the top of your brows; there is a lot of room for error if you don’t know what you are doing. The tail should end in line with the end of your nose and the end of your eye socket (picture holding a ruler diagonally from the edge of your nose – by the nostril – up to the outer corner of your eye). So be careful not to shorten your tail.

What's the best way to pick your eyebrow tint if you're doing a DIY job?

Brow hair generally picks up colour quite quickly, so applying colour for brief periods is the best way to get it right. Try starting with the lightest dye you can find. Apply that to the brow for only a minute or so, take it off and assess the colour from there. If it isn’t dark enough, apply it again for 5 minutes. Re-assess again and continue this technique of allowing the colour to process for a little longer, until you get what you are after. If you are still not getting them dark enough with the lighter tint, introduce a darker colour; again repeat the process of a little colour at a time. Better to be safe then sorry I find, because if you go in with a colour too dark, you are stuck with it until it fades.

What words of wisdom do you have for someone who wants to get his or her brows professionally shaped?

Go in with lots of pictures. Start looking at what you like and don’t like. If you can, research the person you are going to see. Visit their website and look at what brows they are creating, all brow artists have a style and you just have to find what works for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you like, if you don’t want certain areas waxed/tweezed let them know that. I always like to listen to my clients and make sure we are on the same page for the shape we are going to create for them.

Visit Jazz’s website here

Do you care for your brows? What’s your biggest brow blunder?