I often get complimented on my eyebrows and am asked how I do them every morning. I like to think that my eyebrows are one of my best features and I think you should always accentuate your best features. However, I definitely don't wake up with them looking perfect. Through a lot of trial and error, I've learned what works and what doesn't for getting that thick, full texture that is very popular right now. Here are my 5 tips for achieving thicker and fuller eyebrows!
1. Groom them.
I really can't say this enough- the first step to better looking eyebrows is grooming them regularly. If you are trying to get thicker eyebrows this may be the last thing you want to do, but believe me, it will help you more than you think. I get mine waxed every 4-6 weeks and I tweeze the strays every 1-2 weeks. Usually by the time the 4-6 week mark rolls around, it is very evident that they need to be waxed. Even if you are trying to grow them out and get them thicker, you still want them to look clean and shaped. With that said, do not get them waxed at Fantastic Sam's or Great Clips- just DON'T. They will not give you the results you want. I probably went to 10 different salons/spas before I found an eyebrow lady I love, because I'm that picky. But it really is important that you trust the person who is doing your brows and that they have an understanding of what you expect from them.
2. Let them grow.
I know I just said to groom them regularly, but it is possible to keep them clean and let them grow at the same time. As a teenager, I had really thick eyebrows but as I got older they started thinning out. especially after a few terrible over-plucking incidences. At one point I realized how thin they had become and I wanted to figure out how to grow them out again. I found out that the key is a lot of patience- just letting them grow. You can still clean up the strays so you don't look homeless, but the best way to get thick eyebrows is to let them fill in on their own.
3. Use an eyebrow gel.
One thing that we may not realize about eyebrows is that they are close cousins, not sisters. Eyebrows just don't naturally match and they never will. Of course there are the people who have beautiful, perfect, identical eyebrows but those people are definitely the exception! As you're trying to grow out your eyebrows and thicken them, eyebrow gel will be your best friend. It looks like a bottle of clear mascara and can be found at pretty much any beauty of drugstore. My eyebrows have a mind of their own and like to do whatever they want to, so as I was growing my eyebrows out, there were often pieces that stuck up or just looked out of place. Eyebrow gel won't actually thicken your eyebrows or make your hair grow, but it will hold those pieces in place and help tame them. My favorite is the Ardell Sculpting Gel.
4. Fill them in.
This is possibly the most popular way to get thicker eyebrows right now... I mean it's like pure magic. Filling your eyebrows in can completely transform them and make them look thicker & fuller. However, there are definitely good and bad ways to do it.
-You should always follow the natural shape of your eyebrow. If you color outside the lines, people will know.
-Make sure you match your color closely and do not go too dark- I see this mistake happen all the time. People use too dark of a color on their brows and you can totally tell. I think the key to filling in your eyebrows is so that they look natural and people can't tell what your secret is!
-Always clean them up after with a q-tip. No one's eyebrows are perfectly square, and cleaning up the edges with a q-tip will give you the natural look you want.
I've used several eyebrow pencils/crayons and the one I like the most is the Clinique Instant Lift for Brows. This is more of thin crayon than a pencil and it works great. It also comes in a wide range of shades for those with light and dark hair.
5. Use a mascara wand. This thing is seriously like a secret weapon. I buy my eyebrow pencil at the Clinique booth at Dillard's and they give me these wands for free every time I go in. They are basically a small mascara wand- but they're clean and dry. They work better than an eyebrow brush, in my opinion- to smooth out your brows and shape them. Here's a tip: once you put on gel and fill in your eyebrows, use the wand to make sure every hair is in place where you want it. When you have the thick shape you desire, spray a bit of hairspray over the wand. Then run that over your brows and outline the edges and your brows will stay put all day!
These are the best tips that I have found that work for me, but everyone is different. There are so many products on the market for eyebrows now and so I'm sure there are many that work. I encourage you to try these out and see what works best for you! Below are all the products that I've mentioned in case you'd like to try them.
What do you do for your eyebrow routine?