Three out of every five women I know, myself included, had that high school phase where eyebrow plucking seemed like the greatest thing since lip liner and hairspray. For some of us, that trend left lasting impressions on our faces.
“Eyebrows should never be trendy,” says eyebrow expert Jill Markowicz, who owns Trompe L’oeil Cosmetiques makeup studio in Newport Beach (949.675.2024). “If you make a mistake, they may not grow back.”
But as we all know, the need to fit in is a powerful thing and beauty history has been full of brow trends. According to Jennifer Warren, owner of The Brow Boutique in San Clemente and Laguna Beach (brow-boutique.com), “The ‘80s were big and bushy. The ‘90s went back to a thinner, harsher brow. Today’s eyebrow styles are more natural and well balanced: a full, defined brow with a soft arch.”
Fortunately, there are now plenty of options out there even for those of us – or perhaps, because of us – that need help mending our faces from brow mistakes past.
Depending on the particular problem, Markowicz may recommend an eyebrow conditioner that promotes hair growth, or tint blond or light eyebrows to make them look fuller.
The shu uemura Tokyo Brow Bar at South Coast Plaza consists of tools, accessories and cosmetics developed to help you achieve your ideal brow. While the bar doesn’t yet offer tweezing or waxing, brow technicians can give you lessons and provide you with the supplies you need to create sculpted brows at home, says Sharleen Gilbert, shu uemura South Coast Plaza (714.957.0521) boutique director.
At The Brow & Skin Studio in Huntington Beach (thebrowandskinstudio.com), owner and eyebrow expert Rayda Ireifej offers everything from waxing and tweezing to permanent makeup – applied in a stroking style that helps simulate hair – to meet your brow shaping needs.
Part of the benefit of consulting an expert like Ireifej is learning how to care for your brows the right way. For instance, she has some general advice for filling in brows: If you have sparse hair, use a colored eyebrow powder applied with a brush; the powder stays on the skin better and looks more natural than pencil. Gels are good if you have enough brow hair for the color to stick to and are recommended for smoothing out unruly brow hair.
If you’re looking for something different for your brows, Warren says eyebrow bleaching is a new trend hitting the runways. With the resulting blank look this gives to the face, however, the technique should be left to the truly avant-garde.
Eyebrow extensions, on the other hand, create a fuller brow for people with sparse eyebrows by attaching individual synthetic hairs to existing eyebrow hairs, according to Warren.
Threading is another eyebrow practice that is popular, but not new – it’s actually been used for centuries – and is a noninvasive hair removal technique using a cotton thread to shape brows, according to Suman Patel, chief education advisor for Ziba Beauty (zibabeauty.com), which offers the service and has a location in Santa Ana.
“I think that many women take the time to do their makeup, yet neglect their brows because they’re not as familiar with the everyday steps to finish and polish their brows,” says shu uemura’s Gilbert. “That is what we are here for, to teach them those techniques.”
