Chalks, pens, palettes, crayons, paints: brow products have become ludicrously over-engineered in the past three years. If I were allowed only one, I’d still have no hesitation in choosing a good old-fashioned pencil. There’s nothing better at filling sparse brows without fuss, perhaps tweaking their shape here and there. I favour a very fine, propelling pencil, usually in a cool, dirty taupe brown (this seems to suit all but the very dark-haired). My most beloved are Mac Eye Brows (£14), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (£15.50), NYX Micro Brow Pencil (£7), Beauty Pie Superbrow Precision (£17/£2.06 members), Smashbox Brow Tech Matte (£16.50) and Dior Diorshow Brow Styler (£19). All are excellent. But technique is key.
I noted years ago that legendary makeup artist Mary Greenwell (Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence’s face painter of choice) brushes brows downwards to clear them out of the way before embarking on brow makeup, follows their footprint with soft pencil strokes, then brushes them back into place when finished. This works brilliantly and instantly tones down any overzealous drawing for a very natural look. My own advice is to work in vertical strokes from the inner brow (closest to your nose) until you hit your natural arch, then switch to horizontal strokes as you navigate the downward slope. This is how hairs sit naturally, so following their lead makes for a softer, fuller and more convincing shape (that harsh, slightly cross look comes from only drawing across). Your strokes need gaps, like real hairs: imagine you’re drawing parallel lines, not colouring between them.
As for the new chalks and paints, I’ve tried several, and usually one is scarcely better off than a child clutching something from the Early Learning Centre. They’re too thick, too imprecise, frequently too warm in tone and, consequently, unnatural looking. Likewise, felt-tip brow pens, with the notable exceptions of Eyeko’s Brow Liner (£16) and Suqqu’s superlative Eyebrow Liquid Pen (£20). The latter delivers one of two perfectly murky shades via a super-fine nib and with great restraint. One can fill gaps, mimicking individual hairs, even with relatively inexpert strokes. The only sticking point is price, since the ink cartridge doesn’t last as long as you’d hope. Once your brows are on, it’s worth setting them with gel, perhaps one with thickening fibres for bulk. But that is, perhaps, a rant for another day.
