Take inspiration from the Fashion Week runways and go bold, brave and little bit boyish. Here are some top pro makeup tips for making your eyebrows look their best
What’s the secret to perfect eyebrows? Some clever eye makeup savvy and eyebrow shaping know-how.
The trend for eyebrows this season was for greater depth of colour and definition, steering clear of any association to the ‘scouse brow’ though. Subtle build-up of colour was the makeup tip of choice backstage at the AW14 Fashion Weeks with a tomboy finish favoured for a more structured look.
“Use a brow colour that has a grey flat tone as a base,” recommends L’Oréal Paris makeup artist Lynsey Alexander. “This will make brow hairs look rich, yet still subtle. Avoid anything that has a green or red tinge, as these tend to look very ‘product heavy.’”
Here’s what the pros behind the looks used to create our favourite runway looks and their top beauty tips to translate them to reality without a hitch. Before you start shading, sculpting and drawing though, ensure you’re working with the right foundations by making an eyebrow threading appointment first. Blink and Shavata Brow Studio both have a team of experts who showcase a wealth of experience at making the most of your natural eyebrow shape to keep them looking groomed and polished, but also distinctly your own.
3.1 Phillip Lim
“It's time to 'Rock the Casbah' this fall. A bold, angled brow, clean eyelids and slightly sculpted cheeks give a bit of new wave punk inspiration," said makeup artist Francelle Daly backstage at 3.1 Phillip Lim. Polished but with an edge, the sharpener-free NARS Brow Perfector , £16.50 was used to define the eyebrow shape, with NARS Matte Eyeshadow , £18 in shades Blondie, Bali, Bengali, New York or Coconut Grove applied afterwards depending on the model’s hair colour - a more subtle way to shape your eyebrows that avoids looking too drawn in.
Whistles
At Whistles, makeup artist Lynsey Alexander highlighted models’ eyebrows by taking them darker in the most soft-handed of ways. “Handsome groomed brows,” carved with light feathery movements, try using L’Oréal Paris Brow Artist Plumper, £5.99 (launching later this month) - a handy brow gel mascara that slowly builds up colour for more control of intensity. For more targeted detailing, opt for Superliner Brow Artist in Dark Brunette , £5.49 instead to fill in eyebrows that are a little sparse in places.
Image: Instagram @lynsey_alex
Salvatore Ferragamo
Brushed up eyebrows was the look of choice at Salvatore Ferragamo. Described as “bold beauty” by makeup artist Diane Kendal, brows took on an almost feral look, taking full advantage of the models’ natural eyebrow shape and paring the rest of the makeup back. Brows were brushed up, shaded as needed and set using MAC Clear Brow Set , £13.50 - a versatile beauty buy that adds subtle shading to eyebrows. It was also a kit bag essential backstage at Michael Kors, where makeup artist Dick Page applied it using soft brushes to create a rawer look.
The new Giorgio Armani Eye and Brow Maestro , £26.50 is a great all-round makeup multitasker. An eyebrow shaper, eyeliner, hair root touch-up and good for contouring too, it’s a handbag must-have.
MORE GLOSS: The top beauty trends of AW14 and how to do them
Grace
If you already have thick eyebrows, a little bit of maintenance is all that’s needed to ensure they always look their best. Backstage at Grace, Lisa Eldridge tended to the brows of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Suki Waterhouse by filling them in using the precision brush tip of Eyeko Brow Liner , £15 and brushing them through using Eyeko Brow Gel , £18. The Brow Gel is one of our particular favourites for keeping brows healthy and in check thanks to key conditioning ingredients keratin and gingko bilabo.
Sister by Sibling
“Boyish brows against perfected skin. It’s all about contour and light using gloss and strong shading,” said makeup artist Miranda Joyce who masterminded the look at Sister by Sibling. For extra definition and to make them stand out even more, MAC Studio Eye Gloss , £17 was applied to the eyelid, up to the brow bones and blended out towards the temple. A uniform brunette coloured eyebrow was created for the line-up for extra contrast with MAC Clear Brow Set , £13.50 used to blend and set.
We’d also recommend Estée Lauder Stay-in-Place Brow Lift Duo , £19 for a quick brow pick-me-up when you’re on-the-go. The highlighter tip helps enhance your natural arch or help create the illusion of one where needed.