EYEBROW WOW

By Susie Galvez –

Ask any makeup artist what is one tool you should never leave home without and the answer will always be a good pair of tweezers. The professionals know that perfectly shaped eyebrows are more flattering than any cosmetic product that could ever be applied. Correctly shaped and colored eyebrows make the eyes appear larger, the face appear slimmer and shapely, accentuate and frame the eyes, as well as minimize any facial flaws. The right brow will allow the wearer to look stylish and well groomed no matter what they are wearing. Great-shaped brows can even mimic an eyelift – without the surgery!

Eyebrows express our emotions best. Pretend for a moment that you are surprised, angry, worried, and suspicious. Without a doubt each and every time your brows changed to reflect the emotion. Do you remember the famous picture of Vivian Leigh, in the role of Scarlett O’Hara, posed on the steps of Tara, expressionless except for one raised eyebrow? With that one raised eyebrow, Scarlett spoke volumes.

The emphasis on brows has been popular ever since movie goers saw what a brow could do for a face in the silent movies of yesteryear. The popularity of brows and their grooming continually catches the beauty media industry’s eye with articles on places to go for the best brows, and whose brow hot and who’s not.

The Right brows can be an incredible beauty asset, while the wrong ones can spoil the look of an otherwise pretty face. In fact, changing the brow shape can change the way others perceive you, giving a more sexy, smart, or confident look – without even changing your hair style or switching lipsticks!

Raising the perfect eyebrow is not as hard as it may look. A few simple tricks of the trade are all that is necessary to create your perfect eyebrow wow!

* If you can afford it, find a spa or salon that offers an eyebrow design/makeover session. During the appointment, usually 30 minutes in length, the professional will talk with you about your eyebrows, the look that you desire – and how to achieve it, and most importantly – how to maintain it between professional hair removal sessions. The professional will then create your own look, using methods – such as waxing and/or tweezing to achieve your perfect brows. Then as a part of the session, you will be shown how to tweeze any stray hairs, as well as groom your brows on a daily basis to ensure that each and every day your brows look fabulous! This service is well worth the price of admission, since you will be taught how to continue your now fabulous brows look at home.

• If do-it-yourself is your plan of action – begin with a pair of flat-slant tweezers. The slant version is the easiest to control. Using natural light, such as light from your bathroom or bedroom window, look into a magnifying mirror to see any stray hairs and begin tweezing – one hair at a time – go slow, seeking out each stray hair. Single hair removal is best – removing one hair at a time, allows you to control the brow shape – and not over tweeze.

• Before tweezing, first comb up the brow hair to see where how your hair grows. Trim the brow hair across the very top of the brow hair growth, this will allow your natural brow shape to emerge.

• It is best not to tweeze when you are overly tired or in a stressed mood. To do so, you will have a tendency to over pluck – as you take out your frustrations. Remember the famous reality rule – over pluck – you are stuck!

• The best time to tweeze is after your shower, as the hot water from the shower will open up the pores, and allow for smoother, and less painless tweezing.

• If waxing is your method of choice, please avoid if you are using AHA’S, Vitamin A, Retinol, or any acne treatment. These types of treatments make the skin prone to sensitivity. To wax when using these methods may mean pulling off the skin underneath as well. .

• When applying brow color, begin at the outside tail and go towards the center of the eye, and then continue feathering the brow color all the way to the beginning of the brow. By starting at the end and feathering the brow color on the skin underneath the brow, you are able to fill in any gaps when brow hair may be sparse. Once you have applied the color, gently brush the brows up and back into place. The brush will help remove any excess color, return the brows to their natural shape, and create a groomed, professional look. Once you have achieved your brow look, very lightly pat a bit of translucent powder over the brows to set.

Susie Galvez is an international image consultant, speaker, beauty industry expert, and author of nine books on beauty and lifestyle. For more, visit http://www.susiegalvez.com/.