I never plucked my eyebrows when I was younger. I was always that kid who looked like a cave girl with her black, bushy caterpillars while all the other girls looked so feminine with their shaped, over plucked wisps. As much as I hated it then, now I am so so thankful to past-Leigh for not touching her brows as now they're pretty much my best asset.
I do have a love for thick, strong and dark eyebrows. I've become a fan of that 'too big for your face' look a lot of people have going on at the moment too. Except 'scouse brows', ooooooh I absolutely despise drawn-on, Sharpie eyebrows! I may be from Liverpool but one thing I can proudly say is that my brows are 100% mine. I do try to maintain my brows as best I can; as well as looking after them with a few products and potions, I also make the most of them when it comes to makeup looks and fashion choices.
Here are a few of my own personal tips and tricks to 'the eyebrow game':
1. Don't over-pluck
I can't stress this point enough, do not touch your eyebrows with tweezers or wax unless it's to tame the strays. Attempting to re-shape or thin out your brows yourself can result in a loss of hair growth and hair strength, meaning you'll find even gentle tasks like combing them through will cause them to molt and become sparse.
Just please, please, please try and leave them alone as much as you can. I know how tempting it may be to want to add a little shape to them, or how paranoid you may feel about how they look when they've not been plucked. But trust me, unless you have a big, thick mono brow going on, you'll be surprised how little people actually take notice of them.
Just let them grow and strengthen for a while and you'll be amazed with the outcome.
2. Use a cream cleanser to remove product build-up
Using makeup wipes, I noticed, pulls out hairs. It also doesn't remove every scrap of product from your eyebrows which is exactly what needs to be done. I began using Liz Earle cleanse and polish some time last year and I have never looked back! It's so gentle on the entire face, let alone the hairy parts. And it honestly does the job so, so well.
3. If you can afford to, invest in this
Revitalash is a brand that is known for strengthening eyelashes and making them visibly longer. They also do an eyebrow version which has absolute rave reviews; most being 5 out of 5 stars. It helps achieve thicker, fuller eyebrows whether you've overplucked, lost the hair or just didn't have it to start with. Although it is ridiculously expensive, it's a worthwhile investment because it really does work!
4. Try eye shadow, or a pencil with a more waxy texture
Filling your eyebrows with an eyebrow pen or pencil can make them look quite false and drawn-on. Pencil with a far too shiny finish shows up very obviously and can stick the hairs down under the product; damaging them and also leaving you looking like you have even less natural brow hair than you started off with! Go for a powder that seems a shade too light, as this will darken amongst your brows and be a lot gentler, allowing the hairs to stay lifted and present. Also, opting for a pencil that's a bit waxier will mean you apply less and it blends better with the natural brow.
5. Use a setting gel or clear mascara
After you've filled your eyebrows in, brushing them into place, whether it's sleek and neat or up and bushy, will mean they stay all day. I've been using brow drama from Maybelline at the moment and I'm loving it! However before that I used a clear mascara when I didn't want any extra colour, just an amazing finish.
6. Spoolies are your best friends
combing your eyebrows through before and after tampering with them is the best thing you can do. It removes access product and lifts the hairs, making them look thicker and more shapely.
I'm no expert, these are just my tips!
Leigh xo
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