From The Straits Times    |
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Photo: Mongchin/Instagram 

It doesn’t matter whether you like your eyebrows arched, feathered, straight, natural or bold, eyebrows are arguably the most important facial feature.

“One of the biggest mistakes is doing nothing (to your brows). We put in a lot of effort into the way we present ourselves. If you did nothing to your brows, it just throws everything away. Brows balances out your face and eyes and you need them for everything to come together,” explained Benefit Cosmetics Global Brow Expert, Jared Bailey.

 

A post shared by Jared Bailey (@jrobertbailey) on

Indeed, by now we all know how much a pair of well-groomed eyebrows can transform a face. It’s the reason why even some of the most minimalistic makeup routines definitely have a brow element to it.

And if you’re not satisfied with your god given brows, there are so many ways to accentuate the ones you have, including brow pencils, gels, waxes, powders and even tattoos. These days, everyone is seeking to make their eyebrows look fuller and, along with the best eye products, one of the methods that that has gained popularity in recent times is microblading.

In case you didn’t know, microblading is basically a technique used to deposit pigment into the skin (with a bundle of 12to 15 fine needles). Rather than giving you a solid block of colour like traditional tattoo, the needles reach only into the superficial layers of the skin (which is why the method is semi-permanent) to create fine hair-like strokes.

 

Blurred lines

When asked for his thoughts on the beauty trend and whether the same look could be achieved with makeup, Jared shared that it’s a better idea to get the finish with makeup instead of going under the needle.

“Tattoos are tough. The needles don’t go deep into your skin and the lines tend to blur and lose the crispness that you like after six to eight months,” said Jared.

 

A post shared by Jared Bailey (@jrobertbailey) on

 

“When it doubt, tap it out”

So, how do you achieve that natural, fluffy-looking brow look with makeup without looking too “done” or over-drawn? 

The brow-artist-to-the-stars recommends brow mapping to determine your natural shape to create a base before accentuating it with products.

“You have to work with what you got. If you fight Mother Nature, it will look a little off,” said Jared. Every brow has three main points and you have to create symmetry to find these points.

 

A post shared by Jared Bailey (@jrobertbailey) on

To do so, start by measuring from the dimple of the nose straight up to the beginning portion of your brows with a pencil and make a mark – this is where your brows should start. Next, observe the highest point of your brows when they start to curve and make another mark – that is the arch. Finally, with the pencil, measure up from the outer corner of the eye upwards and make one last dot – that’s where your brows should end.

While it’s easy to pop into any personal care or beauty supplies store to pick up an eyebrow razor or tweezers to trim your brows, Jared advises against at home tweezing. “When you do your own brows, you are looking in the mirror, one at a time. When someone else does your brows, they are looking at both to see what balances out your face. Keep at home tweezing at a minimum. Thin out the middle. Hairs that fall well outside the browline, it’s time to get rid of those,” said Jared.

If you need more incentive to get your brows shaped professionally, as part of Benefit’s Bold is Beautiful campaign, all proceeds of their brow waxing services in the month of May will go to local charities for women and girls.


    Then, to create fake hair-like strokes, roll a micro-pencil liner flat and tap on your bathroom counter before flicking your wrist to create tiny strokes to mimic your natural brow hairs. Jared explained that pencils are made from wax, tapping it against a hard surface will prevent it from creating harsh strokes on the skin. If you’re more of a visual learner, be sure to check out our video above to see how it’s done! 

    When picking a brow pencil, choose one that matches your hair colour. If you use a shade that is too light or dark compared to your hair colour, your brows might look to warm, cool and ashy. Also, make sure to apply the colour with a light hand for natural looking brows.

    Next, when creating these tiny strokes, you want to leave some skin bare between each stroke instead of filling in your entire brow. “Monitor the spacing to make sure you see pops of skin between each stroke, said Jared. You can choose to fill in your brows in either the direction of your hair growth or opposite of your hair growth for a crosshatch effect to create the illusion of fuller brows.

    Lastly, seal everything in with a clear brow gel like the Benefit 24-hour brow setter clear brow gel to keep your brows in place.

     

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