TRY A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND

post + photos by amy nadine, graphic design by eunice chun

We still get many emails about brows, which is why we’re back to brows again today! If you’ve missed our Brow Stencil and Brows 101 photo tutorials, revisit them here and here respectively. If you still need a little help, maybe this new one will give you your a-ha moment! Sometimes you just need to grab an object with a straight side, like a comb, a skinny long brush or a ruler and use it to guide you by outlining the perimeter. Here’s how:

TOOLS:

• A straight edge (I used the pick side of a comb)
• A brow liner pencil — I am obsessed with Tarte’s EmphasEYES Brow Liner because it’s a thin hard pencil that is waterproof and won’t smudge.
• A brow powder (I used Laura Mercier Cake Liner in Brown because I love the color payoff and it’s always nice to have a 2-for-1 product)
• Stiff-angled brow brush — I love Damone Roberts’ Brow Brush because I use the spooly on the other end as well.
• Brow Gel — I used Anastasia Clear Brow Gel and have for years.

STEPS:

1. Place the straight edge along the underside of the brow, from the end to the arch, and trace a line with the brow liner.
2. Place the straight edge along the top of the brow, from the end to the arch again, and trace a line with the brow liner.
3. Place the straight edge along the top of the brow, from the arch to the beginning of the brow (by your nose), and trace a line with the liner.
4. Place the straight edge along the bottom of the brow, from the bottom of the arch to the beginning of the brow, and trace a line connecting it to the one from step 1. Steps 1-4 basically drew an outline of the perimeter your brow.
5. Dip your brow brush into the shadow powder and start drawing individual hairs, mimicking your own, by flicking the brush upwards in little strokes. This technique is more tedious than merely shading it in but looks much more realistic.
6. Continue drawing hairs all the way to the arch.
7. Fill in the arch with more curved motions, determined by the direction of the hair growth.
8. Switch to downward strokes from the arch to the end.
9. With the brow get, brush hairs upwards if you’re like me and like a more natural look. If not, brush them from the nose towards the arch to lock them in place.