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There’s no denying that eyebrows are the framework for the face. If you’ve ever seen someone who’s bleached their eyebrows (it’s very chic these days), you’ll realise how much necessary definition they provide to the face.
With this in mind, we decided to ask make-up artist Tori Arthur for the cardinal sins to avoid when it comes to your brows…
Mistake 1: Making eyebrows too blocky at the inner corner
‘The quickest way to make brows look harsh is a solid, square front’ according to Tori. By softening them with a diffused look at the front you get a more natural gradient as opposed to a heavy ‘stamped on’ look. To do this, Tori says the key is in where you start filling your brow in. Avoid starting at the inner corner, and instead begin at the arch of the brow, gradually moving towards the inner bit of your brow with less product.
Mistake 2: Letting the tail droop
‘If the tail end of your brow droops it will quietly drag the whole face down’ warns Tori. ‘Lifting it even slightly makes such a difference! Follow your natural bone structure, but if you need a bit more lift, you can place your product just above where the tail naturally sits to wake up your face.’
Mistake 3: Using a brow shade that is too dark
This is one of the most common issues Tori sees and, she says, will instantly date you. The modern way to get the correct shade of brow is to ‘choose a shade that’s one tone lighter than your hair to give you a cleaner, fresher finish, which won’t overpower your features. It looks softer and more effortless. And if you’re can’t pick between two colours, the lighter one almost always looks better in real life!’
Mistake 4: Trying to make your brows identical
It may be an old adage, but that doesn’t make it any less true – ‘brows are sisters, not twins’. Tori is of the school of though that ‘they look so much more natural when you stop chasing perfect symmetry. Every face has tiny differences, so attempting to enforce an exact match will usually end up with over-filling or over-tweezing. Instead, aim for balance, so things look harmonious rather than cloned.’
Mistake 5: Untidy brows
It doesn’t matter how well you’ve blended your eyeshadow, sculpted your contour or flicked your cat eye liner – if brows are messy, you will struggle to look polished. Tori claims ‘a quick tidy up makes a massive difference. Brush them through, trim any long hairs that stick out and clean up any strays underneath. They don’t need to be super sharp, just neat enough that the shape is clear – everything else will instantly look more pulled together.’
MISTAKE 6: Not using brow gel
‘People underestimate how much brow gel changes the whole look’, Tori tells me. ‘It leaves you looking lifted, and even if you fill them in beautifully, without gel they can fall a bit flat or splay out by lunchtime. Clear gel is good for keeping things soft and fluffy, and tinted ones add depth. All you need to do is brush the hairs up at the front and out towards the tail and suddenly your face looks fresher. The Elf Brow Lift is a great staple in my kit that genuinely holds.’