To Brow or Not to Brow ? That is the Question ?

Let's start this thing off right ! One of the biggest makeup/ beauty trends of the 2012 season is brows! I am not just talking any brows, I'm talking, old Liz Taylor from the 60's bold, full, defined, beautiful eyebrows. So the question is, to brow or not to brow ? Well I say let's brow !

Eyebrows are a feature of your face that are not only striking, feminine, & beautiful, but are a focal point for your eyes. Making sure they are brushed, arched, waxed, and taken care of properly, is a must! The new trend in brows for 2012 reminds me of older times, when style icons like Liz Taylor & Sophia Loren, were known for their eyebrow's shape, fullness, darkness, and definition. The eyebrows of the '60s were definitely hard to miss, with most eyebrows being shaped to have a high arch, and then filled in with a black or brown eye pencil for that bold striking look, it was hard to not focus more on the eyebrows of style icons than the clothes. Some women even went as far as shaving their brows off to be able to apply false eyebrows to look like these famous stars. So how can we get this look without going to the extremes of waxing your eyebrows off and applying fake ones? Below is a step by step process of how you can achieve this new trendy look! With a little help from a brow pencil, shadow or brush, and toning down on how often you wax, pluck, or thread, you too can look like Liz Taylor from her days as Cleopatra !

Step 1: Talk with your groomer about your eyebrows and the look, shape, and fullness you want to achieve. They may recommend only coming every other month instead of your regular monthly visit, that way your brows will grow in a little more and become fuller with out losing their shape. Figure out a plan that works best for you.


Step 2: Start with a brow pencil or brow shadow & brush. Pick a shade lighter than your normal brow color. You will want this slightly lighter because as you fill in and add color your brows will become darker, and we don't want them looking over the top unnatural, compared to back then, this new trend is a more subtle look.


Step 3: If you have not had time to see your groomer, try to define your shape by holding the brow pencil/ brush tip up and aligning this with the corner of your nose and inner edge of your brow. Now hold this where your brow begins (or make a dot if that helps you more). Angle your pencil or brush, and start to fill in your brows with light, feather like strokes moving upwards along the arch and line of your brow. Do this as many times as you wish to define the color and thickness you desire.


Step 4: You will want to comb your brows upward with a refined eyebrow comb, or lash comb. Then seal the look with either the wax that is with your brow shadow, or a brow finishing gel.


Step 5: Apply a little bit of highlighting concealer, or a shimmery shadow right under the arch of your brow, and along the base of it to highlight and define your new bold, full, brow look ! Repeat steps 1 through 5 for the other brow.


Example of the look: Here is a picture I found that shows how the new trendy brow look can be achieved but still look chic and not too over the top! Please excuse the non smiling! :)

Free Makeup Tip: As a Makeup artist I always make sure no matter who I am doing makeup for, whether it be a night on the town for one of my friends, my daily makeup, a bride for her wedding day , or a model for a photo shoot, that they have their eyebrows defined as much as possible, without taking away from their look. So if you are daring enough to try this new trend out, just continue to brush and sweep your brows a couple of times over until you have achieved your desired full brow look! However, if you are not looking to try this new trend out, I still recommend everyone define their eyebrows even for the everyday look, with a pencil that is the same shade or a shade lighter than their brows. Your brows define your face and can actually change your look completely. By making sure they are defined on a daily basis, you will start to notice that your eyes are popping more and your whole makeup look is complete.

Recommendation of product: One of my favorite brow pencils is the Brow-tech To Go by Smashbox ! This very creative pencil comes in two shades, Taupe and Dark Brown. It will work with any one's hair color, it is easy to use, and can be taken with you anywhere. There are many great eyebrow products on the market, but the reason this one is my favorite is because you barely could mess up the application, its not messy at all like some eye brow products, it has a soft hold gel on the opposite end for a complete polished look. You also don't have to worry about losing the brow brush, & its waterproof, so it lasts all day! Check it out @: http://www.smashbox.com/products/6026/Eyes/Brows/index.tmpl




Coming this month: Stay on the lookout for whats coming this month !

• How to Chose Your Perfect Shade Of Red For Spring
• Want to Achieve that Modern Trendy Cat Eye Look? Here's How!
• First Featured Vendor Spotlight: For my first Vendor Spotlight I will be featuring Award Winning Wedding Photographer Leah Haydock of Leah Haydock Photography ( for all my brides to be, this one is a must read) check her out prior to my post at www.leahhaydcok.com and tune in for a Q&A session with one of New England's Best Wedding Photographers. She has been featured in magazines such as the knot Boston , Style Me Pretty, and Seacoast Weddings, and now I have the honor of featuring her on here ! So please keep a lookout for this one !