By Mera Tabarruk
It may seem like mastering your ideal brow is difficult to achieve, but it really doesn’t have to be. All you need are the right tools and expert tips to get you shaping the perfect arch in no time. Luckily for you, we chatted to Benefit brow expert Sam to answer all the tough and tricky brow questions.
How do I know what brow shade and product works best for me?
There are a few tips to keep in mind when looking for your perfect brow shade. First, make sure to stay within two shades of your hair colour so you aren’t contrasting with your hair. A good tip is to look at your eye colour, dark eyes suit a darker brow shade and light eyes tend to suit a lighter brow shade. Everyone has their own product preferences, whether it be a powder, pencil or pomade depending on your brow goals.
Pencils are best for shape and defining your arch and filling in sparse areas. Pomades are best for shaping, and darkening the brow and are great for oily skin types as they really last! Powders are best for fine brow hair to create a more natural look. With every brow, we suggest finishing off with a brow gel like 24-hr Brow Setter for slicked up brows or GimmeBrow+ for extra colour and lots of volume!
Have you got any tips for building a brow as natural as possible?
Most people use a brow pencil and then a gel to set their brows. A beauty hack to minimise the amount of product you use is to put on your gel first, setting your brows how you like them and then look for any remaining sparse areas and fill those in with a pencil.
What is a big no-no when it comes to drawing brows on?
We all know 2016 brows are out! Instead of outlining brows with a harsh line, keep things looking natural by using quick flicks up into your brows. Concentrate your product at the tails of your brows to keep the front of your brows looking natural.
What does your brow routine look like?
We’re all about fluffy and full brows which you see all over Instagram and TikTok. To create this look I love to layer brow products. I start by filling in sparse areas within my brows with Precisely, My Brow Pencil using feather like strokes, followed by GimmeBrow+ to give the brow more texture and volume and to tame unruly brow hair.
What is your best brow tip for beginners?
Put down the tweezers and head to the professionals for help! Our brow pros at your local Benefit browbar are always there to provide our complimentary signature brow mapping service! This will ensure that your brows are suited to your face shape, eyes and features. They will also give you advice of what will be the best brow product to take home so your brows are always on point! If you can’t make it in, we always suggest sticking to your natural brow shape and only cleaning up hair outside your brow shape.
What is the current trending brow look?
Thanks to TikTok there are new brow trends popping up all the time which makes makeup so fun! Full, feathery and slicked up brows are trending right now thanks to the ‘clean make-up look’ craze. The perfect product for this look is our 24-HR Brow Setter, it features a flat-sided brush which is the key to being able to push the brow hairs up and lasts all day long. Plus it’s a clear gel so it suits everyone! Our Benefit Ponsonby Boutique also now offers Brow Lamination services which creates full, fluffy and volumised brows for up to 8 weeks! Once you try it you won’t want to go back, it’s such a gorgeous, no fuss look. Perfect for the clean ‘no make-up, make-up’ trend.