Whether you have brows to rival Lily Collins or a more slimline set à la Bella Hadid, there is one cardinal brow rule. Keep it, and everything else (even those rogue stray hairs) should fall perfectly into place.
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That’s the logic of Benefit’s new National Brow Artist, Hannah Mutze (and it’s pretty safe to say she knows what she’s talking about). We quizzed the brow guru on the arch maintenance every woman should follow, from tinting to tweezing to trimming and everything in between.
What’s the number one brow mistake women make?
“Misplacing their arch – a longer, extended arch is universally flattering. Ideally the highest point of your brow should diagonally align with the outer corner of your nose and the iris of your eye. This will lift the cheekbones, make the eyes appear bigger and even lessen the appearance of under eye dark circles and puffiness. An arch too far in adds roundness to all aspects of the face including the eye and under-eye area. Place your arch too far out and you will make the eyes appear too close together. Lengthen those arches ladies!”
What can make the biggest difference to unruly brows?
“Regular brow trims. Your brow expert holds the key to a Goldilocks trim – not too much, not too little. Too much and you’ll risk interfering with the shape of your brow and too little will leave you in the same place you started – unruly. Trimming will keep your brows in line for 3-6 weeks, will define your shape and can even thin out thick, bulky brows.
If you’re attempting a DIY trim-job, always brush the hairs up first to ensure you’re only taking excess length, and be sure to use specialist eye brow scissors as their tiny tip allows for expert precision.”
Can products help?
“Brow gel is an absolute game-changer for unruly brows. Ensure the formula offers long-wear and strong hold like Benefit’s 24hr Brow Setter to lock rogue brows into place all day. Simply brush through to coat all hairs, use the tip of the brush to taper the shape into place and press firmly on misbehaving hairs to secure.”
And how can you save sparse brows?
“Tinting! Monthly brow tints will darken and define your brow – picking up even the finest of hairs to create fuller, bigger brows. Also, add a fibrous brow gel to your makeup bag. Benefit’s Gimme Brow is a cult-fave that’s perfect for the most novice of beginners through to advanced brow mavens – simply brush through the brows and the micro-fibres will adhere to skin and hairs creating natural looking fullness and definition.
Start in the outer third of the brow – as our brows are naturally darker in the tail. Once you have enough colour here, back comb through towards the front of the brow to build up fibres + fullness, and finally brush back through the brow from start to finish to shape and taper hairs into place.
You can also try a feathered brow. Feather brows are the latest brow trend to take hold and are perfect for sparse brows as they use the length of your individual brow hairs to create a fuller-looking brow. Once you’ve added colour to the brow, use a spooly brush to brush the hairs upwards and set in place with a lick of brow gel!”
What do you wish more women would do to their brows?
“Put the tweezers down and grow them! Women are still taking too much from their brows. Fuller brows are youthful, easier to maintain and flatter all face shapes. Brow growth takes time (for me it was a whole year) but with regular shaping and tinting you don’t have to feel unkempt or messy during the growth phase. Invest in a brow conditioner or growth serum to stimulate the skin, condition existing hairs and encourage new growth.”
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