A celebrity brow artist's plea: Don’t jump on every brow trend out there

While I can’t speak on all trends, when it comes to brows, I have plenty to say. Recently, two trends in particular have become quite prevalent for brows: one being the '90s and '00s throwback with pencil thin arches, and the second being the rebellious – and honestly, quite stunning – bleached brows.

If the recent fashion weeks have shown us anything, along with the general resurgence in the trends of my teenage years, it's this: When it comes to brows, there's a current movement to pick up the tweezers and destroy brows. While this certainly creates the intended aesthetic, what gets me is that, if you take a closer look, it’s all a façade. The majority (and I could even go out on a limb and say that almost all) of the models we saw, gorgeously stomping down the runways serving ‘No Doubt’ Gwen Stefani brows, had simply had their own brows glued down and then re-drawn on.

This isn’t a problem at all, except for the fact that ordinary people like myself have zero time or patience to grab a glue stick, layer, comb down, layer again, comb down, take a blow dryer, dry the glue, layer on colour correcting concealer, then foundation, then setting powder, and then meticulously draw on that extra thin brow. This is without even mentioning what that is going to look like halfway through the day. Given this reality, it only makes sense that people are grabbing the tweezers and plucking away. And this, this is where the problem lies.

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Even those runway models, their agents, or even the spectacularly talented makeup artists wouldn’t dare to tweeze those brows for real. Why? Because they know better. Even makeup artists that I respect and love are doing interviews with huge publications and social media giants promoting said over-plucked aesthetics, and they themselves don’t dare pick up the tweezers and go all the way.

Granted, there are of course exceptions, and people who have committed to the tweezer are braver than I am – as my own chair is full of clients who did that in the '90s and '00s and now spend their time and money desperately trying to undo the damage caused. Just speak to your mum, speak to your aunties, they did it so that you don’t have to. Then ask yourself: 'Is it really worth it?' Do you really want to take the chance that your brows never grow back the same way again?

Now, onto the bleach. Just as keeping a pencil thin brow is quite a bit of work, and has its risks, the same applies to keeping up a bleached brow. In all honesty, I do actually love this trend. I love the rebellious anti-establishment vibes that the bleached brow brings, not to mention the sheer fashion alien vibe. It is chic, genderless, and looks stunning with any skin tone. That said, in order to keep it up, you are committing to bleaching them weekly or biweekly. Even Kim dyed her brows back right after the Rolling Stone cover.

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Due to the thicker, more porous state of a brow hairs, they start to turn brassy and orange much faster than the hairs on your head. Unlike the hairs on your head, there is no way to just touch up the roots and tone the ends. Instead, it is a consistent bleaching. If you ask your hairstylist if they would bleach the hair on your head from root to end with this frequency, they would give you the quickest and firmest, 'absolutely not' that you’ve ever heard. So why do that to your brows and your skin?

Before you run to your local grocery store and grab a packet of bleach, think about going online and looking for products such as Brow Engineer from Sensorium. You can even grab a full coverage cream concealer and brush it though dried powdered brows. These methods will give you the same look with none of the damage or long-term commitment.

Rather than taking that chance, head to your brow artist and make sure they are giving you a bespoke brow that perfectly fits your unique and stunning face. Just like a little black dress or that perfect pair of jeans, a classic brow custom shaped to frame your face will always be on trend.