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Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic
Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
February 22nd, 2009: Thinning eyebrows
Q I‘ve always had rather thin eyebrows, which is mainly due to over-zealous plucking in my teens but I have noticed they are also growing thinner and paler as I age. What options are there for temporary and/or permanent brow ‘fillers’?
A We sympathise with your plight, which is surprisingly common. Lots of teens go round having fits about their thick brows and simply don’t realise the long-term consequences of over-plucking. We’ve heard first-hand good results with brows (as well as scalp and lashes) from a hair-restoring supplement called Viviscal by Lifes2good, which contains a special marine complex. We can’t of course promise this will work for everyone, it is not cheap at £48.89 for a month (from Victoria Health), and the manufacturers recommend trialling for six months. Below, you will find our ‘colouring in’ advice, and we promise you can achieve great results.
Jo is a big fan of Christian Dior Powder Eyebrow Pencil, £14, which she was converted to by Lulu. In five shades, Jo recommends Blonde 653 for her blonde colouring and light brows: ‘it’s a soft taupe without a hint of red which is crucial – even a touch looks all wrong on eyebrows, making them “stand out” unnaturally.’ It’s always more flattering to choose a shade/s lighter than your natural brows: dark tones can look very heavy.
One thing with brow pencils: do keep them sharp (a pencil sharpener is vital) and make little, fine, feathery lines rather than heavy ones. Sarah (who has much the same problem as you – plus a few gaps due to a gas oven explosion) finds it easier to use pencils at a 45 degree angle.
You also have the option of powder kits such as Bobbi Brown Brow Kit, a beauty editor favourite, which includes two brow shades plus mini tweezers and brow brush, for £24.47 (only available online); choose from Sable/Mahogany and Wheat/Blond, or Benefit Browzing, £21.50, in Light or Medium, which also features a duo for shading, plus two brushes and tweezers.
Remember the golden rules of brow shaping: each brow should start vertically above the inside of your eye unless you have very narrow-set eyes, in which case you can achieve a wider look by slightly increasing the distance between the two brows. The highest point of the arch should be above the outer rim of your iris. To find the outer end, lay a pencil from your nostril to the outside of your eye, towards your temple: your brow should end where it would cut that line.
In semi-permanent make-up, pigment is implanted into the skin and fades gradually over several months. It’s similar to a tattoo but the colour doesn’t go as deep and the technology used is medical. It shouldn’t be painful but you can have a cream anaesthetic to numb any sensation. It’s vital to choose an experienced practitioner who will also give you an aesthetically good result. Debra Robson-Lawrence is the acknowledged leader in this field in the UK. Find her at 144 Harley Street, London W1G 7LE, tel: 0845-230 2021, www.permanent-makeup.com.
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Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral Foundation, £7.99. Packed with light-reflective micronised minerals which bounce light off your face for a truly radiant glow, this liquid base comes in eight shades. Jo swears it’s ‘almost as good as my favourite - sadly discontinued -Giorgio Armani Hydra-Glow foundation for disguising broken veins and high colour’. From Boots and Superdrug, for more info, maybelline.co.uk.
WHERE TO FIND PRODUCTS:
Christian Dior Powder Eyebrow Pencil, £14, in stores nationwide. Stockist enquiries: 01932 233-909
Bobbi Brown Brow Kit, £24.47, is available online exclusively from www.bobbibrown.co.uk, click here.
Benefit Browzing, £21.50, is available from www.boots.com, just click here.
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic - Archive
March 29th, 2009 - Are Sunbeds Safe?
March 22nd, 2009 - Weak, Flaking Nails
March 15th, 2009 - Puffy Eyes
March 8th, 2009 - Camouflaging Red Cheeks
March 1st, 2009 - Hair Colouring in Pregnancy
February 22nd, 2009 - Thinning Eyebrows
February 15th, 2009 - Acne |
