Brows, as the late Elizabeth Taylor knew, should be an important part of any woman's beauty regime.
The Hollywood screen siren, whose brows became the subject of much copycat beauty behaviour, was never photographed without two perfectly arched, perfectly plucked eyebrows.
Taylor’s brows were thick and strong – they made just as much of an impact on her face as those red lips and her porcelain skin. It’s impossible to think of her smouldering good looks without them.
Then there’s Marlene Dietrich: her brows made a serious style statement as well. Unlike Taylor’s, Dietrich’s were skinny and long – two great half moon outlines on her forehead which framed her eyes. Greta Garbo also favoured the skinny brow, although hers often appeared thicker and less exaggerated.
Twentieth century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo also deserves a mention in our eyebrow hall of fame. Kahlo’s brows – thick, fluffy, almost joined in the middle – might not be a style many women want to emulate, but they certainly made for an imposing feature. They starred in many of her paintings and also came to symbolise the strength and uniqueness of this talented woman.
Modern day brow protagonists include actresses Jennifer Connelly and Anne Hathaway, who both prefer the defined, dark brow look.
But how should we wear ours? The honest answer is: well, um, eh ... it depends. It depends on the shape of your face, the state of your brows, as well as the thickness, darkness and length of your hair.
I’ve asked a lot of brow experts about this subject in the past and most have given me a slightly different answer. In the main though they suggest this: don’t over pluck your eyebrows; get them professionally shaped rather than trying to do them yourself; use a pencil to fill them in and make them look thicker/stronger.
To do the latter you’ll need a decent eyebrow pencil. I like these: Tom Ford’s Brow Sculptor (£32); Mac’s Eyebrows Crayon (£11.50); Clinique’s Instant Lift for Brows (£13).
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