Eyebrow shapes have changed many times over the years, but have always been an important part of beauty regimens as far back as records go.
BROW TIMELINE
Ancient Egyptian Era
One of the earliest examples in history – Ancient Egyptians used charcoal to darken, define and arch their brows.
Ancient Greek Times
The Ancient Greeks wanted to appear un-groomed as it was a sign of purity. Brows were left completely natural, with some women even drawing on a uni-brow.
Tang Woman
In Chinese culture, Tang women would opt for a half moon shape and preferred a fuller, bushier shape than in more recent years.
1920s
During the 1920s, super thin brows were in fashion, with on screen stars such as Clara Bow sporting thinly penciled, over extended and sad looking brows.
1930’s
1930s brows were still very thin like they were in 1920’s, but icons such as Greta Garbo wore a much higher, more dramatic arched shape.
1940’s
In the 40’s beauty icons such as Grace Kelly wore thicker brows but with a well structured, filled in shape.
1950’s
The 50’s saw women emulate the brows of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor who wore a full brow with an exaggerated high arch.
1960’s
The 60’s saw a shift to a less natural, more drawn on look in the style of Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot.
Early 1970’s
The early 70s, skinny brows were en vogue, with Sharon Tate and Twiggy providing inspiration.
Late 1970’s
Towards the end of the 70’s women had taken note of the bohemian, hippy influence, with brows taking on a much fuller, more natural style like Margaux Hemingway and Lauren Hutton’s.
1980’s
The fuller feel of the late 70’s continued on into the 80’s with women lusting after brows like Brooke Shields – still heavily referenced today.
1990’s
Thanks to rise of the 90’s supermodels such as Karen Mulder and Kate Moss, the 90’s saw a shift back to a thinner shape again and women plucked their brows to achieve a much finer shape.
Present Day
Modern day icons such as Cara and Suki have brought the fuller brow trend back into fashion.
Brows really frame the face, giving it structure – and done properly, eyebrows can be really anti-ageing, so never underestimate their power! Following the “Cara effect” of recent years, today, women want bold, luscious brows again and there are so many products on the market to choose from to help you achieve the look you’re after.
Whenever I create brows for a Burberry show or campaign, they always need to be gorgeous, natural-looking and full. I use Burberry’s Eyebrow Definer to pencil in lightly and create effortless definition and shape. I always make sure to use the brush on the other end of the Eyebrow Definer to blend the product in so that the brows look organic and un-done.
If you’re not naturally blessed in the brow department, then try using a pencil with an angled edge to sketch small strokes that mimic little hairs, drawing in the direction that the brow naturally grows in. If you look at the eyebrow closely, you will notice that the hairs grow directly upwards at the start of the brow, then at a slanting angle up to the arch, at which point the hairs start to grow in a downwards angle through to the end part of the brow where they naturally taper to a point.
Best For Natural Brows
Although a naturally lush looking brow is a big trend right now, a lot of women are also choosing to go for a fuller brow, but in a more flawless, refined shape – waxing and threading are both commonly used techniques to create this sort of brow contour. When creating a more defined brow, always try to consider the natural shape and fullness that will work best for your face shape. One of the most common mistakes I see, is women creating a very solid, blocky effect and it ends up looking too harsh. Cream or gel based products applied in fine strokes with an angled brush are best for creating a more intense feel to the brow.
Best For Defined Brows
Brows naturally tend to have a grey or taupe tone to them so be sure to steer clear of anything red toned when selecting your products; nobody truly has red in their natural eyebrow tone – even redheads will tend to have a more ashy shade when it comes to their brow hairs.
Best Tools
Backstage Secret
On shoots, I often tint or BLEACH brows to create a more editorial feel or to suit a particular look. I sometimes also lighten the brows for a softer, more flattering feel for the red carpet; it’s something I’ve done for EDIE CAMPBELL, SIENNA MILLER and SUKI WATERHOUSE for their red carpet appearances…
© Wendy Rowe. All Rights Reserved.
