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Before we entered this strange state of COVID-induced limbo, the chances are that you were on some sort of brow journey.
Whether that be a pilgrimage to growing them out after an over-plucking session even the nineties wouldn’t approve of, or a trial run of which brow gel held them in place from desk to dusk, our collective pre-lockdown brow game was considerably stronger than it is today.
That’s perhaps why brows are seen to be big business: the UK brow industry is estimated to be worth £42 million annually, with women spending on average £200 a year on their own pair.
But in this chapter of all of our lives which is sadly sans beauty appointments, we must master how to handle the two tearaways without the help of the brow gurus we've come to rely on.
One such guru is Chanice Sienna, the founder of cult-brow bar, BAMBROWS, who has rounded up her sagest advice on tending to your brows while in lockdown.
How to nail your brow shape
“At this time I wouldn’t recommend completely reshaping your eyebrows,” Sienna says. “I would suggest tidying between the brows and removing any stray hairs around the shape.”
Instead of attempting to shape or re-shape them, Sienna advocates nourishing brows back to their original shape – where they can then be re-worked by a professional once normality resumes.
She says, “Castor oil, shea butter and coconut oil are all great natural products that will help nourish your brows.”
To wax or to tweeze?
Sienna is adamant that wax can be tricky to use and can easily result in injury if not used correctly.
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Instead, she advises, “Always tweeze in the direction of the hair and only tweeze once every one to two weeks. This will help your brow cycle and give you more consistent re-growth.”
How to avoid over-plucking
It’s the regret of most tweezer-happy teens that they over-plucked their brows, yet when ensconced in the same space all day every day, it can be hard not to relapse into bad brow habits while in lockdown.
Avoid over-doing it with the use of a brow pencil - Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz pencil is perfect for this (£23, shop it here.) Create your fullest-looking brow shape using the pencil and only tweeze the strays outside of that.
“Limit yourself to only four to five plucks per brow!” Sienna warns.
How to give your brows a trim
“Firstly, always brush the hairs upwards,” Sienna explains. “Use a small pair of clean scissors to trim the stray hairs the furthest away from your shape.”
Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Scissors (£20, shop them here) are particularly nimble, but if you’re not looking to splash out, then Sienna offers assurance that “nail scissors are a good substitute.”
To brush the brows up, use an old (clean) mascara brush, a clear gel or the feathered end of a brow pencil.
How to tint your brows at home
To achieve a salon-worthy tint, apply the jelly around the hairs and desired shape of your brows. Sienna explains, “Only ever put tint on for a few minutes to check the colour, you can always re-apply if necessary.”
The key to DIY brow-tinting is that less is always more. You’d rather have to re-apply than risk a dangerously dark brow for the rest of lockdown.
If you are not confident in using tint, Sienna advises using “a brow pencil to get you through this time.”
If you feel in need of a visual aid before you endeavour to tint yours yourself, BAMBROWS will be posting a tinting tutorial on its Instagram next week.
Brow products to reach for in lockdown
“The most important thing is to keep your brows well-nourished,” Sienna says. “In this time I would highly recommend looking after your brows with oils for everyday use, this will get your brows looking well healthy and full.”
For feral brows, Glossier’s cult brow gel Boy Brow (£14, shop it here) is one of its best-sellers and a favourite among beauty aficionados and insiders alike. To avoid a tinted brow gel, Anastasia Beverly Hills' Clear Brow Gel (£23, shop it here) leads the transparent troupe and holds brows in place all day.
The key when tweaking your brows while under lockdown is to remember that your brows are sisters, not twins. Let them be.
Happy plucking!