Want to know the secrets to creating the ultimate set of arches?
Ask any beauty therapist what’s the most important feature of the face and they won’t miss a beat in telling you, it’s the brows. As every beauty expert worth her weight in foundation knows, a well-groomed set of arches have the power to reshape the entire look of a client’s face, creating a more youthful, structured, attractive look.
But only an elite handful know the secret formula to brow wow – the act of transforming even the most non-existent arches into beautifully groomed works of art. Thankfully though, with a few expert hacks, it is possible to cheat your way to brow prowess. Here’s how…
Hack #1: Visualise
“Start by analysing the brows and their shape, to work out what the best for the person would be, considering the client’s preferences as well,” says brow expert and founder of Lycon Cosmetics, Lydia Jordane.
“I find the best way to work out the brow shape and where to remove hair from is to align a pencil from the inner corner of the eye to the side of the nose. Any hair growth between the eyebrows from this point inward should be removed.”
Hack #2: Map it out
Arch placement can mean the difference between looking like Kiera Knightley or Courtney Cox – post facelifts. Thankfully though, there’s an easy trick to ensure you cinch it, every time.
“Place a pencil diagonally from the corner of the nose, through the centre of the iris. Where the pencil crosses the brow is where the brow arch or highest point of the brow should be,” says Jordane.
“You can also place the pencil from the corner of the nose on a line that passes the outer corner of the eye to determine the minimum length of the outward brow point.”
Hack #3: Prep it
For the perfect eyebrow waxing sesh, prepping the skin before applying wax is key to a neat, clean finish.
“Use a suitable cleanser to remove oils, makeup and any surface bacteria. Then always apply a very small amount of pre-waxing oil on the area to be waxed, before hot wax application,” advises Jordane.
“Only a small amount of pre-waxing oil is required. I like to put a couple of drops on the back of my hand and apply the oil from there, which controls the quantity of oil being applied and it is easily and quickly accessible for reapplication during the service. If there is too much oil on the skin, the wax will not grab the hair effectively, but not enough oil and the client’s skin could be affected.”
Hack #4: Just go with it
The direction of the hair growth, that is.
“When waxing brows, I recommend that the first hot wax application should always be applied in the direction of the hair growth. This helps to reduce the possibility of catching any longer hairs that shouldn’t be removed with the wax,” recommends Jordane.
“Remember to always support the skin before removing the wax and to remove hot wax against the hair growth, as this is the best way to protect the skin and remove more hair each time.”
Hack #5: Reapply
If you want to really step up your brow shaping game, always apply a second wax to get rid of any fluffy hairs that can ruin an otherwise clean finish.
“After two initial applications of hot wax in the direction of the hair growth, you can then apply more hot wax against the hair growth, so you can lift and pick up any stubborn or fluffy hairs left behind. Once waxing is complete, check the end result. You may need to trim some hairs, even tweeze some odd hairs to create a perfect brow shape and balance,” says Jordane.
Hack #6: Check yo’self
Now that you’ve finished your handiwork, don’t let the client leave before checking the results are perfect, says Jordane.
“I find at the very end, the best way to check the shape and look of the eyebrows is to have the client sit straight up and for me to face them to check the eyebrows. This is really important as the eyebrows look very different when the client sits up, compared to when the client is lying down.”
Hack #7: Perfect it
“Once you are satisfied that you have created the perfect brow, apply your favourite after-waxing care product and show your client the end result.
“And remember that practice makes perfect,” emphasises Jordane.
“I like to have everyone draw eyebrows on the back of their hand and use this as a way to practice their hot wax application a few times, before working directly on a client.”