How to Groom and Color Your Eyebrows

If you've carefully shaped your eyebrows to suit your face, what else is there? The answer to that can range from a little to a lot, depending on how high-maintenance you are or want to be, and what color your brows are!

Basic Grooming
At the very least, you need to brush your brows into place. There is a brush specifically for this, and it generally comes with an eyelash brush on the other side. You can see one in the first photo. Once your brows are neatly brushed, you can get them to stay in place with a clear gel.

Who Should Color Their Brows?
A simple answer to that is, almost everyone. If your eyebrows are exceptionally dark, and your hair and skin is light, you may want to tone them down. On the other hand, if your eyebrows are very pale, you may want to darken them. Adding a hint of color to your brows can make your face look more put-together, giving you a model or celebrity look. Be careful, though; the wrong color, or too much color, can make you look downright scary!

What Are the Choices for Brow Coloring?
There are many different products, and types of products, for coloring your brows. Powders are common. Smashbox makes a powder brow coloring product called "Brow Tech" (see photo) that comes in several different shades; it's packaged with a powdered color on one side, and a wax to keep it in place on the other. They have an angled brow brush (also pictured) to apply both color and wax. Smashbox makes another product called Brow Tech To Go, a double-ended applicator with waterproof color on one end and a soft-hold gel on the other, that you can carry in your purse for touch ups. Bare Escentuals makes colored brow powder in several shades; use their clear gel to keep brows in place.

Besides clear brow gel, you can find colored brow gels. The MAC brow gel shown is in a shade called "Boy Girl," one of their lightest shades, but most colored brow gels come in a range of colors including blonde, soft brown, auburn, and brunette. Other colored brow gels are made by Anastasia, Benefit, and Dior, among others. The wands for brow gels look a lot like mascara wands, but don't use your mascara on your brows unless it's Halloween.

Eyebrow pencils, popular since at least the 1920s (think Marlene Dietrich), are made by companies that include LORAC, Sephora, and Dior, as well as drugstore brands including CoverGirl and Maybelline.

But What's Best for ME?
That's something only you can decide. I'd recommend at least brushing your brows, and applying a soft-hold clear gel to keep them in place, but colors? Visit a department store and try several different types, and find a color that works for you. In general, you want a color that's close to the color of your hair, but if you're a very pale brown, you'll want something just a little darker. If the department store brands aren't in your budget, get an idea of what you like, and visit the drugstore to try to find a good substitute. Happy hunting, and may you always have beautiful brows!

(Source: http://www.sephora.com/)