Here is my column from the October Lincoln Journal.
If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen my post about the "Insta-brow", a look which I am not a fan of.
I have so many requests from Mum's of teenagers, and other ladies, who want a bit of clarity and guidance on this very internet-led trend of over-doing eyebrows.
Experimentation and the resulting trends are all well and good, but I am sorry to say, fuzzy felt is never a good look - actually I am not sorry at all.
Eyebrows are made up of lots of little hairs, some of us have more than others, buts lets get back to brows looking like brows please?!
The 90's have a lot to answer for, namely the complete destruction of our eyebrows - you can thank Kate Moss and crew for that. Fast forward a couple of decades and brows are now the ultimate facial accessory.
But trends are not a new thing. Cleopatra was the pioneer of the bold brow, while medieval ladies turned attention to their domed foreheads by plucking brows. In the Elizabethan era many women dyed their brows with a red tone as a nod to Queen Elizabeth I.
The 1920's saw the needle thin trend. Clara Bow's brows were plucked away and pencilled in thin and straight, extending beyond the corner of the eyes. The 1930's were influenced by Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow - brows had pronounced arches for added drama.
During the 1940's brows became thicker and softer, think Grace Kelly and Lauren Bacall. In the 1950's Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn all had lush, immaculately shaped brows. Sophia Loren shaved off her eyebrows during the 60's and then pencilled them in using short, thin strokes to create a bold but natural look.
The 1970's marked the return of the natural brow - Ali McGraw and Lauren Hutton were the brow role models.
In the 1980's Brooke Shields and Madonna lead the way with busy, natural brows.
The 1990's had brows of all shapes and sizes! Drew Barrymore sported the over-plucked look, as did Pamela Anderson. Kristen McMenamy's career skyrocketed after she shaved off her brows.
Today, the bold brow is back, thanks to Cara Delevingne, we are opting for the more feathery, natural look, (and no fuzzy felt in sight.) With out high brow history now complete, here's my guide to rehab your brows back from the brink...
Use a thin pencil/brow gel to draw on fine strokes of hair, (it is very important to choose a natural shade, look at your hair colour in the nape of your neck and don't be too heavy handed with your product.)
If you are using a gel apply with a Louise Young LY31 brush, its the best. Finish with a brow gel that contains fibres so it looks like you have some natural texture there.
Try using my recommended products and techniques to achieve a natural look - Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Grey - very natural and suits most people as it has a brown undertone. Apply this with an eyebrow brush, finish with a brow gel.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow pomade - apply with a Louise Young LY31 brush in light, feathery strokes to create eyebrow hairs. Finish with Volumizing eyebrow fixer by Diego Dalla Palma, (available from Marks and Spencer.)
If you prefer a pencil try a MAC/NARS brow pencil, or make sure when you buy it is quite soft and not too dark for you, always opt for the lighter option. Black should never be an option, even if you have black hair, it looks too harsh.
